31. Nicholas Heaney on the e-sports industry, raising capital through an ICO and pivoting a business on a dime

Executive Stories

Nick Heaney is CEO of Skrilla, an e-fantasy gaming website that recently completed an initial coin offering (ICO). Take any of those and consider “who wakes up one day thinking that’s what I want to do for my career”?! Probably no one is the answer. And that is the prelude into what drove Nick to abandon his cushy life at PwC doing management consulting and choose the path of the entrepreneur. A path that is seldom predictable, can often require you to pivot your entire business in order to survive (which Nick had to do) and never cushy. We chat about Nick’s journey from consulting to Stepsie, then Puntaa to Skrilla and what he learnt along the way. I personally didn’t know much about the e-sports industry, but boy did Nick sell me on it. It’s a large, relatively untapped market which is why Skrilla has such potential and is a ‘watch this space’ sort of play. Nick also delves into Skrilla’s ICO and how the tokenised ecosystem can empower your platform’s users. He also tells us why raising capital through an ICO was the right move for them but also discusses the problems faced through token use, particularly in regard to exchanges. I have been doing a lot more legal work in the ICO and utility token space of late, so if you looking to know more then this is the interview for you.

What I love most about Nick is that he doesn’t profess to have all the answers. He is humble and not afraid to stick up his hand for help in what is unchartered territory for even the most seasoned CEO. Enjoy.