Before going into business you were involved in motor racing. What prompted you to get into the sport and why did you leave it?
I always wanted to compete in motorsport. I grew up in the countryside, and bought my first car when I was aged 12 (it cost less than an Xbox 360 at the time) for off-road competitions. The little Peugeot managed just over 1,000 miles across fields before being written-off (without any injuries) in a ditch - so much fun. It was sold as scrap metal for more than I bought it for! I started competing in the J1000 British Rally Championship when I was 14. We set over 20 fastest stage times, and I received backing from the Motorsports Association, but I couldn't afford to compete at the next level... I wanted to start a business!
Are you generally competitive?
A little bit, but I try not to be too competitive about things that aren't so serious.
What made you join dragon Peter Jones's business academy?
The Peter Jones Enterprise Academy is a fantastic opportunity. I wasn't sure of what to do after A-levels. There are plenty of university courses on offer, but it's a big decision to commit three years and £30k of debt to a career you might be unsure of. The Peter Jones Enterprise Academy was free, and it gave me a year to get out into the working world and find out what I wanted to do. Entrepreneurship looked very exciting, and I'm not going to earn enough to buy back my old rally car by working for someone else.
How did winning the Edge Challenge help?
The Edge Challenge was a big boost. Open to all recent graduates of vocational qualifications, it gave me the support to get up and running faster. There are several rounds to the competition: application, shortlist pitching and final pitching, which really mirror the whole process of gaining new business in the working world. I'd already written a full business plan so the application wasn't that different, but pitching was a great learning experience. Pitching at the NEC to a large audience and receiving positive feedback gave me a lot more confidence in the concept. The £3,000 prize money was also a great help towards the early stage funding required to start up.
Viewpoint Videos: What is the story and where did the finance come from?
I had a lot of experience using action cameras to capture content for sponsors while I was competing in motorsport. It was obvious that GoPro style action video from a person's point of view is a great way to share an experience. The first funding came from a part-time summer job, but it was supplemented by winning the Peter Jones national entrepreneur of the year award, winning the Edge Challenge, and a £10k loan from Virgin Startup. From my own experience I was confident that customers at leisure venues would want this product, and so I partnered with a small kart track to try it out. The concept worked well - we have now set up with Capital Karts (the UK's longest track) and TeamSport (the largest karting experience provider in Europe with 17 tracks) and interest continues to grow.
What core characteristics have driven you this far at such an early age?
I think a lot about what I'm going to do before getting stuck in, I'm quite driven, I want to make progress and it's a great sense of achievement to create something that people enjoy.
