The Relentless Optimist

The Story of the First Multi-Screen Australian Open

Ten days before one of the biggest events in the global sporting calendar, a decision is made - the web experience for streaming the Australian Open tennis needs to be rebuilt from scratch. It’s a race against time to deliver on what has been promised - every point, of every match, on every court, available to watch live. This is a story of one summer in Melbourne, with matches pushed late into the evening and a team working in shifts through the night.  Of Serena William's mum dancing in the stands, Nick Kyrgios doing what Nick Kyrgios does, and Leighton Hewitt's final match. A story that ends with nearly half a million app installs for a new product, millions of video streams, and a team behind it all that became more like a family.  This is the story of the first ever multi-screen Australian Open. Welcome to The Relentless Optimist. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (02:25) The app build (07:23) The ten-day rebuild (10:38) The war room social team (14:48) The legacy

The Story of Streaming Every Event at the Rio Olympics

Rio de Janeiro, 2016. The first Olympics in South America. Millions of Australians expect to be able to watch every athlete, every event, 24/7. The only problem: the technology isn't quite there yet. Seven West Media has outsourced development of the streaming platform to the official Olympic Broadcasting Services. What initially seems like the safe bet, soon begins to fall apart. Days before the Games begin, a UX audit returns 500 rows of feedback. The bug list isn't burning down. It's growing. Cue last-minute flights to Rio, unfinished accommodation with no windows, and long nights spent going through lines of code trying to fix the stuttering streaming service that millions of Australians were relying on.  This is a story of ambition, of lessons learned, and the power of optimism. Welcome to The Relentless Optimist. The Relentless Optimist is a Meliora podcast. We believe better is always possible. Find out more: www.meliora.company This podcast is produced by 18Sixty [https://18sixty.uk/] - podcasts for ambitious brands. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Intro (01:40) The Streaming Vision (04:47) The UX Chaos (07:09) Arriving in Rio (11:09) The Social Backlash (13:08) Turning the Corner (14:41) The Lessons

The Story of 7Plus

In a windowless warehouse in Sydney, a small team of digital professionals are building something in secret. It will be a new way for millions of Australians to watch television.  The deadline for completion? Just nine months away. The launch event? One of the biggest TV moments of the year. All they have to do now is make sure they are ready. The task is huge, but they’re all aiming for the same North Start - build apps that will work on iOS, Android, web and every popular model of connected TV. This is a story of how being relentlessly optimistic, full of courage and curiosity can lead to amazing things. This is the story of 7Plus. Welcome to The Relentless Optimist. The Relentless Optimist is a Meliora podcast. We believe better is always possible. Find out more: www.meliora.company This podcast is produced by 18Sixty - podcasts for ambitious brands. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Intro (03:32) The Secret Warehouse Team (06:06) Chaos And Fun (09:08) Building Every Platform (13:56) Launch Night (16:53) The Legacy

The Story of Absolute Radio - A Brand Worth Fighting For

2001. A garden in Dublin. Three business partners are naming their radio consultancy. They choose "Absolute Radio International”. Little do they know how important that decision will become. Fast forward to 2007 and those people are at the iconic Virgin Radio and they make a difficult but decisive decision: rebrand. Absolute Radio is born but three days before launch, a legal challenge over the name threatens to throw all of their plans off course. This is a story of how courageous courage, curiosity and relentless optimism led to the creation of one the radio industry’s most well-known brands. This is the story of Absolute Radio - a brand worth fighting for. Welcome to The Relentless Optimist. The Relentless Optimist is a Meliora podcast. We believe better is always possible. Find out more: www.meliora.company This podcast is produced by 18Sixty [https://18sixty.uk/] - podcasts for ambitious brands. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (00:31) The Initial Idea (02:18) The Rebranding (10:59) The Legal Battle (16:06) The Legacy

The Story of the Race that Nearly Broke the Internet

Every year, millions of Australians stop what they’re doing for four minutes to watch horse racing’s most iconic event, The Melbourne Cup. In 2015, how they watched that race was set to change. A bold idea was about to become a reality - for the first time, the event would be live streamed to mobile phones across the country. What had led up to this moment is a story of courage, curiosity and creativity. Of overcoming the odds to deliver, in just 100 days, something that had never been done before. The cost of failure? Enormous. The reward for pulling it off? The start of a new era in how live television is consumed.  This is the story of the race that stopped a nation - and didn't break the internet.  Welcome to The Relentless Optimist. The Relentless Optimist is a Meliora podcast. We believe better is always possible. Find out more: www.meliora.company This podcast is produced by 18Sixty [https://18sixty.uk/%20] - podcasts for ambitious brands. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction  (01:10) The Bold Idea (06:26) The Streaming Rights (12:18) The Big Day (16:19) The Legacy