 Q&A - Mike Stopforth
CEO of social media company Cerebra
Q: What is your earliest memory of technology?
A: I remember playing 'Logo' (a maths and geometry game with turtles) on a Commodore 64 in junior school, in 1986. That was my first experience of computers.
I loved that game. What happened to good old-fashioned game play anyway?
Q: When you started Cerebra, did you ever expect it to get as big as it is?
A: Probably not, although Cerebra has a long way to go as a business. It's a great concept - helping companies make sense of social media both internally and as part of their marketing efforts - but I've learned that even the best idea is only an idea until you execute on it.
Cerebra is now learning to be a proper business while trying to do great work at the same time.
Q: What is the biggest mistake companies make with social media?
A: I think many companies assume social media is just another way to spam customers with marketing speak and 'special offers'. Social media requires effort - joining the so-called conversation is a major challenge to scale. The bigger the brand, the bigger the challenge.
Q: As a speaker, have you ever gotten stage fright?
A: In the men's room, yes :). Seriously though, the day you stop being nervous as a speaker, you should stop speaking. Nerves keep me on the ball... I hope.
Q: What is your most prized piece of technology?
A: Easily my iPhone. I can't live without it. That said, I just got a preview of the Android-powered Samsung Galaxy and wow, it's a very slick gadget. And apparently the battery life is better than the iPhone, which would be a huuuuge plus!
Q: As a lover of expensive cars, what would you buy if you had an unlimited budget?
A: Ha ha, what gives you the idea I love expensive cars!? Um, I would probably buy a classic - a Ferrari 250 GTO (one of the original 36 was recently sold for £12 million) or a Gullwing or similar. But my current car (a Mercedes C63 AMG) is more than enough car for me. It's the perfect combo of practicality and performance.
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