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If there is a word to describe Jameis Winstonit's passionate. Be it sparking his team by eating Ws in a pregame speechjumping through a party after the game while on crutches with a torn ACL, or, more recently, venture capital investing, the 2015 NFL first overall pick throws himself wholeheartedly into every endeavor. “The easiest part of my day-to-day is being true to who I am,” says Winston. “When I go viral, I'm just being my authentic self.”
This mindset is shared by his business partner, serial entrepreneur and sports VC investor Danny Cortenraede. While most sports fans are wild about hits and home runs, Cortenraede is almost giddy when discussing fan engagement solutions or data analytics. In his investment firm InStudio VenturesCortenraede has channeled his entrepreneurial energy into partnerships with professional athletes, including Winston, investing in sports technology, clubs and leagues, women's sports and youth sports. “We're not your typical investment firm,” he says. “We are entrepreneurs who have built companies and want to make a real impact in the sports industry.”
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The game plan for founder success
InStudio Ventures was born from Cortenraede's recognition of an important issue: nearly 80% of startups fail within five years. “That was just a crazy number,” he says. This led him to create a more systematic approach to angel investing. His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs focuses on securing significant early-stage funding to cover the circle of friends and family, allowing founders to focus on growth rather than survival. Cortenraede emphasizes the importance of product-market fit, customer feedback, and key performance indicators such as Net Promoter Score (NPS), customer satisfaction, and retention levels to gauge a product's resonance with the target market. Effective cash flow management, scalability through process simplification and task automation are also critical.
All of this is great, but ultimately, Cortenraede believes that success depends on building a resilient and adaptable team, in line with the company's vision. Winston echoes this sentiment: “We're all ignorant of some things, so we need to take advantage of the resources we have on our team to help elevate us.”
From classmates to teammates
Before becoming business partners, Cortenraede and Winston were classmates in Harvard's BEMS (Business of Entertainment, Media and Sports) program, which Winston joined in the summer of 2023. Cortenraede went on to complete his executive MBA there . During a break in class, Cortenraede took the opportunity to introduce Winston to InStudio Ventures. Their first date outside of Harvard took place in LA, with all of their families, including their children, in attendance. “I had already seen Danny in an intense learning environment, so I wanted to see him in an environment where he could let his hair down and be himself,” says Winston. From the first meeting, Cortenraede says what stood out to her was not just Winston's performance, but “the type of person he is.”
While a professional athlete and a venture capital partner bring different skills to the table, Winston believes that both roles require building genuine connections. “As a quarterback, you have to mesh with everyone, from the offensive line to the defense,” he says. In business, he values his partners as teammates, but instead of physical attributes, Winston values authenticity: “If you're giving real energy, we'll have a great conversation that hopefully leads to a strong relationship .” He adds that he and Cortenraede may live different lives, but they share a passion for sports and a common goal – “to be the best”.
Going deep
With a nine-year NFL career that earned him over $70 million, money is no longer Winston's primary motivation. Instead, he's inspired by making a meaningful impact on the sport, giving back to the game that shaped his success. “All my life I have been taught to find ways to defeat my opponent schematically,” he says. Eventually, Winston realized he could apply the same skills to business. With his manager's guidance, Winston learned the power athletes can wield by investing in technology and media platforms that elevate their brand and the industry as a whole – and make an impact beyond the playing field.
“Yes, we will make big investments,” says Cortenraede. “But it's about much more than that. It's about doing something for the youth and the betterment of the industry.” Winston has already sprung into action, creating Dream Forever Foundation to support disadvantaged youth. “I want to learn from the best in entrepreneurship and venture capital so I can share that knowledge with young people aspiring to grow in this space,” says Winston. “I love to learn and I love to inspire others to learn.”