According to estimates, eSports is set to generate more than $1 billion by the year 2020. It is believed there will be more than 600 million fans, viewers and followers of the video game-sports combination. The amount of money and fans interested in eSports means there will be plenty of companies looking into the genre.
Gabe Steinberg and Gizer hopes to capitalize on the growing trend of eSports. Gizer is a platform that allows gamers to connect with one another. It also allows tournament organizers, sponsors and fans of eSports to build a stronger gaming community through the app. Gizer is available on both iOS and Android, and it is changing the way eSports players and tournament founders are working together. It is also changing the way business target eSports athletes and fans.
Steinberg may be the driving force behind Gizer, but as he says, the company’s employees have made the platform extremely special. Both an avid gamer and entrepreneur, Steinberg has put two of his favorite things into one company.
Gizer is more than just a platform for eSports, however. Steinberg sat down with Totalprestige Magazine to tell us all about his revolutionary eSports network creation.
Gabe, what exactly is Gizer?
Gizer is a global gaming network that connects gamers, hosts, freelancers, businesses and venues together to create economic opportunity in the global gaming community. Simply put, it is a full ecosystem built around mobile eSports. Currently, we’ve released the platform on iOS and Android.
What makes Gizer unique for gamers?
It’s the only network of its kind which focuses on connecting each member of the gaming community together by offering unique opportunities to each. Gamers can freely compete for real prizes, they can network, and even turn their skills into paying gigs on the Gizer Marketplace; hosts can create and manage tournaments in as little as 20 seconds, they can seek sponsorships, connect with venues and essentially grow their brands through connections formed on the network. Finally, businesses and freelancers can sell products and services directly on the platform to a hyper targeted gaming audience.
Gabe, please tell us about Gizer’s token (GZR). Who can participate and how?
GZR is an ERC20 utility token on the Ethereum network which allows token holders to best leverage the Gizer platform and our Global Gaming Identity (GGiD). GGiD is a universal profile on the blockchain which tracks stats across games and contains a dynamic avatar onto which gamers can equip unique collectible items. Gizer holds a strong network effect and as the platform grows and the demand for GZR increases, so will the value of the token.
Just about anyone can participate in our ICO, if you are from one of the few blocked countries, like North Korea, you will be geo-blocked from performing KYC and therefore unable to participate. We require all investors to pass our KYC (Know Your Customer) checks through SAFTLaunch.com before contributing to the crowd sale.
The sale will close latest December 21st. You can find all the information about how to invest on our website tokensale.gizer.io.
Can you tell us how your career began and what some of the highlights have been?
I was born glued to a computer, and have been an avid gamer for as long as I can remember. I’ve been building websites and databases since before high school, but my first “career” move in the startup ecosystem was probably in my last year of university. I had just returned from a year abroad studying in Amsterdam. I was catching up with a friend, and when I asked what he’d been up to, he looked at me and said: “Funny story actually, I’m the CEO of a tech startup, it’s wild.” The following week, I met him and his partner at a café (their “office” at the time). I was so taken by the rush of “startup life” that I dropped out of school and started working something like 90-100 hours a week for no pay, and the rest is history. Some highlights include getting paid, growing a mobile app to over a million users, learning digital marketing from an e-commerce guru, going back and finishing my degree, and getting bitten by the blockchain bug at Gizer.
What was your most rewarding professional experience?
Hard to say, I have met so many inspirational people and had the opportunity to do so many cool things over the last couple of years. Every day is a learning experience and each new skill I acquire, be it from success or failure, is rewarding in its own right. Hopefully my most rewarding experience hasn’t happened yet.
How do you find inspiration?
The progress our team makes and the response we get from our community inspires me. I also tend to seek inspiration from my friends and family, many of whom have been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug. Someone I really look up to is my older brother Jordan, who left his established career at a global payments corporation and started his own business which is really starting to take off. On another note, I also consume a lot of content, from books to blogs, TED talks and YouTube videos.
What is the most challenging part of your work?
Managing time effectively and delegating important tasks rather than doing them all myself. As a startup founder it can be very hard to take a step back and focus on one particular issue when you want to be the one who solves every problem. That’s why having a strong team is so important. Founders are like bus drivers, but if you don’t have the right people on the bus, in the right seats, then you’re probably going to get lost on your way.
Were you ever influenced by other entrepreneurs?
All the time! I make a point of seeking out mentors, and I also read a lot of books and blogs by entrepreneurs like Robert Kiyosaki, Tim Ferris, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Eric Ries and Gary V, to name a few.
What is a day in your life like?
Long. Challenging. Rewarding.
What makes you smile?
Cute dogs, especially mine. And really good food.
What scares you?
I’ve always been scared of becoming allergic to my favorite foods.
What is your greatest achievement?
It’s hard to pin it down, but something that definitely stands out for my work co-founding the Concordia Real Estate Club. It’s the first club at my university devoted to educating students about the real estate industry. It’s goal is to bridge the gap between industry and education. Over three years, I helped grow the club from nothing to one of the most successful clubs on campus. My team and I worked together to host what has become the largest student run real estate conference and real estate case competitions in Montreal. While I am extremely proud of the club, I don’t consider it my “greatest” achievement, I would like to think my greatest achievement has not happened yet.
What is your secret talent?
I’m really good at building Ikea furniture and I like to think I’m a great cook.
Gabe, do you have any hobbies?
For sure. I love gaming, skiing, travelling, and playing with my dogs. Lately, my life has really become one. To put it into perspective, when I asked my girlfriend what she thought my hobbies were, her answer was simply “work”).
How do you define success?
Being happy with yourself and proud of what you have created or completed.
What advice would you give to anyone starting a new business?
Stop thinking about if it’s a good idea and just do it. You’ll fail a hundred times before you succeed, but that’s all part of the fun. Most importantly, start with the “who”, not the “how”. Building a great team to execute your vision is key.
For more information on Gizer and Gabe Steinberg, please visit gizer.io
Image: Gabe with his older brother Jordan
