Cricketaddictor, a Paradise for cricket lovers by Cricket fanatics: An up-close with founder Anamika Irene
Cricket is not a sport for us; every win, every spin, every swing, every hit, every wicket brings the feeling of joy, happiness, victory and millennium other feelings and with that, there is no wrong in saying that for us, cricket is a metonym for celebration. It's nostalgic to pen down the moment when 'God of Cricket' Sachin used to come to bat and everyone glued to their television sets! To further increase this magnitude of Indians' love for cricket, a digital enthusiast and a burgeoning entrepreneur Anamika Irene ventured out a cricket-centric platform for cricket admirers, Cricketaddictor back in August 2017. Refused to follow the conventional way, Anamika is the lady of her own destiny and words. Results driven, she is a home to a focused persona possessing a documented record of decisive leadership in digital marketing spectrum. Her entrepreneurial venture and a host to cricket-focused news, Cricketaddictor is a sports news media platform covering diurnal activities running in the world of cricket and also pitches in new ideas and put up opinions on the burning issues as well. Apart from just covering the general news, the platform is updated in line with the games happening around, and also keeps a keen eye on what's folding up elsewhere. Within a short span of time Cricketaddictor has strengthened its presence across all social media platform.
Surfing against all odds and creating its prowess among the big players, Cricketaddictor has come a long way. After scraping and scouring, I had a talk with Anamika to discuss with her over a host of issues in line with Cricketaddictor.
Here are the edited excerpts of the same…
Anamika, thanks for your time from the suitcase of your busy schedule!! You have attained comprehensive exposure in establishing your venture Cricketaddictor. What made you choose an offbeat business?
Hockey is India's National Game but Cricket is India's non – official national game. It's a thread which unites Indians like nothing else in the world now. India is a cricket loving country, and that's no secret. We thought of coming up with something specific, knowing the market would look up to it every day and because of which, I came up with an idea to launch Cricket Addictor.
What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
Being from a marketing field, I needed to be updated about my field. And most important, being an entrepreneur gave me the freedom to create my own destiny with bearing the fruits of either success or failure, all by myself.
Starting a business does have its perks along with its share of difficulties. Do you agree? What's your take?
Owning and running your own business can be more satisfying and fulfilling than working for someone else. I choose something which I enjoy doing & that's the perk for me.
How did Cricketaddictor create its mark in the industry?
Leaving a mark isn't something that would happen in a whisker of a moment. To execute the listed plans properly is our priority. We tend to build a web on cricket under one roof. From gathering the information to getting to play the fantasy league, we have a few things listed to find success. It's not being long since we had launched this portal, and in first nine months, we were among the top 300 websites in the country. We have the gained the footfall of nearly 100 million and 300 million engagements since inception.
How is Crickaddictor powering the sports news media platform?
We are only into cricket & we try to create one-point information under one roof. We create content for our audience and we try hard to cover every single bit of Cricket news. 9 months before we started a blog and the amazing response on our blog forced us to start a full fledge Cricket News Media portal covering all the things related to cricket.
What are the core values associated with the Company?
As a media House, it's our responsibility to always tell the truth. Honesty and impartiality will always be core values.
Was it difficult to hire staffs for the organization with the new set-up and new name?
Affordability of quality staff is always an issue for a startup. Most people want to go for a 9-5 job and forget about work when their shift is over. Finding startup employees are a rarity and they have to be willing to work long hours and get paid less than market rates.
Throw some light over the investors' model of the platform.
It's a Bootstrap Startup.
How does the organization support its employees' professional development and career growth?
We work on 4 key things to support employees' professional growth & career growth, which are:
-Clear communication of the strategy and goals of the organization
-Helping to learn about new opportunities within the organization
-Proactively manage opportunities for high-potential employees
-Help employees customize their own career
What is the work-life balance like here?
When someone becomes an entrepreneur, there is no proper work-life ratio. Some days it's 1:1 and for the rest, it's 3:1. You just have to check your priorities.
Any new project in line…
Currently, we are concentrating only on Cricketaddictor and planning to come up with new things & working on multi-languages. We are in the process of creating an ecosystem for an ardent cricket lover to come over and find whatever he could think of related to the game on one platform. We plan to launch the website in as many as four languages as of now, and we also have our live score application to get things forward. More than that, we wish to work towards producing unique content for our audience.
What does a productive day for you look like?
My good productive day nestles my achievements, which is the most vital and essential tasks & a well spend time with my family.
What is success for you?
For me and my brand, success means credibility and demand.
Who is your favorite woman cricketer?
Mithali Raj
What's the best decision you have ever made?
When I started following my dream and launched Cricketaddictor
As you look toward the future, what do you foresee for the future of cricket in India?
As of now, the Indian cricket is in good hands. Under the tutelage of Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli, the team only seems to rise. With the amount of bench strength we have and the upcoming talent listed, you know the success isn't far. Also, keeping a key eye on the 2019 World Cup, the Virat-led side has the potential to grab all the honors and get the accolade home.
Your message for cricket lovers…
Message for cricket lovers? Well, we are creating a paradise for you. You wish to see the scorecard? Play the fantasy league? Browse latest cricket news and gossip? Just visit our website and you will get everything here.
