The Minds Behind LaunchPad.?

Continuing on from our earlier blog with co-founder and CEO, Guy Jackson, we interview our co-founder, Remy Wasyluk, to understand how LaunchPad came to fruition, and what the future holds for the the consultation business.

01. What excites you about LaunchPad’s vision?

In its shortest and most straightforward form, Launchpad has a vision of doing consultancy better.  Better ways of thinking, smarter strategies and aligned processes that I believe, fill a huge hole in today’s fractional skills marketplace.  In between jobs, I have undertaken fractional work as a specialist for a number of years – while also witnessing many others do the same – and I have learnt a lot over time.  For me, the fundamentals lie in the pairing of specialism with a strategy; a place where expertise meets technology to unlock some incredible opportunities. And this is where LaunchPad can really make a difference, in providing a better framework for delivering the results that matter in a more transformative way for clients – rather than simply short-term processes that won’t last the distance.  

With transformation being driven at the rate that it now is, this market is only going to grow and it’s an area that Launchpad will spearhead the charge. And that really excites me!

02. What are the biggest challenges faced by businesses today that you hear the most about in your role at LaunchPad?

Wow, I mean there is in all honesty there are so many challenges faced by businesses within AdTech today. It entirely depends on the sub-category in which a client exists, their product and or service offering and where they are in their transformation journey. However, one common theme that seems to be present in almost all of my clients is the lack of digital specialists and SMEs (subject matter experts) alongside the cost of implementing these skill sets and the limited time in which leadership has to balance short-term delivery with mid-long term growth initiatives.  

Many leaders know what they need in order to pivot towards success, however, they are weighing up time, resources and tightening budgets, and that is not a fun place to be. The good news is, LaunchPad can really add value here. In fact, these are the core challenges that both Guy and I have been supporting clients with for years before we created LaunchPad itself.  We aim to take your ideas and use our specialist skill sets – and community of experts – to roadmap and help you execute at lightning speed. In short, with us, you’ll see the benefits quicker than without us.

03. What areas of AdTech get you up in the morning? And equally, wake you up at night!?

I’d like to be able to say I leave AdTech at my desk before the end of the day, but the truth is, it is in my veins! However, what I do love about our industry is that it is FULL of incredible technological innovation. And challenges are only increasing due to the speed of innovation and AI.  As leaders, we need to be on our A-game, which can cause a threat if you look at it like that, but it can also open up a huge amount of opportunities and gains – and that’s why I love what I do. 

I genuinely love working around our client’s challenges and finding their path to growth that they didn’t know existed. You know the old age saying ‘Two heads are better than one?’ It’s that in a nutshell. Our collective thinking and strategy delivery is always the best for me as we’re exploring new ideas, and opening eyes to potential which is a pretty exciting environment to be in. Challenges don’t always have to be doom and gloom – it’s how you overcome them that matters. And so it doesn’t really keep me up at night, but it certainly is why I get up in the morning!

How to Successfully Launch into New Markets?

Our latest blog explores the challenges and opportunities faced by many AdTech leaders who are looking to venture into new regional landscapes.

For many, ‘landing and expanding’ into new markets is high on the agenda when setting out future ambitions for the organisation. And, as technology advancements increasingly become the key driver in organisational success, global expansion is a prerequisite ‘must’, rather than a ‘luxury’ for any serious AdTech leader.. 

Research findings from an annual survey of technology decision-makers, by Equinix, Inc. revealed that global businesses are planning major investments in digital technologies to support ambitious expansion plans following lessons learned from the global pandemic:

• 72% of respondents indicated their organisation is planning to expand into either a new city (31%), a new country (33%), or a new region entirely (38%).
• An even higher 83% of survey respondents stated that enhancing customer experience through technology was a priority, and a key driver in global expansion and entering new markets

However, many fail in their global footprint efforts due to ill-thought-out strategies, an assumption mindset, and/or a lack of due diligence. (In fact, the assumption mindset is one of the biggest downfalls of many businesses that I have met throughout my many years in AdTech!

So many business leaders believe if a product or service works well in one region, it will likely translate to another. But this simply isn’t true. If the global pandemic taught us anything, it is that despite going through unprecedented times on a global stage, recovery strategies and routes to ‘normality’ differed immensely. Audiences differ, external factors differ, and economic landscapes differ; there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to AdTech, so my advice is to remain humble in every part of the decision process. 

The good news is, by thoroughly working through your ‘new market’ strategy, you will start to see the incredible opportunities available to you and your business’s future, and you’ll most likely be able to do a bit of a ‘spring clean’ in the process, removing tech, vendors, and processes that may no longer be delivering you value. And, the good news is, you’re not expected to do this alone! Embracing change and launching into a new market can be pretty daunting, however, the incredible collective at LaunchPad is here to help. 

We’ve created a How To Guide focused on launching into new markets. Within our guide you’ll learn about the current marketplace regarding business expansion, the ‘Do’s & Don’ts’ when defining your strategy, the legalities in global expansion, and the next steps on how to get started.

Download our Launching into New Markets Whitepaper and start your journey on international expansion!