Leaders of Tomorrow : Nicholas Lord, NOCAP Sports
Welcome to my “Leaders of Tomorrow” Interview Series, where I interview those who have made and are making an impact on the world of tech as we know it. I ask them to share their stories and explain what it took for them to get to where they are today. My hopes are that this can inspire and educate aspiring entrepreneurs in their journey.
This interview is with Nicholas Lord, Founder of NOCAP Sports.
About Nicholas and NOCAP Sports:
Nicholas Lord is a 24 year old entrepreneur building a company around a new and exciting vertical of the sports industry called “name, image and likeness” (NIL). Nicholas started the company his senior year at Gettysburg College upon finishing his final basketball season. The company originally was focused on college sports recruiting but took a quick pivot a few months in when rumors around college athlete compensation started to become real. Nicholas is a passionate and driven leader focused on helping athletes create generational wealth and hoping to inspire other young entrepreneurs to chase their dreams. Recently, Nicholas was selected to the Front Office Sports Rising 25, one of the most prestigious awards in the sports business world.
Founded in late 2020, NOCAP Sports is sports marketing and athlete development company powered by a comprehensive platform simplifying name, image and likeness (NIL) deals by uniting athletes, agents, universities, and advertisers, providing each with the tools to discover, interact, negotiate and transact compliantly in one place.
What motivated you to do what you do now?
I always knew I wanted to build a company one day. There is not much more fulfilling than taking something from just an idea to a real, growing business and building out a team of motivated people who buy into your vision. It was perfect timing that this NIL market came about right when I was finishing up college so I was able to combine two of my biggest passions, sports and entrepreneurship. It isn’t often that you get to wake up everyday truly excited to get to work and to see and measure the actual impact you have on your team, your customers, your investors and everyone else involved.
What tip would you give a younger you?
Stop comparing yourself to others. Everyone is on their own separate journey and you may hit your stride later than others. Work hard, keep your head down, be kind, and surround yourself with people that build you up, not break you down.
When starting a company, what is the most important step to ensure you have the best chance to succeed?
Building a company is all about the people. Be extremely diligent and extensive in your hiring process. It may sound cheesy, but make sure everyone you hire is a culture fit, is a genuine person, and believes in the vision and future of the company. One bad hire can tank your business. If you do unintentionally make a bad hire, part ways with them quickly. It is rare that people change their ways.
What are your thoughts on web3 and different industries trying to add such capabilities to their business models?
I think it is imperative that companies explore adding web3 components to their business or at least be open to the concept of it. Web3 is going to continue to grow and attract more and more capital and there are so many angles you can take with it. I think web3 is especially exciting for creator-focused companies because creators have been taken advantage of and underpaid since the beginning. Web3 puts the power back in their hands and opens up a blue ocean of opportunity. Web3 is in its infancy, this is the time to get ahead of the curve.
If you had your life savings on one future bet to cash, what would it be?
College athletes will eventually take part in revenue share with Universities. Name, image and likeness is changing college sports for the better. It has spawned entrepreneurial opportunities for millions of athletes nationwide and our team is so excited to be a part of helping these athletes change their lives and their family’s lives forever.