Chicagoness Interviews: Box Score Games

In conjunction with the Momentum Awards Dinner, our “Chicagoness” Interviews feature 1871 community members describing how living and working in Chicago affects their businesses and daily lives.

Here’s what Mike Lynch, Co-Founder of Box Score Games has to say about “Chicagoness”:

Can you tell us a bit about how Box Score Games got its start?

My co-founder and I were having lunch one day talking about two different businesses ideas that we were working on and realized that we had a huge opportunity to combine our ideas to create Box Score Games. We came to the conclusion that being able to connect with sports fans during live events on their phone was going to be a huge market.  We spent the entire weekend hammering out all the details and by Monday morning we had already filed paperwork to make it official.  One of the other key advantages we saw that we thought could really help our company succeed was the different skill sets that each of us brought to the table.  I was able to bring my business development / marketing skills, and he was able to bring his software engineering background to the table.

How did you decide that you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

I have known for a while that I wanted to be an entrepreneur. It is by far one of the toughest things to do in life, build a business and succeed. One minute you are having a great day, the next minute things seem like it can’t get any worse. You just have to never let the highs to get too high, and the lows get too low.  I have always known that I get more out of life building and creating things that can help solve problems or create fun for others. It was very easy for me to decide to take this path in life.  Life is way too short to not follow your dreams.

Why did you decide to start your business in Chicago?

The first reason is that we already had our roots in Chicago.  The second reason, is we were starting a company based on sports. There isn’t a better sports city in the US. Our teams may not win all the time, but the support and the energy around Chicago sports is unparalleled.  Also, being in the heart of Big Ten country doesn’t hurt as well.  Chicago is an up and coming tech city with the successes of Groupon, GrubHub, Braintree and others.  The talent is here and we think we are in the right spot to help our company succeed.

How has being a member at 1871 affected your business? 

Being a member of 1871 has by far been one of the best decisions we have made for our company.   The connections we have made through 1871 have been amazing.  Recently 1871 nominated us to apply to the CTIA Startup Lab in Las Vegas to help represent the Chicago tech community at CTIA’s annual mobile conference. We were chosen by CTIA and ended up winning an award competing against some of the top startups from 8 different countries. We couldn’t have been more excited when we won.  The companies we competed against were some of the top talent representing their own tech communities, and we were honored to be able to represent Chicago.  We wouldn’t be where we are today without 1871.

Do you have a favorite sports fact about Chicago? 

So this might be more of a fact about myself and my tie in to Chicago as a kid. I grew up in Upstate New York, but was huge Michael Jordan fan. I couldn’t get enough of MJ.  I think at one point my room I grew up in had over 25 posters of MJ on my walls. It was a bit extreme! In 7th grade I made a deal with my parents that if they bought me a pair of Air Jordan’s for my 7th & 8th grade basketball season, they wouldn’t have to buy me any presents for Christmas.  It was probably one of the best deals I have ever made!

About Box Score Games:

Box Score Games reaches sports fans in every bar, stadium, and couch in America. Box Score Games is dedicated to creating the first ever real-time casual gaming platform that enhances the sports fans’ experience while watching live sporting events. Fans socially compete against each other in real-time to win prizes that are redeemable on their phone. Box Score Games is headquartered in Chicago, IL.

http://www.boxscoregames.com