The Betting Startups Podcast

Ep. 185 features Adam Rosenberg, co-founder of HandiGraphs, a betting analytics platform built by and for baseball fans.   Hear him discuss: * His journey from political fundraising and brand strategy to PR and marketing in the sports betting industry * How a friendship in the Outlier Discord led to co-founding HandiGraphs with CJ Buskey * Why baseball’s intimidating data landscape inspired the creation of a simpler, more visual analytics tool * How HandiGraphs identifies edges using proprietary plate appearance metrics (30/60/90 PA splits) * Lessons learned from building a sticky, subscription-based product with near-zero churn * Why education and “over-teaching” users became central to their go-to-market strategy * Balancing side project and startup life — and what comes next for HandiGraphs in 2025 * The role his podcast Dads Bet Baseball plays as both creative outlet and marketing engine * Common mistakes early-stage founders make in PR and how to tell a clear, differentiated story * Why Adam lives by the philosophy “Be helpful” — and how generosity and curiosity drive success in this industry   Catch the video version of this episode here [https://youtu.be/Ss-NfWJPVXk].   Learn more 👇   ➡️ Handigraphs website [https://www.handigraphs.com/] ➡️ Adam Rosenberg's socials [https://linktr.ee/heyrosenberg]   📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/ [https://news.bettingstartups.com/]   --- This podcast is presented by Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0], the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0] has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0]. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0], the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.

Ep. 184 features Brian Birt, founder of Griddy, the fantasy football puzzle game bringing year-round engagement to sports fans.   Hear him discuss: * His journey from childhood sports fanatic to building products at Sleeper and launching Griddy * How Griddy turns fantasy football into a strategic, bite-sized mobile game playable 365 days a year * Solving the seasonality problem in fantasy sports with an innovative “chemistry” team-building mechanic * Why he intentionally built Griddy as a free-to-play game without real money components * How a community-driven approach led to 30,000 users and 3M+ games played with zero ad spend * The role of Reddit and storytelling in driving organic, founder-led growth * Lessons from Sleeper: building trust and community before monetization * Finding product–market fit through retention and user obsession, not growth hacks * Getting early believers on the cap table, including Joel Simkins from XST Capital, and why he seeks to preserve optionality for future capital needs * How psychological resilience and consistency fuel startup success * What’s next for Griddy, from new game modes and rewards to expansion into other sports and fandoms     Catch the video version of this episode here [https://youtu.be/VecTRKBxR_o].   Learn more 👇 ➡️ Girddy website [https://www.griddy.cc/]  ➡️ Brian Birt on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianbirt/]   📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/ [https://news.bettingstartups.com/]   -- This podcast is presented by Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0], the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0] has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0]. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0], the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.

Ep. 183 features Tom Lemke, founder of Savage Tech, the world's first true gamified retention engine for the iGaming industry. Hear him discuss: * His review of the recent SBC Summit conference in Lisbon * How his experience co-founding esports teams shaped his understanding of player engagement * How avatars, achievements, and progression systems improve retention and customer loyalty * Why being likeable is an underappreciated quality when it comes to B2B sales * The importance of continuing to show up "on the circuit" at iGaming industry events and conferences * Why he decided to retire from participating in industry startup pitch competitions * Lessons learned from Adar Ziv, the self-proclaimed "Chief Linkedin Officer" * His experience having just closed a seed round, and the importance of smart money over just money * How Savage Tech is approaching localization for markets like Asia, Brazil, and Africa   Catch the video version of this episode here [https://youtu.be/Ja8UkEpbels].   Learn more 👇 ➡️ Savage Tech website [https://www.savagetech.gg/]  ➡️ Tom Lemke on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-jang-lemke-33118499/]   📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/ [https://news.bettingstartups.com/]   -- This podcast is presented by Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0], the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0] has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0]. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0], the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.

Ep. 182 features Pranav Tadikonda from Pikkit, which is a social sports betting tracker that automatically aggregates bets, analyzes performance, and connects users through community and content.   Hear him discuss: • Why he and co-founder Anthony Jonikas started Pikkit after learning big tech wasn't for them • The switch from fantasy to sports betting after PASPA’s repeal • How they validated the idea through real user frustrations with bet tracking • Their early decision to ban manual entry to ensure transparency • The infrastructure behind syncing 30+ sportsbooks through their in-house platform BookSync • His view on the explosion of tools in the betting category • The controversial Twitter API shutdown and their diplomatic response • Their decision not to commercialize BookSync as a B2B product for now • Their $9M fundraising journey across three rounds and now hitting cashflow positive   Catch the video version of this episode here [https://youtu.be/coiSDayKans].   Learn more 👇 ➡️ Pikkit website [https://pikkit.app/]  ➡️ Pranav Tadikonda on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/pranavtad/]   📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/ [https://news.bettingstartups.com/]   -- This podcast is presented by Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0], the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0] has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0]. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0], the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.

Ep. 181 features Tony Ryan from Bet Caddy, which is building the ultimate sports remote to personalize and streamline the fragmented sports streaming experience.   Hear him discuss: • How betting and fantasy sports make every game moment meaningful for modern fans • The origin story of Bet Caddy, sparked by college sports bars and basement brainstorming • How Bet Caddy delivers a RedZone-style experience for every day of the sports calendar • Using real-time notifications to surface key betting moments before they happen on TV • Drawing inspiration from Spotify’s model to curb piracy through a superior experience • What they learned from their March Madness beta launch and how it shaped the product • Preparing for NFL and college football season with weekly product updates and improvements • How they racked up 25 million organic social views using short-form viral videos • Their monetization strategy combining sportsbook affiliate deals and streaming referrals • The reality of building a complex product as non-technical founders learning along the way • Why Golden State Warriors guard Pat Spencer became their first athlete investor   Catch the video version of this episode here [https://youtu.be/b2AEXSJtt3k].   Learn more 👇 ➡️ Bet Caddy website [https://www.betcaddy.tv/]  ➡️ Tony Ryan on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyryan-betcaddy/]   📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/ [https://news.bettingstartups.com/]   -- This podcast is presented by Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0], the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry. Since 2012, Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0] has served iGaming Operators from startups to industry leaders. Today, 4 out of the Top 5 US Operators Personalize Player Experiences with Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0]. iGaming operators know their growth journey begins and continues with Optimove [https://hubs.la/Q02gLC6c0], the #1 CRM Marketing solution for the iGaming industry.