Interview with Angelica Sirotin, Founder of Sirotin Ventures
Angelica Sirotin is the Founder and CEO of Sirotin Ventures, a Minneapolis-based company that provides business strategy solutions for entrepreneurs, startups, and SMEs, with a focus on fundraising and strategic communications. Angelica is a member of the WEF AI Youth Council and an external advisor to several management consulting firms that have raised over $1Bn in financing for startups.
For more details about Sirotin Ventures, visit their website here.
Here we sit down with Angelica, to learn a bit more about her journey as a business strategy consultant.
Q. What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
Angelica: The ability to create something out of nothing. I’ve always seen the world as my oyster and entrepreneurship has allowed me to move towards that path. There’s a saying: If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. The more things you do, the more you can do. Nothing could be more true.
Q. How did you get started?
Angelica: My entrepreneurial journey began in high school when I decided to combine and monetize my natural talent for strategic writing and the capacity to debate and make arguments by developing pitch decks for entrepreneurs. Shortly thereafter, I became exposed to a variety of industries, especially in the tech sector. I was particularly intrigued by esports thanks to an industry connection, and soon became the Joint CEO of Alpine Esports (now re-branded as “Torrent”), which I helped to scale and sell at 5x realized return. Afterward, I launched Sirotin Ventures to help other entrepreneurs with their business strategy to scale, exit, and accelerate company objectives.
Image credit: Angelica Sirotin
Q. What was your biggest startup challenge? What steps did you take to overcome it? What did you learn?
Angelica: The biggest challenge for me was convincing people that esports was a real industry and not just a “bubble.” I think when it comes to new and emerging industries, there’s always a certain degree of skepticism. I remember pitching esports to venture capitalists and being laughed at—but I knew that the industry had potential. It was just a matter of educating people on the space, which thankfully has become much easier to do now.
Q. What is the Most Memorable Thing You’ve Done Since you Started your Business?
Angelica: During COVID, I had the opportunity to organize and facilitate an online Digital Transformation conference that featured CXOs and Senior Leaders representing companies such as Microsoft, Verizon, Nasdaq, IPsoft, and others. The purpose of the conference was to discuss how to digitally transform businesses amidst the pandemic. I thought it was a great way to bring some levity to a difficult situation, and the feedback we received indicated that participants found it valuable.
Image credit: Angelica Sirotin
Q. What is one book you recommend, and why?
Angelica: Chaos by James Gleick. It’s a great book that dives into the origins of chaos theory and how it applies to our very life. It’s helped me to understand that not everything is within our control and that embracing chaos can actually lead to greater success.
Q. What are your top 3 favourite online apps, tools, or resources and what do you love about them?
1) Trello – I love how it allows me to easily track and manage projects.
2) Discord – It’s a great platform for communicating with team members and clients.
3) Otter.ai – Makes it easy to extract the most essential components of video meetings from transcripts.
Q. In terms of legacy, what is the mark you’d like to leave on the world?
Angelica: I want to show everyone that anybody is capable of building an empire. All it takes is hard work, persistence, and believing in your vision. I want to instill a new level of confidence in people and show them that anything is possible.
Q. In one sentence, what’s the best advice you’d give to someone just starting out on their entrepreneurial journey?
Angelica: Be persistent. The biggest difference between successful entrepreneurs and unsuccessful ones is that successful entrepreneurs are persistent. If you believe in your idea, don’t ever stop until it’s executed.
To keep up to date with Angelica, connect with her on her LinkedIn.