Over the last few weeks of the summer, the Digital Sport Insider podcast has been in the middle of something a little bit different: a short series of interviews with founders of businesses within the sports industry.

This week, Dan McLaren sat down with Steve Madincea, founder of the agency PRISM but who is now Managing Partner of his new company Fantastec, which works with technologies such as OTT, VOD and blockchain amongst others.

The interview touched on Madincea’s career and experience, from working in F1 and with Sir Martin Sorrell at WPP in a wide-ranging chat.

But as interesting as Madincea’s career has been, one of the most interesting parts of the chat is the entrepreneurial spirit and the enjoyment it brings to those people who are successful in business.

“My mother knew I was going to be good in business because one summer I wanted a bicycle,” Madincea told the Digital Sport insider podcast.

“She told me I couldn’t have the money, I had to earn it, so what I did was I’d cut grass – like everybody else – but I also took all my old toys and had what would today be like a boot sale! And I just put that together and made all the money I needed to buy the bike.”

“I enjoyed that more than baseball up the road or something like that.”

It might be something of a cliche, but it is clearly true that having a business mind is part of the package needed to succeed. But it’s not necessarily something you’re just born with: spotting opportunities or areas of improvement are things everyone can do. It’s just the courage to think outside the box that’s needed.

Throughout the chat, it’s clear that ensuring you think about problems in a holistic way is hugely important. After a company he worked for went bust, Madincea admitted he didn’t do his due diligence on the company he was joining up with beforehand. Losing your job might be a harsh price to pay for that, but it’s a lesson you don’t soon forget.

Stay tuned for next week and the third and final part of the latest mini-series of the Digital Sport Insider podcast, as Dan takes a look back at more challenges facing some of the individuals who have started up their own ventures within the sports industry.