Interview With TeamSnap’s Dave DuPont – The Man Behind The App
Dave DuPont created TeamSnap to make sports life easier. Harnessing the power of technology to improve the quality of life is not a new concept, just one that often fails to succeed. With nearly 8 million users around the world, TeamSnap provides a dynamic information hub on your smartphone and, best of all – makes people happy – by clearing the chaos.
A man who believes the boss should be able to do everything from sweep the floors to run the company, Dave DuPont has managed two successful investment rounds, secured strategic partnerships and overseen impressive growth for TeamSnap – an app that claims to make life easier for info-overloaded coaches and soccer parents. DuPont started his career as a field engineer in Africa, and has a B.S. from Cornell and an MBA from Harvard – so we know he is smart. What we didn’t know is how humble he is, or that he is an avid skier and cyclist – and that if he could have a super power it would be – wisdom. What would he do with more wisdom?
Exclusive interview with the man behind TeamSnap – Dave DuPont.
Diane Scavuzzo: If everyone used TeamSnap, what would youth soccer look like?
Dave DuPont: Sports life would be phenomenally easier.
Diane Scavuzzo: How big is the youth soccer market? What percentage is soccer in your overall sports customer base?
Dave DuPont: There are 4.2 million soccer players in the US, most of whom are youth. We have the largest share but are still not even in the double digits. Soccer players makes up about 30% of our overall worldwide total.
Diane Scavuzzo: Ok – so how does TeamSnap help?
Dave DuPont: One of the biggest problems with youth soccer is the unnecessary waste of time and energy spent coordinating activities, from the standpoint of both coaches and managers, as well as participants and parents. Why should it take so long to manage your soccer team or club? By making it very simple to stay abreast about what is happening with the team, TeamSnap saves everyone countless hours of time and frustration.
Diane Scavuzzo: Who are your target customers?
Dave DuPont: The target customers for TeamSnap include coaches and managers of every organized team or group activity, and the corresponding participants and parents.
Diane Scavuzzo: How much did the company grow in 2014? What are your goals for 2015?
Dave DuPont: The company experienced triple digit growth in 2014 and we expect the same in 2015.
Diane Scavuzzo: How does TeamSnap harness technology to improve the life? Who are your competitors and how do they impact your market?
Dave DuPont: Harnessing technology allows everyone who uses TeamSnap to know where you have to be, what time to be there, what to bring and who is going to be there all from phone.
All you need to know about your team is available on TeamSnap, and we actually proactively push through emails, notifications and native mobile apps, critical information you need to know right away. Our most significant competitors provide club and league level organizational tools. Because we partner with many of them to provide a comprehensive solution, we believe they are helping to grow the overall market.
Diane Scavuzzo: What is the role of a coach in youth soccer in the USA today?
Dave DuPont: The role of a coach today is often as much a coordinator as well as a motivator and skills developer. Why should the coach have to work so hard?
In order to focus on coaching the team, many managers reach out to Team Mom (or Dad) to take over the communication with the team parents. TeamSnap takes care of all the communication – we eliminate the need for emails, phone calls and text messages because a simple change in the schedule creates automated updates and notifications for everyone on the team. This leaves coaches free to focus on coaching.
Diane Scavuzzo: How much time does TeamSnap take to set up to manage your soccer team or club?
Dave DuPont: TeamSnap can be set up at the team level in minutes and requires essentially no maintenance. At the league level, it takes a little more time to get rolling but we are in the process of simplifying even that.
Diane Scavuzzo: What are the most popular features?
Dave DuPont: Among the most popular features are player availability/participation, snack assignments and automated schedule updates.
Diane Scavuzzo: What are TeamSnap’s podcasts? Why podcasts?
Dave DuPont: Podcasts provide a way for us and our users to communicate values, beliefs and best practices for soccer and the sports life. The TeamSnap Youth Sports Podcast is a source for today’s most relevant youth sports topics around the world. Host and youth sports parent Emily Cohen, along with a variety of experts, cover everything from concussion prevention to sports parenting advice.
Diane Scavuzzo: Can you share which age brackets use TeamSnap the most?
Dave DuPont: Our teams range across all ages and sports, but peak in the youth realm, which is consistent with the predominance of youth sports in our society.
Diane Scavuzzo: How much does it cost?
Dave DuPont: TeamSnap costs an average of $10 per month per team, or less than a dollar on average, per participant. Customers tell me all the time they would pay 10 times as much.
Diane Scavuzzo: How can you tell if you are using TeamSnap right?
Dave DuPont: Two ways. First, your players and parents are happy. You have removed a frequent source of frustration for them. Two, your life is suddenly a lot easier. Your communication effort has been virtually eliminated.
Diane Scavuzzo: How are you going to improve/enhance/change the product in the future? Any hints on new features coming out soon?
Dave DuPont: Of course. We look for improvements in our base team product, our club and league solution, and our native mobile apps. We are focusing a lot of attention on TeamSnap Live!, which provides real-time communication for the entire team as well as a way to share the game experience with those who cannot be there.
Diane Scavuzzo: Congratulations on your Webby Award – Has your company always been a ahead of its time?
Dave DuPont: If TeamSnap is ahead of its time, it is because we are focused on making our customers’ lives as easy as possible and by doing so using the tools with which they are most comfortable working.
Diane Scavuzzo: What is your favorite soccer team? Who do you cheer for?
Dave DuPont: I am a big fan of the US National Men’s and Women’s teams.
Diane Scavuzzo: What super power would you like to have and why?
Dave DuPont: I am going to take Solomon’s cue on this one and say wisdom. I am constantly being reminded about how much I do not know.
Diane Scavuzzo: That is very humble – How much do you believe youth soccer is a business?
Dave DuPont: I believe it is most appropriate to think of youth soccer as a fantastic, rewarding activity with certain requirements that create business opportunities.
Diane Scavuzzo: Wise words – and so politically correct as well!
