Stewart Rogers talks Prince, Mobile & more

In our inaugural episode of Popping the Bubbl, Stewart Rogers of VentureBeat joins us to talk Prince, Mobile Marketing, PR and the Future of tech. As Director of Marketing technology for VentureBeat, it’s Stewart’s job to be at the forefront of new technologies that bring more transparency and insight to today’s modern mobile and digital marketer.

We get a unique and colorful view into Stewart’s journey, his lifelong passion for Prince and tips on what makes for a compelling story in today’s world of zero attention spans. Stewart got his start mixing music, building computer games and ultimately selling computers. This translated into a successful career of leading tech start-ups to profit before they were actually called start-ups.

One thing that really struck me in this interview, and about Stewart in general, is his dedication to relationship building, or as he calls it, “retention.” Whether that’s his own roles or the way he treats his direct reports with a continuous commitment to train them up and push them forward, Stewart is the kind of guy that really spends time positively impacting those around him. That also transitions well into the advice he gives to founders about building a "raving fan base," delivering on a product that your core audience needs and loves, and then continuing to focus on those relationships.

Stewart also talks about the importance of storytelling - not just any story, but stories that appeal to human emotion and are unique. That’s really the key to organic acquisition.

It was so fun to hear his perspectives on emerging technologies and what the future may hold for us in the form of VR, mixed reality, and how our entertainment experiences will be completely transformed by these new technologies.

All in all super fascinating insights into the world of technology, marketing and start-ups! Thanks, Stewart, for joining us. And if you haven’t, be sure to subscribe to Venturebeat’s own podcast VB Engage and follow him on twitter!