Entrepreneurs around the globe: Maria Alegre, CEO and co-founder of Chartboost

"I had to dive in head-first and face the unknown, and it became clear that building a company was a marathon, not a sprint."

Describe your start-up in three sentences.

We’re a three year old startup based in San Francisco, have a team of 100+ people, and have raised $21M in funding from Sequoia Capital. We work with games such as Clash of Clans, Candy Crush, Cut The Rope and thousands of other popular iPhone and Android titles, supporting their businesses by helping them find new players and monetize.

What inspires you as an entrepreneur in San Francisco?

I’m inspired by being in San Francisco, surrounded by hundreds of other entrepreneurs who at different stages of their careers are fighting everyday to make a difference and pursue big dreams. It’s incredible to watch how they triumph over challenge and end up having such a great impact on the world. 

What’s your greatest fear as a global entrepreneur?

I wouldn’t consider it "fear", but a challenge. I’m challenged by an industry that is radically transformed every year. Games have crossed over to the mainstream because of mobile accessibility--no one had heard of Angry Birds or WhatsApp a few years ago. We constantly have to be one step ahead of the rest of the industry, which is a constant challenge and one that forces me to always be on my toes.

What do you wish you had known before founding your company?

Sometimes ignorance is bliss and it forces you to face whatever is in front of you, instead of becoming paralyzed by the fear of what might happen. I had to dive in head-first and face the unknown, and it became clear that building a company was a marathon, not a sprint. Learning that, changed much of how I looked at, and tackled immediate problems with long-term solutions.

What systems have you set up in your business to help it grow?

I would put less emphasis on "systems" and focus on the people. In the beginning, you hire generalists who can wear many hats and juggle various tasks at the same time. As the company grows, you need to add experience and leadership in the right areas of the company, and trust them to build their own teams and drive the company forward. There are great people at Chartboost that have played a major role in helping the company grow at the speed we have.

What do you do on a daily basis to grow as a global entrepreneur?

Becoming a global entrepreneur is more a consequence than an objective in and of itself. On a daily basis I focus all my energy on growing Chartboost--building a team, defining direction and priorities, and building cross-functional communication tools that will help us become a stronger organization. My focus is always to make us better so we can have a bigger impact in helping developers build a business behind their games.

What should a global entrepreneur never forget?

Never forget your values or where you’re from. Always be true to yourself.

What impact has ESADE had on your career as a global entrepreneur?

For me, ESADE opened up a huge window to the world. Through the global exchange program I had the opportunity to spend six months in the US and connect with the kind of entrepreneurial spirit that felt natural to me. There was a focus around an entrepreneur’s attitude and determination instead of his or her experience. That exchange program allowed me to take my first steps in Silicon Valley, and thus became the start of my journey as an entrepreneur.

I also appreciated and valued ESADE’s focus on inspiring students to change the world for better.

What makes being an entrepreneur worthwhile?

There are moments every day that make being an entrepreneur 100% worth it. For example, when a developer tells you that because of Chartboost, they’ve been able to quit their full time job in order to pursue  their passion of building games. Another moment might be when someone at Chartboost comes to Sean Fannan (my co-founder) and me, to tell us that this is their dream job and they couldn’t be happier with the team surrounding them, the problems they’re solving, being able to learn and grow, and facing new challenges every day. Every time something like this happens, I get a boost that pushes me to face new challenges with renewed energy.