EPISODE · May 4, 2026 · 50 MIN
From Bootstrapped to Acquired - How a Miami Founder Built and Sold a Multi-Million Startup
from Playbook by Michael morgenstern · host Michael Morgenstern
What does it actually take to build a company from zero with your own money and sell it to a global brand? In this episode of Playbook, Michael sits down with Adam Garfield, Miami-born founder of SpeedyTab, a mobile ordering platform he bootstrapped from a bar idea in Boston all the way to an acquisition by Wix in 2021. Adam then served as VP of Restaurants at Wix, overseeing product, engineering, and go-to-market across nearly 200 countries. They cover the real story behind founder-led sales, channel partnerships, pivoting under pressure, competing against VC-backed giants with no outside capital, and what it means to build in Miami when Miami wasn't on anyone's startup map. Plus, Adam shares where he's headed next and why he thinks nonprofits are the next big vertical AI opportunity. If you're a founder, operator, or builder, this one is for you. Special thanks to our sponsors at Airwallex — the all-in-one global payments platform built for fast-growing businesses. Whether you're paying international contractors, managing multi-currency accounts, or scaling across borders, Airwallex makes it seamless. Follow them: https://www.instagram.com/airwallex/ Learn more: https://www.airwallex.com Playbook is shot, edited, produced, and published by Short Form Media 🔗 http://shortformmedia.co CHAPTERS: 00:00 — Building a startup with your life savings 01:27 — Who is Adam Garfield? Miami-born, UF-raised 05:11 — The pivot from bars to coffee and food 09:18 — Landing Panther Coffee as the first customer 12:21 — Becoming the Shopify for restaurants 18:06 — Channel sales with Toast, Square & more 22:57 — How Covid catapulted SpeedyTab's growth 26:28 — Getting acquired by Wix: what nobody tells you 33:12 — Why 2026 is Miami's moment 40:05 — Rapid fire: frameworks, drones & advice to founders
What this episode covers
What does it actually take to build a company from zero with your own money and sell it to a global brand? In this episode of Playbook, Michael sits down with Adam Garfield, Miami-born founder of SpeedyTab, a mobile ordering platform he bootstrapped from a bar idea in Boston all the way to an acquisition by Wix in 2021. Adam then served as VP of Restaurants at Wix, overseeing product, engineering, and go-to-market across nearly 200 countries. They cover the real story behind founder-led sales, channel partnerships, pivoting under pressure, competing against VC-backed giants with no outside capital, and what it means to build in Miami when Miami wasn't on anyone's startup map. Plus, Adam shares where he's headed next and why he thinks nonprofits are the next big vertical AI opportunity. If you're a founder, operator, or builder, this one is for you. Special thanks to our sponsors at Airwallex — the all-in-one global payments platform built for fast-growing businesses. Whether you're paying international contractors, managing multi-currency accounts, or scaling across borders, Airwallex makes it seamless. Follow them: https://www.instagram.com/airwallex/ Learn more: https://www.airwallex.com Playbook is shot, edited, produced, and published by Short Form Media 🔗 http://shortformmedia.co CHAPTERS: 00:00 — Building a startup with your life savings 01:27 — Who is Adam Garfield? Miami-born, UF-raised 05:11 — The pivot from bars to coffee and food 09:18 — Landing Panther Coffee as the first customer 12:21 — Becoming the Shopify for restaurants 18:06 — Channel sales with Toast, Square & more 22:57 — How Covid catapulted SpeedyTab's growth 26:28 — Getting acquired by Wix: what nobody tells you 33:12 — Why 2026 is Miami's moment 40:05 — Rapid fire: frameworks, drones & advice to founders
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From Bootstrapped to Acquired - How a Miami Founder Built and Sold a Multi-Million Startup
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