🎙️ Welcome to episode #08 of Vested Interest, hosted by Pierre Lindh, Lloyd Danzig & Benjie Cherniak and special guest Charles Gillespie. 

🚀 In this episode, the speakers explore startups and investment strategies for 2024, including exit planning and long-term vision. They discuss venture capital decisions, leverage pitch sessions for investor insights, and analyze common startup failures. The episode highlights 2024's investment opportunities, and current U.S. market trends, and profiles Charles Gillespie's journey with Gambling.com. 

⏰ Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction  

01:02 - New Year Greetings 

01:51 - Exit Strategies Plan for Startups 

04:38 - The Importance of Long-Term Vision in Early Stages 

11:54 - Founders’ Decisions on Venture Capital

13:09 - Leveraging Pitch Sessions to Prospect Investors 

17:25 - Common Causes of Startup Failures 

22:20 - Discipline in Business: Avoiding Premature Expansion

Book reference: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make The Leap and Others Don't - James Collins

28:06 - Lloyd's Expectations for Startup Updates

29:48 - Investment opportunities in 2024 

36:07 - Current Focus of US Market Operators

39:39 - Emerging Startups: Promising Opportunities

42:32 - Introducing Charles Gillespie: Background Overview

46:29 - Establishing Gamgling.com in China 

48:48 - Transitioning the Business to Europe

52:47 - Leadership Evolution: A Personal Journey

55:42 - The story behind the Galmbing.com domain 

58:43 - Guidance for Selecting the Right Domains

01:01:15 - Acquisitions: Identifying Suitable Company Fits

01:04:49 - The Future of SEO and Affiliate Marketing within Generative AI

💼 ABOUT Charles Gillespie

Charles Gillespie is the Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder and Director at Gambling.com, a position he has held since the Company’s inception in 2006. Through his tenure, Mr. Gillespie has overseen the Company’s operations across multiple jurisdictions including Europe and the United States. Under his leadership, the Company has prioritized technological investments and has completed four acquisitions to expand the breadth of the Company’s portfolio. He has built a reputation as a recognized leader and was named Sports Betting Community Leader of the Year in 2019. Mr. Gillespie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Entrepreneurship from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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This episode of the NEXT.io Podcast is hosted by Pierre Lindh, Co-Founder/MD at NEXT.io, and is brought to you by:

Pragmatic Play – Industry-leading content provider.

Pragmatic Solutions – Leading iGaming platform technology.