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This is the story of an Iraqi boy with a face scarred in a military attack, who was brought for treatment in Britain in 1992. Amar Kanim began a new life in rural Devon after he was separated from his family in Basra. Then 30 years later an extraordinary chain of events that began with a chance meeting at Exeter station changed his life once again. The BBC’s Jon Kay, Andy Alcroft and Alex Littlewood told us his story. Producer: Duncan Barber. Mixed by Nicolas Raufast. Editor: John Shields. You can watch Amar’s story on the BBC News Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uplZhWFDf4.
Alex Littlewood is the Founder and CEO of Motoroso.com, a website for enthusiasts to plan, build and share everything that powers their lifestyles. Alex launched the beta version of Motoroso's site in late 2015, and in January of 2019, he launched the "Motoroso Marketplace", which is the worlds first dedicated auto parts marketplace. The site has over 250,000 products available at launch, sold by hand-selected vendors, and they offer free shipping on all purchases with no minimum. Alex led a 10+ year startup career in the Silicon Valley, including Wildfire which was acquired by Google. He then started Motoroso, and after selling his house to fund the company and going through the TechStars accelerator in Detroit, he decided to move the company to the beautiful Central Coast of California. In conjunction with Motoroso's marketplace launch, they have also begun creating video content in their 2,000 square foot video studio in downtown San Luis Obispo. Alex raced a motorcycle in the AFM and WERA road racing series, and can often be found on the track at Laguna Seca, Sears Point, and Miller Motorsports Park.
Today’s guest in this episode of Cult of Startup is Alex Littlewood, the founder, and CEO of Motoroso. Founded in 2013, Motoroso is an online hub for motorsports and automotive enthusiasts alike to plan, build, and share their dream vehicle projects -- from drawing ideas and inspiration through content to locating specific parts, accessories, and service providers. Motoroso stemmed from Alex’s passion for working on and riding cars and motorcycles. In today’s episode, we get to the root of what the company’s all about and how it got to where it is now as a result of that passion. Some questions I ask Alex: How did growing up in motorsports influence the work you’re doing today? [7:47] What was the experience of working at a startup that was later acquired by Google like? [11:40] What was the next phase after you left Google following the acquisition? [35:39] What the plan for making Motoroso happen while also working a 9-to-5 at your then-job? [45:37] What were some of the lean methodology procedures you used to get to the point of figuring out your idea before having the code for it written? [52:36] What was the application process for Techstars like? [1:07:59] What was it like going from Silicon Valley to Detroit? [1:16:05] What was the makeup of the Techstars experience and program? [1:26:32] What did the day-to-day of the Techstars program consist of? [1:35:02] What’s your opinion on the environment of accelerators? [1:38:05] What were the criteria in making the decision to move to San Luis Obispo, and where is Motoroso at today? [1:53:07] What do you want Motoroso’s next stage to be? [2:03:35] Some Things You'll Learn In This Episode: What differentiates a “market network” from a “social network” What website inspired Alex’s idea for Motoroso How Alex’s career turned into a path focused on marketing What the challenge in helping to position the company for success was when it came to dealing with larger enterprises while at Wildfire A word of advice to anyone thinking about going into a startup How the idea of Motoroso came to fruition What factors went into deciding to start Motoroso and realizing it was the right move What side jobs Alex took on to make ends meet while making his vision happen Why it’s not necessarily the case new startups should always be in the Bay Area Why every startup founder should apply to an accelerator What accelerators are actually for The difference between an idea and an actual startup
Alex Littlewood is the Founder and CEO of Motoroso.com, a website for enthusiasts to discover, connect, and purchase everything that powers their lifestyle. Alex Launched Motoroso in September 2014, and there are over 200 official brand profiles including: Chevrolet, Ducati, Porsche, BMW, DuPont Registry, and many more. Alex lives in the Silicon Valley where he's led a successful tech startup career, including being part of a team that was acquired by Google. Motoroso is his first startup venture and was recently accepted to Techstars, considered by many to be the #1 accelerator program in the world. Alex raced a motorcycle in the AFM and WERA road racing series, and can often be found on the track at Laguna Seca, Sears Point, and Miller Motorsports Park.
For episode 23 of the show Kelly has a wonderful catch up interview with Alex Littlewood from northern California. They'll discuss his experiences since entering the exciting world of amateur... How to's of getting started in local club motorcycle road racing. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more!