Entrepreneurs rely a lot on their gut; sometimes, they decide to follow a hunch, and many of those times, they hit the bullseye. Still, there can’t be a better decision than the one based on data. Today’s guest, Alex Kerr, has been on both sides of the counter in the agency/brand relationship and came up with a solution for the doubts about how much a campaign is worth or how much revenue it can generate. 

Alex is the CEO and co-founder of Trajektory, a startup designed to be the one-stop for all partnerships data. Alex is also an adjunct professor at Northwestern University in Marketing Strategy and Market Research and at Georgetown University in Business Analytics. 

In this episode, Alex shared his entrepreneurial journey, his experiences working on both sides of the brand/agency relationship, and the decision to create a solution in data analytics. He talks about his passion for using data to tell stories and his experiences raising capital to turn his idea into a profitable company.

Plus, we discuss the best ways to pitch an idea to VCs, how to build a core team, a balanced culture, and much more. 

Resources:

Visit Trajektory website: https://www.trajektory.com/

Connect with Alex on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexckerr/

Or send him an email at: alex@trajektory.com

Full Episode Breakdown:

1:46 – Alex shares some insight about Trajektory, what they do, and their mission. 

2:54 – What makes Trajektory different, and why do they look differently at data.

8:13 – The post-COVID relationship between companies and data scrutiny. 

13:21 – Alex and John analyze the eternal conflict of how much a campaign is worth and how much revenue it generates. 

17:11 – When you have data, you can make decisions. Why gathering the correct data is crucial for brands’ growth.

19:17 – Data people who don’t know how to tell stories and storytellers who don’t know how to measure data.

24:36 – The challenges of gathering data effectively and efficiently.

28:01 – Alex talks about his journey from Monumental to Trajektory, and describes the process that led him to start his own company.

32:45 – Alex shares some insight on how to build a core team.

36:51 – How picking the correct people makes creating an excellent culture easier.

41:03 – Alex talks about his experiences raising capital with VCs. 

45:36 – What’s the difference between thinking you need to raise money and actually needing that money.
51:20 – Alex shares his thoughts on the best ways to conduct an idea pitch to raise money.