Episode 3: Going the distance in sports tech with Priya Narasimhan
Priya Narasimhan is a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Carnegie Melon University, the CEO and Founder of YinzCam, and an avid runner. Her YinzCam mobile product is used by 200 professional sports clubs and over 100 million sports fans worldwide.
In this episode, Priya shares how she broke into the sports business without any industry contacts to quickly become the face of a company that would transform the way sports fans consume content from their favorite teams…and she did all of this without taking any outside funding.
Her advice for women in sports? Use. Your. Voice.
Support your supporters.
As CEO of YinzCam, Priya’s current focus is helping her clients recover from the pandemic. She credits her clients as being the main reason for the success of her business. During the pandemic, the YinzCam team built different features and gave them away to their clients within the first 72 hours of lockdown to show their gratitude. Priya is big on being able to return the favor to those that have helped her.
“Create a product that is good enough to sell itself.”
Stay ahead of the curve.
Priya is always thinking about the next big thing to invent. She explains that it is important to not only think about the invention or the product itself, but also its longevity. Her team has the capability to build new products and features from home, and as a company, they can engineer rapidly. Priya also shares that it gives her clients complete confidence that YinzCam can deliver on any request.
Believe in your product.
A computer engineer turned founder, Priya Narasimhan built her startup without any outside funding. When asked how she was able to do it, she simply replied that she believed in her product and worked extremely hard on it. She advised her fellow developers to create a product that is good enough to sell itself.
“Technology makes anything possible, but the policies are what make it practical. ”
Priya had no prior connections with anyone in the sports industry, but she believed in her work. When pitching to her first buying client, the Pittsburgh Penguins, Priya shared that there was not a question or a doubt the team could bring to her that she did not already address thoroughly herself. She was confident in her work, and that was clear to her clients.
Business is personal.
Building off her last piece of advise, Priya emphasized that business IS personal. She poured her heart into developing YinzCam, and so when it came time to sell the product, it was personal.
She has spent years building relationships on trust and a high value product, and it shows. She appreciates their loyalty to her, and as her business continues to flourish, she maintains her growth mindset.
Women in sports: Don’t hang back.
As a woman CEO of her own company, Priya’s biggest piece of advice for other women is to use their voice. “It is important for our opinions to be heard,” she said. Priya pointed out that as soon as a person speaks, they become part of the conversation. She believes that unique opinions bring the most value to any discussion.
Thank you Priya for sharing your story and for all you do to lead and inspire women in sports and entertainment!
This interview is powered by WINS, our media membership for women in sports and entertainment. Click here to learn more about WINS.
Deja Wiggins is the Sales Coordinator for Ticket Operations at Madison Square Garden Sports.