How does a pharmacist with zero business experience end up founding a software company that gets acquired by Time Inc.? On this episode of the Capital Connect podcast, brought to you by GTM Payroll & HR, host Kito Delgado sits down with Matt Scarchilli, Franchise Owner of Sandler Training in Albany.

Matt shares the incredible 15-year story behind Sports Sign Up, a company born out of a desperate need to modernize a cumbersome paper registration process for the Latham Soccer Club. What started as a volunteer passion project turned into a massive leap of faith, requiring Matt to walk away from a stable career and rely on the unwavering support of his wife to build a tech business from the ground up.

Matt opens up about the realities of bootstrapping a startup, the critical self-awareness required to eventually hand over the reins to an outside CEO, and the surreal experience of negotiating a major acquisition. Today, Matt draws on his hard-earned entrepreneurial experience to coach Capital Region sales teams through the Sandler Selling System, emphasizing why a structured, disciplined approach is the key to long-term success.

Key Takeaways

• The ROI of Giving Back: How volunteering and following a lifelong passion for soccer unexpectedly uncovered a scalable business opportunity.
• The Power of Naivety: Why overthinking can lead to paralysis, and how sometimes taking a leap of faith is exactly what you need to seize an opportunity.
• Knowing When to Let Go: Why founders must detach from their "baby" and recognize when it’s time to bring in external leadership to push past revenue plateaus.
• Mastering the Pivot: Navigating the transition from tech founder to the corporate world, and eventually stepping into franchise ownership and sales coaching.

Links & Resources

• Connect with Matt Scarchilli: LinkedIn
• Get Connected with GTM and Learn More About our Services