iGB@ICE Startup Pulse: Alex Tomic on letting go and the art of delegation

The Reverse Pitch throws the spotlight on the CEOs, as a panel of startups takes control in the iGB@ICE studio.

In the first edition of iGB and WagerWire’s Reverse Pitch, Alea founder Alex Tomic sat down with WagerWire CEO Zach Doctor, Flows chief executive James King and Lou Stadler, CEO of 506Tek.

With the power in the startups’ hands, Tomic take on questions about how he has built his business.

Finding the right talent can be a struggle, he says, especially with the stigma around gambling. Tomic believes this can attract employees potentially more interested in financial gain than pursuing a passion.

“It’s a small industry and we don’t attract the best talents. We don’t attract the best talents because there’s a stigma with gambling,” Tomic says.

“So, a lot of talents don’t want to work in our industry. So, who’s going to come and work in our industry? People that are looking for money, people that are not really interested by the project.”

The ability to delegate will help CEOs to empower their team, says Tomic, who moved to a non-executive role at Alea in February 2024, with chief operating officer Jordi Sendra assuming his role as CEO.

Tomic points to this as a factor in Alea’s success, although he concedes it was a struggle at first, saying: “When you start, you have a framework in your mind where you used to work alone. You aggregate people around yourself but you still continue working alone with the team around you so they are an extension of you. It took me a good 10 to 15 years to let it go.”

Tomic’s approach to people and talent extends into his investment ethos too, as he says when a potential investment opportunity comes along he is more focused on the talent behind the project than the concept itself.

Original Article