FEED: So, what’s next?
FEED: What is that like? To do everything in a business on your own, then have to transition to a bigger team?
PP: We continue to build software. But we’re rebranding as a media technology company that offers services – and those services make our software better. Most software companies listen to what you need, then build their idea of what that should look like. But we’re in the industry, in the trenches, doing the work, so the software we’re building solves real problems. We’re using AI as much as possible.Wherever automation can exist, it helps the human component pick more wisely, and make better content to be sent out to video platforms. We ended up closing our Series A round last year, allowing me to hire a leadership team. As an individual, I have been wearing many hats – I jokingly say I’ve aged 45 years in the last 15. A lot of it has been dealing with politics and relationships in an industry where everyone knows everyone. I’m normally an introvert, but I’ve needed to be the number one salesperson in my company. So the investment has allowed me to put that money towards growth. And we’ve just announced BluSpot, which is AI-driven, ad-placement detection software. The next phase is to go to market and tell people who we are, rather than relying on word of mouth.The QC line of business that started the company still exists, but only makes up 5% of the company. “WHEREVER AUTOMATION CAN EXIST, IT HELPS THE HUMAN COMPONENT PICK MORE WISELY AND MAKE BETTER CONTENT”
PP: I went through what happens to a lot of entrepreneurs and business owners.There was a time during that transition where you still think you always know – that micromanagement aspect. And it’s the fear of delegating and trusting others. I was certainly guilty of that. Then, I decided in 2015 to get my MBA at Pepperdine University. I felt that if I was going to be a better leader for the company, I needed to increase my business acumen. And I learned a huge lesson on my second day there. We were in groups of five people, presented with a problem. I wanted to insert my opinion, because I knew the answer – it’s very typical of me. But I held back and held back, and what’s fascinating is that, by the end, they wrote down the answer. It wasn’t the way I would have done it, but it was still correct. It taught me a valuable lesson that things might not go how I want, but in the end it’s OK. And it changed me forever. I took that forwards into my company, with the realisation that it’s important to let go, trust others and empower them. I’m at that point now where I want to delegate and focus on the vision of the company. I’ve grown up extensively in these past 15 years.
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT Through further study and making brave business choices, Pantoja’s ambitions are certainly being realised – but she still has plenty more to achieve
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