Jake's Road Report is Gemini Sports founder Jake Schuster’s weekly update from professional football's frontlines. He travels globally, meeting club executives to share candid insights on AI's role in football. These raw, actionable thoughts are delivered weekly, with meeting details kept confidential and specific intel omitted.
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You're about to walk into a board meeting to recommend a €12 million signing. Or you're on the phone with an agent negotiating terms on a player who could define your next two seasons. In these moments, millions are on the line—and so is your reputation.
Before you commit, here's a simple mental checklist. If you can honestly answer "yes" to all of these, you're making an informed decision. If you can't, you're gambling.
Do I have the complete picture, or am I filling in gaps with assumptions?
Can I see how our scouts, analysts, and coaching staff view this player—without scheduling three meetings or sending group texts?
Can I access our scouting reports, analytics, and financial modeling without waiting for someone to send them to me?
Do I know how this player compares to similar options in the market—right now, not based on last month's analysis?
Can I explain why this player is worth our desired price to someone who will challenge every assumption? Bonus: Do I know if this is the right price, or just the asking price?
If a better option becomes available in the next 48 hours, will I even know about it in time to act?
If my analyst is on holiday or my data engineer quits, can I still make informed decisions?
Do I know what our analysts and scouts disagree about regarding this player—or have I only heard the consensus view?
Do I know what red flags exist, and have I deliberately chosen to accept them rather than overlooked them?
If this signing fails, will it be because football is unpredictable—or because I didn't have information that was available?
If you're answering "no" to more than two of these, you're not just missing information.
You're missing opportunities.
