Dalibor Čvek
Episode · #204
PAMETNA HRVATSKA Dalibor Čvek
Guest Dalibor ČvekHosted by Boris ŽivkovićMay 3, 2026
Dalibor Čvek
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation
When Once Football launched its first iPad app in 2011, Apple's tablet was still a novelty. Dalibor Čvek, the company's director, recalls the marketing buzz was immediate, but the market itself was still forming. This early tension — between innovation's promise and market reality — set the stage for a company that would learn to adapt its offerings, from statistical analysis to video tools, for the demanding world of professional football.
Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
Once Football's initial app launched when the iPad itself was barely on the market. While the 'cool factor' generated marketing buzz, the limited device penetration meant a small addressable market. Being first to a new platform offers great exposure, but rarely guarantees immediate commercial scale.
02
The initial idea for Once Football came from former player Ivan Ilečić, directly inspired by the 'Moneyball' film's premise of using data for strategic advantage. The most potent business concepts often emerge from applying proven analytical frameworks from one domain to another, rather than inventing entirely new principles.
03
The collaboration with Qatar's Aspire Academy began with an unsolicited email inquiry, not an outbound sales effort. Sometimes, the most significant client relationships start when you've built enough visibility for the right partner to find you, even if the initial contact seems improbable.
04
When Dalibor Čvek needed a visa to travel to Qatar for the Aspire Academy presentation, he was told it would take a month; the client sent one to his email within hours. A highly motivated client will often clear bureaucratic hurdles that would otherwise stop a deal dead, signaling genuine interest beyond standard procedures.
05
After six months of development, a sheikh's personal preference for a different aesthetic led to a complete redesign of over thirty app screens within weeks. In high-value, bespoke projects, client taste can become the ultimate specification, demanding extreme flexibility and rapid iteration.
06
The initial statistical analysis product, which required manual processing of game footage, proved too expensive for Once Football's target market of first and second-tier Croatian and Slovenian clubs. A sophisticated solution is only commercially viable if it aligns with the purchasing power and existing workflows of the intended customer base.
07
Many target clubs preferred to conduct their own statistical analysis rather than relying solely on Once Football's reports, partly to keep their strategic insights private. The real value for customers often lies not just in receiving data, but in having tools that enable them to generate their own unique, protected competitive advantages.
08
Once Football moved from purely statistical analysis to video analysis, recognizing that 'football is a team sport' where the *context* of events matters as much as the raw numbers. Markets evolve beyond simple data points, demanding tools that explain the *why* behind performance, not just the *what*.