DamnDigital Magazine, one of China’s premier digital industry publications, interviewed Fi CEO David Martin about the agency’s growth, clients, talent recruitment and personal inspirations.
DamnDigital: Media Interview
David Martin, CEO
1. Please give a short introduction of Fi to China’s readers.
David Martin: Fantasy Interactive (Fi) is a new breed of global digital agency. We specialize in interactive design, mobile & app development, social media and rich media for some of the biggest brands in the world such as Google, HTC, Red Bull, CNN, Fox and Porsche.
At Fi, we’re highly passionate and experienced about interactive design, strategy and technology. We love what we do, and we all bring a special skill set, experience and passion to the table. From our CEO to producers, interactive designers, developers, UX strategists, technologists, business and marketing teams, everyone at Fi has a direct impact on projects.
The agency was founded in 1999 by CEO David Martin with one vision in mind: creativity and imagination reign supreme. Whenever a brand comes to Fi, our team of creative designers, strategists and developers conceive, collaborate and produce game-changing ideas to help brands connect with their customers online. The result is an experience that engages communities, builds brand loyalty and creates a one-of-a-kind user experience.
In the 12 years since Fi opened, our agency has grown to include a robust staff in New York, London, San Francisco, and Stockholm. While we’ve previously stayed under the radar, we’ve let our design philosophy and personality drive the business. As a result, we were featured as “one of the hottest digital agencies around” by Advertising Age and “Agency of the Year” by .net Magazine.
2. Why did you decide to start up Fi? How do you think Fi is today? Did you ever expect the company you brought up would be like today’s is? What do you imagine for Fi in the future?
David Martin: To be honest, I was really frustrated by the clumsy and awkward user experiences I was seeing on websites in the 1990s. And I wanted to do something different. So in 1999, Fantasy Interactive came to life. In the last 12 years, I’ve listened; I’ve learned; I’ve stumbled; I’ve talked; I’ve understood; I’ve misunderstood; I’ve shared. It’s been a tremendous learning experience. But it’s also helped me clearly define our agency’s voice and be aware of what Fi isn’t.
I wish I could tell you that I knew from the day I opened our first office in Stockholm that we’d have 4 offices, but it’s something that’s happened naturally and gradually. As our projects grew, clients signed on and our expertise grew, I knew that growth was an important step for the agency. Over the next 12 months, finding the best people out there to deliver amazing digital work is still one of our top priorities and we may even consider opening a new office, but time will only tell.
3. Fi is hiring globally now, is it difficult to find the right person? What are 3 most essential factors you believe are most important to the value of talents?
David Martin: Finding talent is one of our top priorities. Because we’re so protective of our agency philosophy and culture, this isn’t always easy. That being said, we’d rather be selective and gradual in our recruitment process, and find the right person who is entrepreneurial in spirit, enthusiastic and a master at what he/she does (and loves doing it).
So a person’s geographical location or visa requirements don’t really matter to us. If we see something special in you, we’ll make that investment to make you a part of the Fi team. In fact, over 50% of our staff across all 4 global offices comes from all over the world. We’re multicultural.
Three of the biggest traits we look for in candidates are:
Proactive Attitude. I can’t say enough how important this trait is. No matter what role, each person at Fi has the kind of personality that doesn’t wait for obstacles to occur; they anticipate it. That’s unique and a big reason why some of the biggest brands approach us.
Talent (in whatever their expertise is). If you’re a designer, your portfolio should be exceptional and speak for itself. If you’re a developer, you should be versatile and agile in code writing. If you’re a marketing or business professional, you should understand the nuances of relationship building and be a master storyteller (written and verbal).
Passion. If you don’t love what you do, this isn’t the place for you. Everyone at Fi spends a lot of time working on projects, not because it’s a chore, but because they love it. And we laugh and eat gummi bears too.
4. Do you deal with clients often? What is the biggest challenge when dealing with clients? For example, sometimes we have a great idea and believe it would work well, while the client sees it with risks and feels unsure. In this circumstance we have to choose whether to persuade the client to try our idea or give up on it. Would you like to share some of your experiences with us?
David Martin: I’m always going to be a creative first, and a business person second. So I enjoy working alongside my designers, art directors, interactive developers, software engineers, marketing and business managers. It lets me have my ear to the ground and help our people deliver truly interactive and intuitive digital experiences for clients.
For us, clients aren’t clients. They’re partners. We’re here to make their brands better, smarter and more engaging. And we’re aware that clients have to answer to many people at the top. At the end of the day, we’re going to be fearless and passionate with our ideas because we know it will help clients, not hurt them. Because we’ve worked really hard to create a “cozy” tone and relationship with our clients, they understand how we think and typically let us do what we do best.
5. What is the biggest challenge you’ve been faced with in the years of your career on Fi? How you faced it?
David Martin: Dealing with people. At the end of the day, my vision for FI no longer rests on my shoulders alone. It rests on the amazingly talented people at this company. Over the years, I have encountered multiple hurdles and mountains that I’ve had to climb. But each time, I learned something new and used that lesson to improve processes, strategies and ideas.
6. What is your personally favorite style of interface design? (Other than Fi)
David Martin: Clean, simple, detailed
7. Which do you prefer to use personally, Mac or PC?
David Martin: These days, I’m all about Apple because it’s made my life much easier. But it took me several years to become an Apple convert.
8. What is your hobby? Why is it so attractive to you?
David Martin: I love flying planes. It makes me feel like I’m a bird. Everyone always looks at the sky and wishes they could touch the stars. Well, I get to do that as a pilot. It’s unreal and spectacular.
9. Last but not least, what impresses you about China? Anything you want to share with China’s creative people?
David Martin: The sheer success factor, the growth, the potential of China is pretty incredible. China has done enormously well on the business side, but there hasn’t been as much digital growth in that region. So I’m looking forward to helping make that happen. Fi China may not be too far away.
