There’s been endless economic uncertainty in the world due to the coronavirus pandemic, with seemingly no end in sight. From real estate to businesses big and small, investors and entrepreneurs have had to think on their feet in order to stay afloat during these uncertain times.
But what if you don’t want to use this time to merely stay afloat, but you want to excel and still achieve your goals, despite the economic uncertainty? It’s definitely possible, according to entrepreneur and business executive Ryan Dean Hoggan.
With almost 20 years of experience in everything from venture capital to e-commerce, Hoggan is sharing some of his insight and perspective in this new exclusive interview.
Ryan, tell us about how you got to where you are today.
I’ve really been involved in a lot of different things, and I’ve owned different businesses for years. But about a decade ago I became involved in venture capital and e-commerce, and I was really drawn to that space for a lot of reasons. I think those were my true passions.
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But I also have been involved in digital marketing, affiliate marketing, startups, and selling some pretty sizable businesses.
So you have a lot of diverse experience, why are you particularly drawn to venture capital?
I love seeing new ideas incubate, and watching them grow. The world of venture capital, startups, and fundraising is really exciting for me from all points of that life cycle, actually. As an entrepreneur at heart, I know how much passion, creativity, and effort goes into launching a startup or brand.
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And most of the time, funding is the thing that is the make or break for success. Being able to land venture capital funding is huge, and it’s exciting for me to be involved in that process.
How have these spaces been adapting to the impacts of COVID-19?
Obviously it’s been a tough time for some people in these spaces, especially smaller startups and brands who were looking to really take off in 2020. I really see how this can be a challenging time, because a lot of ideas were paused or were put on hold indefinitely, which can be heartbreaking for the people involved, after all of their hard work and effort.
But I will say, I think at least in the venture capital space, there definitely is still some fairly standard functionality, which is encouraging.
What do you mean by that?
There actually wasn’t an overall major crash of the venture capital industry, which is encouraging. There were definitely some lulls, and there is some hesitance, but overall, the ecosystem is fairly intact.
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Now, some startups and brands might be faring better than others. For example, it’s not a great time to be looking for funding for an idea in the travel tech space, because clearly that industry is not operating close to what it normally would.
But even that being said, I don’t like to make blanket statements, because you never know- it could be the perfect time to launch something in that space if everyone else has backed out of it for the time being.
Where do you see yourself going next?
I definitely plan to stay really active in my areas of interest, but especially venture capital and entrepreneurship overall. As an executive with a good amount of fundraising experience, that’s really where my interests are right now.
And despite the uncertainties, I definitely see this time as an opportunity for growth. It’s really about hunkering down and seeing where you can focus your energy and effort, and yes, you might have to rethink your playbook a little bit. But I think that being able to adapt can go a long way during these times.
