John McCallum

🔜 Licensing Expo | Market Researcher | Startup Founder | Video Games, Japan, Anime, Market Segmentation

Greater Seattle Area

About

Experienced Entrepreneur skilled in Video Game & Anime Market Research, Cross-functional Team Management and Super Smash Bros. Can whip up a mean cake. I’m a market researcher working to better understand what motivates and shapes gamer behavior. My expertise includes study design and management, data analysis and interpretation, and storytelling. I enjoy generating new ideas and taking a hypothesis-driven approach to finding actionable insights. A background as a startup founder informs my adaptive approach to problem-solving and openness to novel approaches. It also drives my passion as Interpret's Japan Expert. I look forward to the opportunities in this market that I love to greater explore an industry I am passionate about while helping to further grow our business!

Experience

  • Chief Executive Officer at FanserveUs
    Aug 2024 - Present · 1 yr 11 mos

  • Interpret (5 yrs 5 mos)
    • Research Director
      Jul 2023 - Aug 2024 · 1 yr 2 mos

      Managed a nine-person team of analysts (the last ~6 months of my tenure as Acting VP) with a particular focus both on fandom in East Asia and global fandom for anime, video games, and the like coming out of East Asia (especially Japan and China). Most of my team's work is custom research with a near even split between quantitative and qualitative methodologies. I continue to oversee our industry-leading Animeasure syndicated family of consumer insights products focused on anime insights which has been running since 2020 and will collect its fifth wave of data later this year. Over Animeasure's lifetime, it has fielded in approximately two dozen different markets collecting a thousand responses per market each year. It also includes a proprietary segmentation solution to help make sense of the ever-growing anime fandom.

    • Senior Research Manager
      Jul 2021 - Jul 2023 · 2 yrs 1 mo

      Architect of Animeasure Anime Consumer Insights Product Line (Global Annual Tracker & Segmentation): https://interpret.la/products/animeasure/

    • Research Manager
      Aug 2020 - Jul 2021 · 1 yr

      Project Anime Global 2020 Speaker Co-Manage Seven Figure Client Account

  • LRW (2 yrs)
    • Research Manager
      Nov 2018 - Apr 2019 · 6 mos

      • Led global quantitative and qualitative market research at the world's Most Innovative Strategic Consultancy (GRIT) • Managed cross-functional teams during a period of growth • Articulated long-range strategic plans and key growth opportunities with actionable insight that drove strategy for clients in the video game (interactive entertainment) industry and beyond • Led fielding in-person for the Nigerian market as part of a global smartphone study • Account management, business development and sales experience

    • Research Associate
      May 2017 - Oct 2018 · 1 yr 6 mos

  • Founder at SprayCake
    Feb 2014 - May 2017 · 3 yrs 4 mos

    • Developed SprayCake – cake batter in a whipped cream-style can that can be baked in an oven or microwave – a disruptive technology for the long stagnant $640 million dry cake mix market. • Worked effectively autonomously with ambiguity in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment. • Led a controlled buzz multi-media campaign across diverse media outlets including Fox & Friends, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, TIME, The Huffington Post, Gizmodo, and social media, reaching millions around the world – simply search “SprayCake” to learn more! • Managed impactful talent for the SprayCake team including CTO, intern, and external partners. • Harvard i3 Technology & Innovation Entrepreneurship Award ($10,000)

  • Manager at Harvard TECH Startup Square Incubator
    Aug 2015 - May 2016 · 10 mos

    • Led publicity campaign for Harvard’s premier undergraduate entrepreneurship competition; organized and equipped industry leaders for judging; managed logistics of all rounds and final showcase event that awarded over $40,000 in prizes. • Managed the Harvard TECH Incubator (Harvard’s premier undergraduate startup incubator) and directed improvements and programming for student startups and guests.