Douglas Jakobi [#38]: Launching E1 Series with Tom Brady, Virat Kohli, Will Smith, and Rafa Nadal

On today’s episode, I’m joined by Douglas Jakobi, Director of
Team Development at the E1 Series, the world’s first electric
powerboat racing championship.


Having previously worked in commodities trading before starting
his own company sourcing and producing fan engagement products
for sports teams, Douglas joined E1 as one of its earliest team
members and has been instrumental in shaping the championship
into what it is today.


In our conversation, we dive into what it takes to create an
entirely new sport from scratch. What E1 has learned and borrowed
from Alejandro Agag’s other sporting endeavours such as Formula
E, Extreme E, and Hexagon Cup, as well as how the league has
managed to attract, and aims to capitalise on, its high-profile
team owners, which include the likes Tom Brady, Virat Kohli, Will
Smith, and Rafa Nadal.





Timestamps


3:00 - Douglas' Journey


5:00 - What is E1 Series?


7:00 - Aspiring to be 'F1 on Water'


10:00 - How E1 Differs from Powerboating


14:00 - Celebrity Team Ownership


20:00 - What does Ownership Look Like?


23:00 - Getting the Celebrities Actively Involved


26:00 - Converting Reach to Audience


28:00 - The Potential for a Behind-the-scenes Docuseries


30:00 - Sourcing and Telling the Stories of the Pilots


34:00 - What Makes a good E1 Pilot?


36:00 - Expanding Race Locations to the US


38:00 - Announcing New Team Owners...





Additional Links


⁠Tom Brady team wins E1 championship


Hopes 'Formula 1-style' electric boat race could come to London


A celebrity’s playground: How is Saudi-backed E1 Series changing
the world of water mobility?





Connect with Douglas on LinkedIn - Here


Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - ⁠Here⁠