Meet Richard Lee | Founder and CEO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Richard Lee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Richard, how does your business help the community?
Exceptional athletes, even elite, pros and Olympians with a lifetime of learnings in their sport, struggle to monetize their experiences and expertise.

At the same time, athletes at all levels who wish to progress in their sport struggle to find credible sources to learn from, especially in underrepresented and niche sports. And fans have to navigate an increasingly fragmented and cluttered media landscape to find sports content relevant to them, if they can find anything at all.

Ontheside is a sports-only, athlete-first online community where athletes around the world turn their stories, skills and access into income. Athlete-creators share their In-Real-Life, organic routines, training, lessons learned, and adventures with fan-sponsors who subscribe to on-demand content to improve their own performance, to gain insider’s access, or to simply help athletes fund their goals.

Athletes share what they do, inspire others, and get paid. Sponsors level up, achieve their own goals, and fund athlete success.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Onthside, Inc. is a sports only, athletes first, subscription platform. It is built from the ground up with athletes in mind with the goal of solving a systemic issue in the sports industry where the talent, being the athletes, especially of niche sports, continue to struggle financially to support their journey at the highest levels.

The question we asked – why should athletes produce content for platforms that take the majority of revenue for their work and dedication? Ontheside flips the model – athletes can be sponsored by the fans who consume their content with 80% of all fan sponsorship, and 80% of brand sponsorship received in the form of advertising, given directly to the athlete. This aligns value and talent with income and shifts the power from existing social media platforms to the athlete. This is the goal, this is what makes us proud of what we do, this is how we enable athletes to pursue their dreams. We fight the good fight and level the playing field.

Has it been easy? Absolutely not. We have invested 18 months and millions of dollars to get this far. We have pivoted to different development teams, rotated through a series of designers, and delayed features just to deliver on the current set. Startups are stressful and challenging, but rewarding in the way that they push us to deliver against all odds.

As for why we do this… I am an ultra trail runner who has seen the struggles first hand. And to my benefit, I am also a software entrepreneur who understands how to leverage technology. I believe we should compete on skill, not on financial capacity. This platform is for that very purpose – level the financial playing field so all athletes can compete on talent and skills. We built Ontheside to empower sports excellence and create a community of athletes who support each other to achieve goals that can inspire the world.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The best part about LA is the potential to be almost anywhere and experience something unique through the location, the food and drink, or the people. A week trip should have a little of everything – the beach, the mountains, and the city.

I would start with the beach cities – beginning in Venice and working my way down through Manhattan Beach, Hermosa and Redondo. Venice is full of local culture and people watching. Any coffee shop along Abbot Kinney would do for a kick start, with lunch landing in Hermosa at Martha’s on 22nd. After a couple hours playing or watching volleyball in Hermosa (the world’s destination for top level beach players), rent a couple bikes, and head down to Redondo. Plenty of places to grab a bite and a drink.

I would then spend a few days in the San Gabriel Mountains and plan a couple of hikes starting at Griffith Park Observatory. A day at the observatory is required along with a couple of hikes that pick up the Hollywood sign as a backdrop. The views are amazing, plus it’s good to work off all the rich foods that can be experienced.

Lastly, a couple days of city culture. The arts district in DTLA as well as K-town are great to visit – places to see, eat, and drink. I would also include The Broad Museum, a concert at the Walk Disney Concert Hall, and The Getty. If you fancy an amazing campus, UCLA is known worldwide and has a beautiful campus.

Finally, to close out the trip, a day relaxing at the beach in Hermosa should help you wind down. If you’re lucky you can spot a few Olympians and get a selfie to boot.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
To all the athletes who don’t live life in the mainstream, who live life on the fringe, with early starts and late nights, through freelance and flexible work, by any means possible, to defy the odds and be exceptional – you inspire, you challenge, you represent human potential.

Website: https://ontheside.com

Instagram: @ontheside_world

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ontheside-inc/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onthesideworld#