The ModGolf Podcast - Episodes Tagged with “Web3”

Time is Our Most Precious Commodity - Brian Esposito, Founder/CEO of Esposito Intellectual Enterprises

The ModGolf Podcast — Fri, 07 Apr 2023 07:00:00 -0700

Colin met Brian Esposito on a HYPE Sports Innovation "Ask Me Anything" webinar and was so impressed with his genuine desire to help entrepreneurs and their companies that we had to invite him on the show to share his experiences with you.

"I have a simple rule with what I build. When they're my companies it's my ass on the line, so it's my rules. But when they are other people's companies like the great startups that I get to work with its their vision, their passion. I'm there to support them and be a turnkey resource for whatever needs to be done, a utility player. I know what they need because I needed it for most of my career and I didn't have it. So it's very rewarding for me now to take all of my learning experiences and help guide these companies to success and be a complete soundboard and resource for them and keep it fun for them."

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As the creator and host of The ModGolf Podcast and YouTube channel I've been telling golf entrepreneurship and innovation stories since May 2017 and I love the community of ModGolfers that we are building.

I'm excited to announce that I just launched our ModGolf Patreon page to bring together our close-knit community of golf-loving people! As my Patron you will get access to exclusive live monthly interactive shows where you can participate, ask-me-anything video events, bonus content, golf product discounts and entry in members-only ModGolf Giveaway contests.

I'm offering two monthly membership tiers at $5 and $15 USD, but you can also join for free. Your subscription will ensure that The ModGolf Podcast continues to grow so that I can focus on creating unique and impactful stories that support and celebrate the future of golf.

Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

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"I need to make sure that tech founders don't dilute themselves out of their own company. I tell them to get off this BS "raise money/run out of money/raise money/run out of money" hamster wheel because they can't be half pregnant. You're either out there, raising money or you're running your business. You can't do both at the same time. So I've been through hell and back, I made every mistake you can think of and I'm honoured and excited to share those experiences with the great companies that they get to work with."

Click on the image below to watch our extended conversation with Brian on our Youtube Channel!

Brian shared a couple of companies and products that Esposito Intellectual Enterprises invests in and advises on, including Virtual Stax. Virtual Stax allows fans to participate in the athlete's journey with blockchain verified digital trading cards.

To learn more, check out the Virtual Stax website.

You can also connect with Brian on his bio page, along with checking out the Esposito Intellectual Enterprises website.

Episode Chapters
[02:30] Brian opens the show by sharing his connectivity to golf and his first golf experience.
[04:20] Brian tells what he and his team have built with Esposito Intellectual Enterprises and what motivates him to help founders create sustainable businesses.
[08:30] Colin asks Brian to share his insights regarding the future of web3, blockchain, NFTs and cryptocurrency, using the company Devour (a web3 food ordering and delivery marketplace) as a case study.
[11:45] We learn about Brian's investment in Virtual Stax, where people can buy virtual playing card assets of athletes that are already famous or are just getting their careers off the ground.
[17:30] Brian describes how professional sport leagues and team are focusing on increasing fan engagement in a web3 environment, the learning curve they face and what is needed for them to succeed.
[20:45] Brian talks about his investment in Metasport Arena, where you create, trade, collect and play in the first sports and entertainment virtual world as part of a community competing to build the best city.
[27:00] Brian shares how he believes The PGA Tour, LIV Golf, The LPGA and golf entertainment venues can tap into the potential of web3 to engage both existing and new fans.
[30:30] Colin presses Brian to share his thoughts on LIV Golf - what they are doing right, what they got wrong and what they need to do to create a sustainable business.
[34:30] Brian describes how LIV - as a startup - has the ability to be nimble and quick in the creation of digital assets as compared to a "legacy company" like The PGA Tour.

Special Guest: Brian Esposito - Founder and CEO, Esposito Intellectual Enterprises.

Perseverance, Pivoting and The Ability to Continuously Adapt - Ryan Engle, Founder and CEO of GOLF+

The ModGolf Podcast — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 17:15:00 -0800

Ryan Engle's love for golf started at age 11 after watching the movie Happy Gilmore. Fast forward almost two decades later finds Ryan combining his love for computer science, writing code and golf to become the Founder and CEO of GOLF+, who are leaders in VR golf with a mission to grow the game by making it more accessible.

"My first virtual reality putt was 20-footer uphill with a left-to-right break. I hit it and put it 6 inches past the hole, burning the edge on the left. I thought, "Wow that felt exactly like hitting a putt." After that magical moment I said to the team "okay you know what, we're going to pivot 100% into VR."

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Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

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"I spent a lot of time building out this putting physics model that felt very accurate. I ended up having a 3D model of hole seven at Pebble Beach, so I took Tiger's four putts from the US Open, set them up so the flag and his starting point were in the same spots. This made you think, "I'm going to stand in the shoes of Tiger and hit his putts!" I took the handheld controller that weighs a couple of ounces and I found a bike clamp and I clamped it to my putter. I'm holding my putter in virtual reality and when I move it I see the virtual putter moving exactly the same way."

Click on the image below to watch our extended conversation with Ryan on our Youtube Channel!

"The Oculus Quest VR headset was a gamechanger as it was a standalone product that didn't need to be connected to a computer".

To learn more, check out GOLF+ for the Meta Quest. https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/2412327085529357/

You can also connect with Ryan on his bio page, along with checking out the GOLF+ VR website.

Episode Chapters
[02:40] Ryan shares his first golf experience and the movie that made his fall in love with the game.
[06:20] Ryan talks about the WORST job he ever had and what he positively learned from it.
[09:00] Ryan tells us how he got into the golf business and his first golf startup venture.
[15:00] Ryan and Colin discuss the challenges that entrepreneurship presents, and the difficult decisions one has to make when deciding whether to continue grinding on what you are creating or to pivot and build something else.
[17:45] Ryan describes the Oculus Quest headset that redefined the virtual reality landscape and how it is a gamechanger for GOLF+.
[23:00] Colin and Ryan talk about the importance of timing when launching a product, along with the other factors that make for a successful startup venture.
[25:30] Ryan shares the power of partnerships and how they added value to their collaboration with Topgolf.
[31:00] Colin puts on his investor hat to ask Ryan about the GOLF+ revenue model and who their users are.
[35:40] Ryan talks about the size of the VR gaming market, the projected future growth and the demographics of their users.
[39:00] Ryan shares how GOLF+ incorporates various player modes so that the experience applies to both beginner and accomplished golfers.

Special Guest: Ryan Engle, Founder and CEO of GOLF+.

Harnessing web3 To Reimagine The Modern Golf Club Experience - Cooper Sherwin, Co-Founder and Head of Community at LinksDAO

The ModGolf Podcast — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 12:45:00 -0700

"Being an NFT member of this community automatically and from the beginning has brought value, even before we acquire the golf course, That's our North Star. We're still heading there. But the team is working really hard to continue forging these partnerships because everyone we talked to in the golf world is really excited about what we're doing".... Cooper Sherwin, Co-Founder and Head of Community at LinksDAO
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Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear!

Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf

I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin

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"It's been really positive the responses we've gotten. Folks who are excited about new technology, about new approaches to the game and about building the sport of golf have been very receptive to what we're creating."

So what does the DAO is LinksDAO mean? It stands for a "Decentralized Autonomous Organization" and Cooper nicely explains it around the 10 minute mark of this episode.

Want to learn more about Cooper and LinksDAO? Visit their website to see how LinksDAO is engaging a global community of thousands of golf enthusiasts to create the modern golf and leisure club.

You can learn more about and connect with Cooper on his bio page. Cooper just attended the 2022 NFT NYC conference, which you can check out at https://www.nft.nyc

Special Guest: Cooper Sherwin - Co-Founder and Head of Community at LinksDAO.