After a strong year that saw You.i TV rack up industry awards, expand its physical footprint and secure Samsung’s seal of approval, CEO Jason Flick told Techopia Live this week that the fast-growing Ottawa firm is moving the goalposts even farther in 2018.
Flick says the firm, which now sits at roughly 200 employees, is focusing on scale. Annual recurring revenue has grown around 2-3x this past year as the TV app developer looks to reach $100 million in revenues.
Reaching that point requires people who have been there, Flick says. Amanda Gordon, vice-president of HR consulting with Techopia partner Stratford Managers, joined the show to ask how You.i approaches talent recruitment.
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Flick says the firm is finding 60 to 70 per cent of its hires through word of mouth. What helps attract talent is the ability to go home and talk about what you do at You.i.
“Most people in a lot of tech companies are doing a piece of a piece of a piece. We’re doing stuff. We’re shipping tier-one apps for media companies,” Flick told Techopia Live.
One of the firm’s most recent highlights has been moving to its new offices on Legget Drive. The 40,000 square foot space is still being finished up, Flick says, but the firm has been able to make the space its own with an open concept design that weaves art and science – true to the firm’s vision.
There’s room for a bit of relaxation, Flick adds: “Sometimes you want to go sit in a hammock.”
Turning to 2018, Flick gave his thoughts on where television is going and how You.i can capitalize. The biggest tech companies in the world are making investments in TV, and mega-deals such as Disney’s potential acquisition of Fox reveal the massive money in the future of the TV.
For You.i, that means going after the biggest clients possible: tier-one companies, major sporting brands such as the CFL and even cable companies and operators.
Flick believes the firm’s app can deliver better TV than what consumers have gotten used to. Its code is universal across all platforms, giving clients the ability to move beyond the standard 30-second ads, for example. The firm is working on some new offerings for 2018 that will make advertising more engaging and less intrusive.
Developments in the internet of things space will drive You.i TV beyond television screens – Flick says the firm could expand into cars and other connected devices, for example.
“We want to change the relationship people have with technology and make it awesome, everywhere.”
To hear more of Flick’s thoughts on the future of television, watch the interview above.
