From a Division 1 rower who endured four knee surgeries to the founder of a cutting-edge tech company, JT Winston’s journey is a masterclass in resilience and innovation. In this episode, JT shares how his personal struggles with the disconnect between physical recovery and mental readiness inspired him to create Aypex, an app that unifies mind and body for peak performance. This episode is packed with value for entrepreneurs, as JT breaks down how to apply an elite athlete's mindset to your business, pivot from a failing idea, and leverage AI to build your vision. Tune in to learn how to stop seeing your health in silos and start unlocking your true potential in business and life.

💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business

• 🧠 Why earning trust with yourself is the critical first step before you can build discipline in your entrepreneurial journey.
• 🔁 How to use Toyota's "Five Whys" framework to perform a root cause analysis on your business challenges and fuel your next pivot.
• 🤖 Actionable ways to leverage AI as a "pseudo co-founder" to brainstorm ideas, cross-reference strategies, and build your startup efficiently.
• 📈 The crucial difference between a "vitamin" idea and a "painkiller" idea, and why focusing on the latter is key to startup survival.
• 🗣️ A simple, real-world technique for validating your business idea by testing different pitches on people in casual settings.

📝 About JT Winston 

JT graduated from Santa Clara University in 2022 with a degree in chemistry and a minor in economics. After a short stint in the energy sector, he moved to Austin, Texas, and founded Aypex, where he now serves as CEO. A former Division I rower, JT experienced firsthand the disconnect between physical training and mental well-being in athletics. That insight—combined with his curiosity about human performance—inspired Aypex: an app that integrates physical and mental health to help athletes reduce injury risk and enhance performance. While currently sports-focused, Aypex aims to support anyone with a growth mindset in optimizing their well-being.

Outside of work, JT enjoys rowing on Lady Bird Lake, trail running, two-stepping, exploring the outdoors, diving into philosophy, and engaging with Austin’s tech and startup community.

🎯 JT’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs 

"The quality of your business and pace of growth is proportional to your own self-growth." 

📢 Memorable Quotes

• “Discipline takes time, but I'd say there's a step before discipline in earning trust with yourself.” – JT Winston
• “How you think determines how you perform. It's not about doing puzzles... It's more so, how do you think when I get in a tough situation? Do I immediately revert to a stress response?” – JT Winston
• “Ideally why we're all on the entrepreneurial journey is to solve that core problem that we started with, not just to be a revenue machine.” – JT Winston

💡 Actionable Takeaways

• ✅ Apply the "Five Whys" method to a current business challenge. Ask "why" five times to drill down past the symptoms and uncover the true root cause.
• ✅ Schedule non-negotiable "creative time" into your week. Follow JT’s lead by taking a walk, run, or doing another activity that clears your head and fosters innovation, not just problem-solving.
• ✅ Practice validating your ideas in low-stakes environments. The next time you're at a party or social gathering, try explaining your business in a few different ways and gauge people's reactions.

🔗 Links & Resources 

• Visit Aypex’s Website
• Connect with JT on LinkedIn
• Follow Aypex on LinkedIn