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During 2014, Team Spectre managed to grow at a very rapid rate, from a mid-high master level, competitive, but non-professional StarCraft2 team to a major recognized by TeamLiquid professional StarCraft2 team, with players like AlaStOr, Revolver, Majestic, sLh, Arthur and lately even JYP.
This was all possible financial wise, because of our main sponsor Stanislav Petrov, a very kind and passionate man from Russia and also a StarCraft2 player and fan himself. He supported Team Spectre from the beginning of February, where we recruited a medium strong Grandmaster level roster and managed to win RSTL 4, with a victory against Vega Squadron's main roster.
We grew to become used with this growing rate, and this summer we recruited Arthur and JYP, two very bright korean players, which I believe have a lot of potential to show even more results than they already proved. We were extremely happy to reach this far and to be the proud hosts for JYP and Arthur.
The problem is, our sponsor Stanislav Petrov is gone missing since 6 days. I have proof of talking with him 6 days ago, when he said he will pay in 1-2 days JYP's full Dreamhack LAN, that also being the last time he was seen online on WhatsApp. Me being the founder, CEO and manager of Team Spectre, this absence got me very very impatiented and worried, that JYP might not attend Dreamhack Valencia. And I think this will be the case, as even in this very day our main sponsor hasn't replied back.
This is not like him at all. He may have avoided to answer our players in the past when they were asking about their salaries, but he never failed to answer me or to give me a heads up, especially for important things. I think something serious might have happen to him, but I still hope he will be alright and come back, with a reasonable explanation of course, for why JYP now cannot attent Dreamhack Valencia.
Until then, we wanted to make this official statement, so that everybody knows that the future of Team Spectre, at least professional side, is very shaky and we're looking for possible new main sponsors, or even sponsors willing to continue sponsoring our current players, under any name whatsoever.
We are constient about our image being altered and of how the community will see us beginning with now, but we're willing to make these declarations and we promise they're not lies. Why would we do such a thing or why would I do such a thing, after working so careful and proud for this team so far? I would never accept just simply dissapearing like LYGF or Quantic.
We shall stand our grounds, even if it means being a bit hated for a while by the community (or at least the part of the community that sees that this is really not our fault) or even failing to find a new main sponsor for these talented stars and losing our professional side altogether. Either way, we will not give up.
We are truly sorry and we hope this turns out good in the end somehow, or at least we hope that the community will understand why what happened is bad and that this really isn't the team's fault or my fault as the founder, CEO and manager of Team Spectre, nor my partner's fault, Hyper.
If anyone out there wishes to take over Stanislav Petrov's job as the main sponsor of Team Spectre, we're willing to move forward, even stronger than before, with more experience and more awareness that these sort of things might happen if we're too naive.
Kindest regards,
Team Spectre CEOs
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It sucks when the people you depend on wind up disappearing on you. You guys are a good organization, and I sincerely hope you find someone dependable to help your players for the future.
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Oh god, not this again  Wish you guys all the best in any case, as this seems like a pretty sincere apology.
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tbh i expected it i think i call csc next TT
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Damn, good to see active pursuing of trying to fix things but this looks like an extremely tough situation to be in. Best of luck Spectre.
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Unfortunate, I wish you the best of luck in finding a new sponsor or (doubtfully) reconnecting with your current one. I wonder if JYP was enticed by the possibility of a higher salary/more events guaranteed by your sponsor as opposed to EG, or was there perhaps another reason behind his leaving?
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There is enough in your post to massively criticise your management skills. Instead, some advice.
a) diversify your sponsorship.
b) reevaluate the financial aspects of your team if you are going to make doomsday posts after having not been payed for 6 days.
c) make payment arrangements which provide consistency and not hand-to-mouth payments.
d) are you a charity or a hopefully profitable team business?
hoping for the best
regards.
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On July 17 2014 05:19 Mojito99 wrote:
There is enough in your post to massively criticise your management skills. Instead, some advice.
a) diversify your sponsorship.
b) reevaluate the financial aspects of your team if you are going to make doomsday posts after having not been payed for 6 days.
c) make payment arrangements which provide consistency and not hand-to-mouth payments.
d) are you a charity or a hopefully profitable team business?
hoping for the best
regards.
These types of posts typically come from people who have taken like a business 101 class, but besides that have no actual real-life business practice, yet alone has any clue how it is operate an Sc2-team. It's always a ton easier to criticise other people when you don't understand how the world functions.
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damn, i hope everything turns out ok
was really hyped fo JYP!
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He may have avoided to answer our players in the past when they were asking about their salaries, but he never failed to answer me or to give me a heads up, especially for important things
Wait what, so players asking about ther salaries isn't important? major warning goin off in my head there.
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It seems like a reasonable post until the end. If you made promises to players and broke them, it is your fault regardless of sponsorship issues.
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6 days isn't too long. Hopefully he turns up and all your questions are answered.
Sucks to hear about JYP though.
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On July 17 2014 05:32 Hider wrote:Show nested quote +On July 17 2014 05:19 Mojito99 wrote:
There is enough in your post to massively criticise your management skills. Instead, some advice.
a) diversify your sponsorship.
b) reevaluate the financial aspects of your team if you are going to make doomsday posts after having not been payed for 6 days.
c) make payment arrangements which provide consistency and not hand-to-mouth payments.
d) are you a charity or a hopefully profitable team business?
hoping for the best
regards. These types of posts typically come from people who have taken like a business 101 class, but besides that have no actual real-life business practice, yet alone has any clue how it is operate an Sc2-team. It's always a ton easier to criticise other people when you don't understand how the world functions.
the same argument can be made in response to your post.
Those points should apply to operating an SCII Team, after all you said it correctly, its business 1-0-1.
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darn wtf is this so many teams getting scammed these days.
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On July 17 2014 06:00 SCguineapig wrote:
darn wtf is this so many teams getting scammed these days.
Spectre didn't exactly get scammed. It's not like a company refused to pay in exchange for exposure from the team and broke a contract.
Their investor who they don't really know too well just stopped paying and went silent. Hopefully things get figured out, but relying on one person outside of the organization (who they don't have direct contact to) to fund everything is a risky way to run a team.
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On July 17 2014 06:00 Mojito99 wrote:Show nested quote +On July 17 2014 05:32 Hider wrote:On July 17 2014 05:19 Mojito99 wrote:
There is enough in your post to massively criticise your management skills. Instead, some advice.
a) diversify your sponsorship.
b) reevaluate the financial aspects of your team if you are going to make doomsday posts after having not been payed for 6 days.
c) make payment arrangements which provide consistency and not hand-to-mouth payments.
d) are you a charity or a hopefully profitable team business?
hoping for the best
regards. These types of posts typically come from people who have taken like a business 101 class, but besides that have no actual real-life business practice, yet alone has any clue how it is operate an Sc2-team. It's always a ton easier to criticise other people when you don't understand how the world functions. the same argument can be made in response to your post. Those points should apply to operating an SCII Team, after all you said it correctly, its business 1-0-1.
Well point was that just after/during I took my 101 class I made a lot of posts like you did thinking I was smarter than 99% of anyone else. Then over a couple of years, you learned that the world isn't as simple as you previously made it out to be.
Difference between you and I is that I don't go around criticsing/giving advice in situations that I actually have a very poor understanding of. Especially because I can see theoretical reasons for why it's not realistic to diversify business's/demanding earlier payments for some esports team. 101 class's doesn't teach you about that.
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On July 17 2014 06:16 Hider wrote:Show nested quote +On July 17 2014 06:00 Mojito99 wrote:On July 17 2014 05:32 Hider wrote:On July 17 2014 05:19 Mojito99 wrote:
There is enough in your post to massively criticise your management skills. Instead, some advice.
a) diversify your sponsorship.
b) reevaluate the financial aspects of your team if you are going to make doomsday posts after having not been payed for 6 days.
c) make payment arrangements which provide consistency and not hand-to-mouth payments.
d) are you a charity or a hopefully profitable team business?
hoping for the best
regards. These types of posts typically come from people who have taken like a business 101 class, but besides that have no actual real-life business practice, yet alone has any clue how it is operate an Sc2-team. It's always a ton easier to criticise other people when you don't understand how the world functions. the same argument can be made in response to your post. Those points should apply to operating an SCII Team, after all you said it correctly, its business 1-0-1. Well point was that just after/during I took my 101 class I made a lot of posts like you did thinking I was smarter than 99% of anyone else. Then over a couple of years, you learned that the world isn't as simple as you previously made it out to be. Difference between you and I is that I don't go around criticsing/giving advice in situations that I actually have a very poor understanding of. Especially because I can see theoretical reasons for why it's not realistic to diversify business's/demanding earlier payments for some esports team. 101 class's doesn't teach you about that.
I don't think it was his intention to make the situation sound simple.
In fact, all his advice from a-d are pretty sound advice. He never once said that the following the advice is simple or easy.
Diversifying sponsorship essential means don't rely on only one sponsor. However, we all agree getting even one sponsor is a difficult task.
His second point is about how much money does the team still have, and how long will it last. That is just as difficult as the first. Managing a team without a financial plan is ludicrous.
Asking for payment arrangements from sponsors is incredibly important, and equally as difficult. Perhaps if you are a big name in esports, you can demand payment from sponsors, but teams like Spectre aren't established household names yet. They need the numbers and audience before they can go to sponsors with gusto. This is business, and the transaction of money is the centre of it all. Secure that transaction as early as possible, and regularly. However, backup each transaction with proof that your sponsors are getting a ROI.
His last question about charity or profit is incredibly important, but simple to answer. I don't see it as advice, but maybe his intention was to provide further assistance if the OP replied back.
Is his advice perfect in every situation? Of course not, but he never said the advice was a catch-all. His advice was in context to Spectre's situation. Is it sound in that situation? I believe it so. I could be wrong, but on the internet everyone has an opinion.
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On topic, I hope things work out for you guys. I've never watched any games of yours, but was happy you pickedup JYP so I may watch.
Good luck with sponsors.
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I'm sorry but as the CEO you need to take some responsibility. So many of these threads, yet no discussion of contracts, etc. As CEO you should look out for the well being of your players. A single investor with no contract and/or assurances, i'm sorry for the struggle.
Good luck to you guys.
On July 17 2014 05:32 Hider wrote:
These types of posts typically come from people who have taken like a business 101 class, but besides that have no actual real-life business practice, yet alone has any clue how it is operate an Sc2-team. It's always a ton easier to criticise other people when you don't understand how the world functions.
Also, Hinder. I don't understand your view.. Do you really think in the real world (as you so eloquently say) CEO's get spared because some investor went silent? It's not like we are crushing the guy, just trying to help him. Coming on to TL and bashing the guy and giving out his name, isn't professional, no matter how many classes you have taken. For crying out loud, the guy has been silent for 6 whole days. Maybe he is just on vacation..
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Why would you post the name of the guy sponsoring your team? He will probably be unhappy about that and it will be very legit.
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On July 17 2014 05:53 Raziers wrote:Show nested quote +He may have avoided to answer our players in the past when they were asking about their salaries, but he never failed to answer me or to give me a heads up, especially for important things Wait what, so players asking about ther salaries isn't important? major warning goin off in my head there.
It even already sounds so dodgy that he avoids answering questions about the salary
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How many times will this happen?
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The ol' disappearing money man trick.
This is sad news for a few of my favorite protoss players in arthur and JYP. I love how aggressive arthur is.
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Chances are this guy already knew and is shifting the blame to avoid as much backlash as possible.
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It's a shame for the team, but being frank...the people on the team I feel sorry for are the players. I've seen it time and time again where a team over extends their financial bounds with only one person or entity footing the whole bill. Where at any time any breach of contract or disappearing act puts the entire thing in jeopardy.
If you want to become a sound team, start small, get sponsors who you can trust and have contracts with and grow the right and proper way. Yes that's not as fun because you can't hire big names, you can't send players to many tournaments etc. You are even likely to be poached by more established financially sound teams.
However, long term if you build the brand gain sponsors and exposure the proper way. You will not find yourself subject to the disappearing money man scenario. Additionally if you catch the right breaks recruit smart and continue to replace players as they leave, you'll some day be in a financial situation to compete with more currently established teams. None of which is easy and requires more time then your average working stiff would have.
Being 100% honest blame goes 100% on the CEO of the gaming team and not the random money guy. I'm sorry but you did things in a rash way and now your players will be punished for it more then anyone involved.
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Now that just sucks for JYP. Damn that sucks. Too late to go back to EG?
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I love all the posts saying "Get reliable sponsors" like there is a reliable e-sport sponsor supermarket you can go down to and pick some out. Has anyone maybe considered that there aren't a lot of reliable big name sponsors who want to pay money to a little known SC2 team from Eastern Europe? Sounds like this guy was the reason this team existed to begin with.
I do think it's strange to make this post at this point. 6 days is not THAT long.
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On July 17 2014 05:19 Mojito99 wrote:
There is enough in your post to massively criticise your management skills. Instead, some advice.
a) diversify your sponsorship.
b) reevaluate the financial aspects of your team if you are going to make doomsday posts after having not been payed for 6 days.
c) make payment arrangements which provide consistency and not hand-to-mouth payments.
d) are you a charity or a hopefully profitable team business?
hoping for the best
regards.
It would seem the only potential criticism is that they shouldn't have ramped up a team to this extent based only on one angel investor. It's likely that the premise of their team was that an angel investor would be their backing until they could obtain real sponsors. This is basically the only way to found an upstart SC2 team, unless you replace "angel investor" with "team founder's money". All 4 of your points demand that the team have additional sponsors or sources of revenue, but you don't know how feasible that is at this stage in the team's development because you're not an industry insider.
IMO we should basically kiss the feet of any sponsor or angel investor who wants to get involved in SC2 esports, because it's not exactly a thriving industry.
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On July 17 2014 07:50 Nerski wrote:
It's a shame for the team, but being frank...the people on the team I feel sorry for are the players. I've seen it time and time again where a team over extends their financial bounds with only one person or entity footing the whole bill. Where at any time any breach of contract or disappearing act puts the entire thing in jeopardy.
If you want to become a sound team, start small, get sponsors who you can trust and have contracts with and grow the right and proper way. Yes that's not as fun because you can't hire big names, you can't send players to many tournaments etc. You are even likely to be poached by more established financially sound teams.
However, long term if you build the brand gain sponsors and exposure the proper way. You will not find yourself subject to the disappearing money man scenario. Additionally if you catch the right breaks recruit smart and continue to replace players as they leave, you'll some day be in a financial situation to compete with more currently established teams. None of which is easy and requires more time then your average working stiff would have.
Being 100% honest blame goes 100% on the CEO of the gaming team and not the random money guy. I'm sorry but you did things in a rash way and now your players will be punished for it more then anyone involved.
How do you suppose an upstart SC2 team without players who are household names can get sponsors and build organically? It would seem the only viable path to success is by making a large initial investment that you know is a very risky gamble.
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You really shouldn't shift all the blame on your main sponsor.
A manager always has responsibility, because they manage the company.
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It's kind of ironic that he mentions LYGF and Quantic. LYGF was around for a year, Quantic since 2011. What do both these teams have in common? They went broke after they started picking up Koreans and the financial backer disappeared. Spectre picked up JYP only a few days ago.
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You being the CEO, I feel that you could dig a bit in your own pockets, but on the other hand I know very well how much esports cost and how little it gives back (cash wise), so I understand if you can't make it happen. I wish you the best of luck and please try to find more sponsors, even if he comes back!
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A great way to avoid these things is to save up one month's worth of salaries etc. and if something happens, you will be covered for at least a month. That way this would've been avoided.
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It´s a bit strange that he went all silent but can you really call him an investor? Sure he´s a supporter that gives the team money and help em out but is Team Spectre a company? He´s more like a guy that donates money to the team if you havnt got signed papers and a specific amount, duration of the support etc. If there´s no official signed deals then I would not really feel safe having a guy that I don´t know at all supporting the team with money and being dependent on him/her.
I do not mean to bash you or anything but it´s a bit bad of you to not have a back up plan, buffert or so to use up in these situations. If you got any legal documents that binds him to the team, take this with any department in your country to sort it out and hopefully you´ll turn out being right.
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On July 17 2014 09:00 Doodsmack wrote:Show nested quote +On July 17 2014 07:50 Nerski wrote:
It's a shame for the team, but being frank...the people on the team I feel sorry for are the players. I've seen it time and time again where a team over extends their financial bounds with only one person or entity footing the whole bill. Where at any time any breach of contract or disappearing act puts the entire thing in jeopardy.
If you want to become a sound team, start small, get sponsors who you can trust and have contracts with and grow the right and proper way. Yes that's not as fun because you can't hire big names, you can't send players to many tournaments etc. You are even likely to be poached by more established financially sound teams.
However, long term if you build the brand gain sponsors and exposure the proper way. You will not find yourself subject to the disappearing money man scenario. Additionally if you catch the right breaks recruit smart and continue to replace players as they leave, you'll some day be in a financial situation to compete with more currently established teams. None of which is easy and requires more time then your average working stiff would have.
Being 100% honest blame goes 100% on the CEO of the gaming team and not the random money guy. I'm sorry but you did things in a rash way and now your players will be punished for it more then anyone involved. How do you suppose an upstart SC2 team without players who are household names can get sponsors and build organically? It would seem the only viable path to success is by making a large initial investment that you know is a very risky gamble.
Well the short answer is, it takes time. Most of the teams out there that are major names in the scene has been around for ages. Since most people don´t know anything about the business of e-sports (I do not claim to know anything) they jump into it and want to grow fast without even trying out the landscape of e-sports and how to build their brand.
The worst thing you could do IMO is to do it the investment way from day one. Gain experience, make mistakes and expand your network in the industry and then you maybe go for the investment path.
The most succesful path IMO is to build up a trust with sponsors and companies over time and in the end you do a good job they will support you with more than just a few mousepads.
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On July 17 2014 05:32 Hider wrote:Show nested quote +On July 17 2014 05:19 Mojito99 wrote:
There is enough in your post to massively criticise your management skills. Instead, some advice.
a) diversify your sponsorship.
b) reevaluate the financial aspects of your team if you are going to make doomsday posts after having not been payed for 6 days.
c) make payment arrangements which provide consistency and not hand-to-mouth payments.
d) are you a charity or a hopefully profitable team business?
hoping for the best
regards. These types of posts typically come from people who have taken like a business 101 class, but besides that have no actual real-life business practice, yet alone has any clue how it is operate an Sc2-team. It's always a ton easier to criticise other people when you don't understand how the world functions.
Hmm I think it sounds over all like a good plan since most e-sport teams must work like a business to survive. If you are able to follow these steps and adding some more when it comes that is more specific to the industry I think that you really can do it in the long run.
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Being a manager and CEO myself, this sadly is what i went through in the past. This formula is setup for failure. Now you have results and a solid team. Now is the time to seek real sponsors not individuals. This is your one and only chance to make this negative into a positive. The problem is, unhappy players will just leave. I would probably prioritize the 2-3 top players you have and cutback and try to maintain for the next month.
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On July 17 2014 10:57 Viper.BrutaTroN wrote:
Being a manager and CEO myself, this sadly is what i went through in the past. This formula is setup for failure. Now you have results and a solid team. Now is the time to seek real sponsors not individuals. This is your one and only chance to make this negative into a positive. The problem is, unhappy players will just leave. I would probably prioritize the 2-3 top players you have and cutback and try to maintain for the next month.
The last part of your post I interpreted as "keep koreans, drop foreigners".
I would prioritize 4 players that are mediocre and willing to take a small pay. At the moment is important they have 4 players receiving attention, opposed to only 2.
If they have the budget though, I would agree with you about 2-3 top players.
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I think a good thing to start with is making a business plan and think about how you can get returned investment etc.. when you start a team and not rely on one guy to fund the whole team, with his own money.
I feel like quite some teams just use money from a random source they got without figuring how they can make money themselves and market themselves to get sponsors that are stable and reliable so that your whole team doesn't die when one guy stops investing random money.
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On July 17 2014 12:37 NervO wrote:
I think a good thing to start with is making a business plan and think about how you can get returned investment etc.. when you start a team and not rely on one guy to fund the whole team, with his own money.
I feel like quite some teams just use money from a random source they got without figuring how they can make money themselves and market themselves to get sponsors that are stable and reliable so that your whole team doesn't die when one guy stops investing random money.
This is exactly what I was thinking too, but still feel bad for those listed players. It is unfortunate but true reality.
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On July 17 2014 09:00 Doodsmack wrote:Show nested quote +On July 17 2014 07:50 Nerski wrote:
It's a shame for the team, but being frank...the people on the team I feel sorry for are the players. I've seen it time and time again where a team over extends their financial bounds with only one person or entity footing the whole bill. Where at any time any breach of contract or disappearing act puts the entire thing in jeopardy.
If you want to become a sound team, start small, get sponsors who you can trust and have contracts with and grow the right and proper way. Yes that's not as fun because you can't hire big names, you can't send players to many tournaments etc. You are even likely to be poached by more established financially sound teams.
However, long term if you build the brand gain sponsors and exposure the proper way. You will not find yourself subject to the disappearing money man scenario. Additionally if you catch the right breaks recruit smart and continue to replace players as they leave, you'll some day be in a financial situation to compete with more currently established teams. None of which is easy and requires more time then your average working stiff would have.
Being 100% honest blame goes 100% on the CEO of the gaming team and not the random money guy. I'm sorry but you did things in a rash way and now your players will be punished for it more then anyone involved. How do you suppose an upstart SC2 team without players who are household names can get sponsors and build organically? It would seem the only viable path to success is by making a large initial investment that you know is a very risky gamble.
Ok I will elaborate, and for the record while I won't go into massive detail I have a great number of years of experience in e-sports largely behind the scenes.
Organic vs InOrganic Growth: Want to succeed long term grow organically. What does that mean though?
Organic growth is starting at some base A, that you as the CEO of this new upstart can afford without any other help. Be it a time investment, financial, or otherwise.
InOrganic Growth is such that we see in the OP's post, he took a quick fix solution to growing his team getting in bed with someone that as far as I am reading he had no way to meet with in person and could easily vanish.
Want to grow organically and do it right, here is your steps.
1. Start with players you can afford with no financial backing what so ever.
2. Create an environment that fosters the growth of that core group to be the best they possibly can be.
3. Learn how to turn your team into a brand and sell it, though I'd say if you have no clue how to do this your dead in the water already. So your step 2.5 would be learn how to create a brand and then move to step 3.
4. Leverage your successes to gain 'reliable' new revenue. Such as setting up deals that may at first be some free gear but could grow into dollar sponsorship, should you represent those brands/people so well that they want to do more for you.
5. Don't be afraid to lose players that succeed to teams with larger bank accounts. Instead use things like that happening as opportunities to build relationships with those teams/organizations. You never know when being an amazingly gracious loser can gain you a favor and aid down the road.
6. As all the above grows never ever try to over extend your finances for a gamble at a big leap. This is one of the hardest things to resist, you get some success doing it the right way. Joe schmo says hey how about I give you 10 grand a year. Some shady back room deal is made and when it doesn't pan out you can't afford to keep the doors open. Do it smart, stick to what your doing. (this appears to be where the OP went off the tracks)
7. Be ridiculously patient, with a new team there is no gurantee you reach success over the life span of even the game it's created for. It can take years of successful steady management to grow a team to the point you become the one turning away money because you have so much you can choose to be picky.
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Maybe the sponsor has some stuff he must deal with irl, i mean he bassicly has to have some sort of his own buisness running in first place, othervise he wouldn't be able to sponsor you at all.
So i think just give him some time, there are things that come beffore sc2 you know.
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On July 17 2014 08:38 Yakikorosu wrote:
I love all the posts saying "Get reliable sponsors" like there is a reliable e-sport sponsor supermarket you can go down to and pick some out. Has anyone maybe considered that there aren't a lot of reliable big name sponsors who want to pay money to a little known SC2 team from Eastern Europe? Sounds like this guy was the reason this team existed to begin with.
I do think it's strange to make this post at this point. 6 days is not THAT long.
I think the point is that you should not promise your players a salary if you can't guarantee that they actually get it.
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That's a pretty common thing once u have to rely on one-man-sponsorship and you can never be sure about your team's future. Sad tho.
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We took the risk. Of course we were aware that this might happen one day, even before we recruited our very first professional player. During all this time, we tried to get more sponsors of this caliber, but we weren't lucky for now. All major sponsors required us to give them an update in 4-5 months. Hopefuly we'll be able to continue until then and maintain our current roster.
Thank you all for understanding and for the tips you gave, even if they were obvious. It's still nice to see more people's opinion and advices.
We'll be back as soon as we have updates.
P.S. : We am pretty sure that nobody cares what our sponsor's name is or that we gave it out. It's not like it's a secret. It's been publicly posted on Liquipedia since the beginning of our collaboration. And also I am glad to see that this might not be a "hit & run" situation, but that he might really have some real life business to attend to and he cannot reply during one week. I thought of this too and I hope he will return. One thing is certain: We need one more sponsor of his caliber at least.
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SadArthur again soon?
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On July 17 2014 04:55 ESC FeaR wrote:
tbh i expected it i think i call csc next TT
this won t happen to Cascade at all
Cascade is super professional and they exist for ages
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On July 17 2014 08:38 Yakikorosu wrote:
I love all the posts saying "Get reliable sponsors" like there is a reliable e-sport sponsor supermarket you can go down to and pick some out. Has anyone maybe considered that there aren't a lot of reliable big name sponsors who want to pay money to a little known SC2 team from Eastern Europe? Sounds like this guy was the reason this team existed to begin with.
I do think it's strange to make this post at this point. 6 days is not THAT long.
That´s why you work your ass of with a normal job 10 hours a day, use 5 hours to manage and expand the team in your spare time. Go to every close event to your country and contact companies to show them how e-sports can be a great for them. Learn your market and dedicate the time for it. There is no easy way for this and it will take hard work like anything else in life. Even with investment money there is no safety for your team to be successful and you make yourself maybe even more dependent on that money as a source of income.
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You're a great guy Ancestor! I hope things work out for you and Team Spectre!
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Honestly, this post sounds like that a person you have regular contact with have suddenly gone missing without explanation and you presume he is dead or otherwise incapacitated and you are hoping the community can help you find him. At least that's the impression I have gotten.
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"Next move" sounds like he's leaving rather than waiting for this to be resolved. Can't say I blame him if this is the first impression he gets of the team. Unfortunate for everyone involved.
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Sorry to hear about your situation. It's a shame when the very few pro-teams that exist from Romania and the balkans area in general are having problems. Going "pro level" is always a real challenge in these days, difficult time for esports and for the economy/companies in general. I agree with some of the posters above that if you know this sponsor guy so well, and he's always answered, he could just be busy IRL with personal things, or business trips etc. and he could answer you later.
I wouldn't panic over so short a time (few days).....now it's Jul 30th....any news?
Also echoing other people here, if he doesn't show up again, i would try to build a more sustainable business model. Drop your entire "pro roster" if you have to and there's no way to financially back them....no shame in that...gives the players an honest discussion and a chance to move on without any bad feelings ...but stay alive, keep your organization involved in teamleagues etc and try to sign with a couple of companies (not individuals) from Romania in general, or Cluj area in particular. Companies/people that you can actually physically see/meet would be a great idea.
With a few stable sponsors, try going back to the pro area in time. Again, i agree with most that your post is very sensible and informative, and i'm sorry for your situation, but you should not give up if you can't hit the proscene immediately, keep going and see where you get in time.
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On July 17 2014 05:32 Hider wrote:Show nested quote +On July 17 2014 05:19 Mojito99 wrote:
There is enough in your post to massively criticise your management skills. Instead, some advice.
a) diversify your sponsorship.
b) reevaluate the financial aspects of your team if you are going to make doomsday posts after having not been payed for 6 days.
c) make payment arrangements which provide consistency and not hand-to-mouth payments.
d) are you a charity or a hopefully profitable team business?
hoping for the best
regards. These types of posts typically come from people who have taken like a business 101 class, but besides that have no actual real-life business practice, yet alone has any clue how it is operate an Sc2-team. It's always a ton easier to criticise other people when you don't understand how the world functions.
Everything he brought up were valid points, a bit sharp in his deliver, but valid. Also the guy could be sick, dead, or dying for all anyone knows, 6 days seems a little premature.
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On July 17 2014 05:32 Hider wrote:Show nested quote +On July 17 2014 05:19 Mojito99 wrote:
There is enough in your post to massively criticise your management skills. Instead, some advice.
a) diversify your sponsorship.
b) reevaluate the financial aspects of your team if you are going to make doomsday posts after having not been payed for 6 days.
c) make payment arrangements which provide consistency and not hand-to-mouth payments.
d) are you a charity or a hopefully profitable team business?
hoping for the best
regards. These types of posts typically come from people who have taken like a business 101 class, but besides that have no actual real-life business practice, yet alone has any clue how it is operate an Sc2-team. It's always a ton easier to criticise other people when you don't understand how the world functions.
The problem is that most sc2 teams are run by people who haven't taken a business 101 class.
These are all legitimate concerns/questions that anyone running a SC2 team or other business should be able to address.
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On July 17 2014 05:32 Hider wrote:Show nested quote +On July 17 2014 05:19 Mojito99 wrote:
There is enough in your post to massively criticise your management skills. Instead, some advice.
a) diversify your sponsorship.
b) reevaluate the financial aspects of your team if you are going to make doomsday posts after having not been payed for 6 days.
c) make payment arrangements which provide consistency and not hand-to-mouth payments.
d) are you a charity or a hopefully profitable team business?
hoping for the best
regards. These types of posts typically come from people who have taken like a business 101 class, but besides that have no actual real-life business practice, yet alone has any clue how it is operate an Sc2-team. It's always a ton easier to criticise other people when you don't understand how the world functions.
No..... The sc2 teams that keep folding up are the ones who have no real life business practice. Like seriously, having an entire team just sponsored by one person? Lol wow that's a horrible business plan. Its no wonder all these sc2 teams with the exception of EG and TL which are the gold standard, fail miserably. Oftentimes these failed teams just take the money and run (Quantic owner) or get a "heart illness" (LYGF owner).
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On July 17 2014 07:35 extinctosaurus wrote:Show nested quote +On July 17 2014 05:53 Raziers wrote:He may have avoided to answer our players in the past when they were asking about their salaries, but he never failed to answer me or to give me a heads up, especially for important things Wait what, so players asking about ther salaries isn't important? major warning goin off in my head there. It even already sounds so dodgy that he avoids answering questions about the salary
It's not fishy or dodgy at all because he's the *sponsor* not the actual manager or anything.
The fact that they let the players bug him for money should be a big no-no. The equivalent would be TLO or Taeja bugging Razor for more money when the person making that decision should be Nazgul.
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On July 31 2014 01:53 LongShot27 wrote:Show nested quote +On July 17 2014 05:32 Hider wrote:On July 17 2014 05:19 Mojito99 wrote:
There is enough in your post to massively criticise your management skills. Instead, some advice.
a) diversify your sponsorship.
b) reevaluate the financial aspects of your team if you are going to make doomsday posts after having not been payed for 6 days.
c) make payment arrangements which provide consistency and not hand-to-mouth payments.
d) are you a charity or a hopefully profitable team business?
hoping for the best
regards. These types of posts typically come from people who have taken like a business 101 class, but besides that have no actual real-life business practice, yet alone has any clue how it is operate an Sc2-team. It's always a ton easier to criticise other people when you don't understand how the world functions. Everything he brought up were valid points, a bit sharp in his deliver, but valid. Also the guy could be sick, dead, or dying for all anyone knows, 6 days seems a little premature.
Yeh in the theoretical situations that business 101 is presented in. However, in real life Starcraft esport I bet you don't just diversify your business from one day to another.
Much more important is to find ways to create value to sponsors, so that other sponsors are willing to sponsor team spectre. But the naive idea where you just "decide" to diversify your business, and then suddenly get a ton of new sponsors is just nonsense.
The advice he gives is comparable to you telling someone who earns minimumwage to get a better job with a higher wage. While that's good in it self, the real question is how he can get him self in a position where that's possible.
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On July 31 2014 02:59 Hider wrote:Show nested quote +On July 31 2014 01:53 LongShot27 wrote:On July 17 2014 05:32 Hider wrote:On July 17 2014 05:19 Mojito99 wrote:
There is enough in your post to massively criticise your management skills. Instead, some advice.
a) diversify your sponsorship.
b) reevaluate the financial aspects of your team if you are going to make doomsday posts after having not been payed for 6 days.
c) make payment arrangements which provide consistency and not hand-to-mouth payments.
d) are you a charity or a hopefully profitable team business?
hoping for the best
regards. These types of posts typically come from people who have taken like a business 101 class, but besides that have no actual real-life business practice, yet alone has any clue how it is operate an Sc2-team. It's always a ton easier to criticise other people when you don't understand how the world functions. Everything he brought up were valid points, a bit sharp in his deliver, but valid. Also the guy could be sick, dead, or dying for all anyone knows, 6 days seems a little premature. Yeh in the theoretical situations that business 101 is presented in. However, in real life Starcraft esport I bet you don't just diversify your business from day to another. Much more important is to find ways to create value to sponsors, so that other sponsors are willing to sponsor team spectre. But the naive idea where you just "decide" to diversify your business, and then suddenly get a ton of new sponsors is just nonsense. The advice he gives is comparable to you telling someone who earns minimumwage to get a better job with a higher wage. While that's good in it self, the real question is how he can get him self in a position where that's possible.
Sorry dude but you're talking out of your ass
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On July 31 2014 04:57 LongShot27 wrote:Show nested quote +On July 31 2014 02:59 Hider wrote:On July 31 2014 01:53 LongShot27 wrote:On July 17 2014 05:32 Hider wrote:On July 17 2014 05:19 Mojito99 wrote:
There is enough in your post to massively criticise your management skills. Instead, some advice.
a) diversify your sponsorship.
b) reevaluate the financial aspects of your team if you are going to make doomsday posts after having not been payed for 6 days.
c) make payment arrangements which provide consistency and not hand-to-mouth payments.
d) are you a charity or a hopefully profitable team business?
hoping for the best
regards. These types of posts typically come from people who have taken like a business 101 class, but besides that have no actual real-life business practice, yet alone has any clue how it is operate an Sc2-team. It's always a ton easier to criticise other people when you don't understand how the world functions. Everything he brought up were valid points, a bit sharp in his deliver, but valid. Also the guy could be sick, dead, or dying for all anyone knows, 6 days seems a little premature. Yeh in the theoretical situations that business 101 is presented in. However, in real life Starcraft esport I bet you don't just diversify your business from day to another. Much more important is to find ways to create value to sponsors, so that other sponsors are willing to sponsor team spectre. But the naive idea where you just "decide" to diversify your business, and then suddenly get a ton of new sponsors is just nonsense. The advice he gives is comparable to you telling someone who earns minimumwage to get a better job with a higher wage. While that's good in it self, the real question is how he can get him self in a position where that's possible. Sorry dude but you're talking out of your !@#$%^&*
What part of it is wrong?
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On July 31 2014 02:59 Hider wrote:Show nested quote +On July 31 2014 01:53 LongShot27 wrote:On July 17 2014 05:32 Hider wrote:On July 17 2014 05:19 Mojito99 wrote:
There is enough in your post to massively criticise your management skills. Instead, some advice.
a) diversify your sponsorship.
b) reevaluate the financial aspects of your team if you are going to make doomsday posts after having not been payed for 6 days.
c) make payment arrangements which provide consistency and not hand-to-mouth payments.
d) are you a charity or a hopefully profitable team business?
hoping for the best
regards. These types of posts typically come from people who have taken like a business 101 class, but besides that have no actual real-life business practice, yet alone has any clue how it is operate an Sc2-team. It's always a ton easier to criticise other people when you don't understand how the world functions. Everything he brought up were valid points, a bit sharp in his deliver, but valid. Also the guy could be sick, dead, or dying for all anyone knows, 6 days seems a little premature. Yeh in the theoretical situations that business 101 is presented in. However, in real life Starcraft esport I bet you don't just diversify your business from one day to another. Much more important is to find ways to create value to sponsors, so that other sponsors are willing to sponsor team spectre. But the naive idea where you just "decide" to diversify your business, and then suddenly get a ton of new sponsors is just nonsense. The advice he gives is comparable to you telling someone who earns minimumwage to get a better job with a higher wage. While that's good in it self, the real question is how he can get him self in a position where that's possible.
The guy said that the team should have had more than one sponsor. The onus isn't on the guy who said that to explain how to get more than one sponsor. The onus is on the person actually starting the team. If you don't have a solid business plan, then don't go into business. That's just making poor life decisions.
My coworker and I are always talking about starting a team, but obviously since we are full time salaried people who who work in a real business, we know it would be dumb to start a business like that without a plan. The onus is on US, the people who want to start a team, to figure it out. Not people pointing out common sense basic things.
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How unfortunate hopefully everything works out for the best !
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On July 31 2014 06:48 fishjie wrote:Show nested quote +On July 31 2014 02:59 Hider wrote:On July 31 2014 01:53 LongShot27 wrote:On July 17 2014 05:32 Hider wrote:On July 17 2014 05:19 Mojito99 wrote:
There is enough in your post to massively criticise your management skills. Instead, some advice.
a) diversify your sponsorship.
b) reevaluate the financial aspects of your team if you are going to make doomsday posts after having not been payed for 6 days.
c) make payment arrangements which provide consistency and not hand-to-mouth payments.
d) are you a charity or a hopefully profitable team business?
hoping for the best
regards. These types of posts typically come from people who have taken like a business 101 class, but besides that have no actual real-life business practice, yet alone has any clue how it is operate an Sc2-team. It's always a ton easier to criticise other people when you don't understand how the world functions. Everything he brought up were valid points, a bit sharp in his deliver, but valid. Also the guy could be sick, dead, or dying for all anyone knows, 6 days seems a little premature. Yeh in the theoretical situations that business 101 is presented in. However, in real life Starcraft esport I bet you don't just diversify your business from one day to another. Much more important is to find ways to create value to sponsors, so that other sponsors are willing to sponsor team spectre. But the naive idea where you just "decide" to diversify your business, and then suddenly get a ton of new sponsors is just nonsense. The advice he gives is comparable to you telling someone who earns minimumwage to get a better job with a higher wage. While that's good in it self, the real question is how he can get him self in a position where that's possible. The guy said that the team should have had more than one sponsor. The onus isn't on the guy who said that to explain how to get more than one sponsor. The onus is on the person actually starting the team. If you don't have a solid business plan, then don't go into business. That's just making poor life decisions. My coworker and I are always talking about starting a team, but obviously since we are full time salaried people who who work in a real business, we know it would be dumb to start a business like that without a plan. The onus is on US, the people who want to start a team, to figure it out. Not people pointing out common sense basic things.
Did you read the op? It was just a little master league team. Then they got a generous russian sponsor, so they could afford better players.
Should they say no to the deal because that implied that it would put all of its eggs in one basket?
Or rather, as he did, live off the genrousity of the sponsor and hope it lasts as long as possible?
I really don't think anyone can blaim them for choosing the latter. Certainly it's not a poor business decision as it's basically a win/win situation since very small teams has little to lose if it doesn't work out.
Ideally, it would have been optimal to use the donations from the sponsor to improve brand value of the team, which could attract more sponsors, however that's definitely easier said that done.
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EPT
