Under The Hoodie

Brian Birt is the founder of Griddy, a daily fantasy puzzle game designed to turn fantasy football into a year-round experience. A startup founder and fantasy sports innovator, Brian recently won the FSGA Elevator Pitch Competition with his unique approach to engaging fantasy players through puzzle-style gameplay.Scott and Brian break down the origin story behind Griddy, how a simple idea turned into a fast-growing product, and why puzzle mechanics could open new doors for fantasy sports engagement. They also discuss building a startup with minimal marketing spend, using Reddit and community feedback to shape product development, and what trends Brian believes will define the next phase of the fantasy sports industry.Topics covered:• The story behind Griddy and its puzzle-style fantasy format• Winning the FSGA Elevator Pitch Competition• Turning fantasy football into a year-round game• Building a startup with minimal marketing spend• Using Reddit and community to grow a user base• Product iteration driven by user feedback• Trends shaping the future of fantasy sports🎙️ Under the Hoodie PodcastPresented by Fantasy Sports StrategiesSubscribe for more conversations with the founders, operators, and innovators shaping the fantasy sports industry.Follow us on social for clips, updates, and future episodes.00:00 Intro01:06 Winning the FSGA Elevator Pitch Competition03:29 Brian’s Background07:21 What is Griddy?12:12 How the Name “Griddy” Was Created14:53 What a Typical Day Looks Like for a Startup Founder17:33 Using Reddit to Build Community & Trust23:16 Fantasy Sports Industry Trends & Future Outlook27:18 Expanding Puzzle-Style Games Beyond Football29:35 The Memorable Line From Brian’s Pitch30:44 Startup Lessons From Building Griddy35:05 Mentors & Influences Along the Journey37:39 Favorite Sports Movie

41:45 Closing Thoughts & What’s Next

Chris Shreeve is Co-Founder and Head of Growth at Vokol AI, where he’s helping sports teams, leagues, sportsbooks, and media companies deliver personalized AI-powered audio at scale. With a background spanning startup exits, sports tech, digital marketing, and AI innovation, Chris operates at the intersection of growth strategy and product execution.Scott and Chris break down how AI is reshaping fan engagement, why short-form personalized audio is the next evolution of sports content, and how teams can move beyond generic newsletters and mass messaging. They also dive into voice cloning, prompt-driven personalization, brand safety, and what it means to truly own your audience in a platform-dominated world.Topics covered:• AI-powered personalized audio in sports• Why short-form content is winning• Voice cloning and conversational engagement• Turning email newsletters into audio• Brand safety and compliance in AI• Owning your fan relationship vs platform dependency• The future of AI in sports media🎙️ Under the Hoodie PodcastPresented by Fantasy Sports StrategiesSubscribe for more conversations on fantasy sports, sports tech, and the business behind the industry.Follow us on social for clips, updates, and future episodes.00:00 Intro04:42 Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association Conference & Industry Trends06:58 AI Adoption & Personalization10:30 Short-Form vs Long-Form Content12:48 Voice Cloning Explained15:20 Email-to-Audio Engagement18:05 Fantasy Platform Use Cases21:05 Prompt-Based Personalization24:05 Brand Safety & Compliance29:40 Owning the Audience37:11 Favorite Sports Movies38:30 Where to Find Vokol AI

In this episode, we talk with Kamini Manivannan, founder and CEO of Laces, about building a fantasy sports platform focused on onboarding, product design, and user engagement.We cover:• How Laces approaches onboarding for new fantasy players• Product decisions behind simplifying fantasy sports• Using data and analytics to drive engagement• Lessons from building and scaling a sports startupThis episode is for anyone interested in fantasy sports products, startups, or building consumer platforms.Subscribe for more conversations on sports, technology, and business.#FantasySports #Startups #ProductDesign #SportsTech #Laces #Podcast #SportsBusiness

Howard Bender is a 20 plus year fantasy sports veteran, SiriusXM host of ‪@FantasyAlarm‬, and Head of Content at Fantasy Alarm, with multiple FSGA and FSWA awards for radio and podcasting.Scott and Howard dig into how coaching changes shape fantasy outcomes, what actually mattered in the 2025 season, why elite running backs are back in drafts, and what the playoffs told us about the league’s next generation of quarterbacks.Topics covered:

• NFL coaching carousel and scheme impact
• Life in Juneau, Alaska
• 2025 fantasy hits and misses
• Playoff takeaways and young QBs
• Super Bowl narratives

🎙️ Under the Hoodie PodcastPresented by Fantasy Sports StrategiesSubscribe for more conversations on fantasy sports, football, and the business behind the game.Follow us on social for clips, updates, and future episodes.

In the very first episode of Under the Hoodie, we sit down with a veteran PR and communications leader whose career spans startups, global agencies, and nearly two decades inside Microsoft.From early “sink or swim” moments to navigating corporate crises, cultural transformation, and major career pivots, this conversation goes under the hood on what it really takes to build brands, tell stories that matter, and adapt when the market changes.We also connect those lessons directly to the fantasy sports ecosystem — exploring how early-stage companies can stand out, communicate clearly, and grow without losing their identity.Along the way, we cover:- The power of simplicity in messaging- Big company vs startup life- Branding, PR, and storytelling in crowded markets- Career wins, career misses, and lessons learned the hard way- Why fantasy sports is one of the most exciting ecosystems to build in right nowThis episode sets the tone for Under the Hoodie: real stories, real lessons, and real conversations with people shaping the future of fantasy sports and sports business.🎧 Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts📍 New episodes coming regularly

00:00 Podcast mission & guest intro

02:45 Tom's background

07:42 Life after the self made agency

11:07 Small agencies vs big corporations

12:48 Advice for fantasy sports startups

17:36 Tom's best wins

19:57 Biggest loss

23:00 Fantasy sports discussion

26:28 More advice to fantasy startups

28:45 Final thought

30:46 Tom's Bezos story

This is Under the Hoodie. In this trailer, Scott breaks down what the show is, who it’s for, and why these stories matter. Expect honest conversations with founders and creators in sports and fantasy sports. We cover the highs, the setbacks, and the lessons you don’t see from the outside.