How Autonomous Technology Is Changing Sports Venues Forever w/ Ben Borton - Part One

Sponsored by FounderCatalystGet 5% off their services via this link:https://2ly.link/1zDIJIn this episode, Greg McCallum is joined by Ben Borton—Co-Founder of PodPlay Technologies—to explore how autonomous, tech-driven venues are reshaping the way people play and connect through sports. Ben shares his unexpected journey from cultural criticism and hedge funds to building a vertically integrated SaaS platform powering venues like PingPod, Sharks, and more.They dive into the origin story behind PodPlay, the explosion of pickleball, and why removing staff from sports clubs isn’t a drawback—it’s a strategic advantage. From self-service models to video-enabled replays and licensing out the platform, this is the future of sports infrastructure.🎧 In this conversation:How table tennis sparked a startupThe cultural importance of sports and shared storiesLaunching a physical venue just before the pandemicWhy autonomous venues work better for customersHow pickleball became a nationwide phenomenonUsing tech to drive community, content, and scaleWhy the “human touch” isn’t always a good thingThe early vision behind licensing PodPlay to other industriesThis is a conversation about building something niche, sticky, and scalable—and doing it with purpose, creativity, and precision.Follow Ben on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/borton/Check out PodPlay:https://podplay.app/Book a free 1-hour advisory session with host Greg McCallum:https://meetings-eu1.hubspot.com/meetings/gmccallum?uuid=c8f5cecd-0222-4c6e-92d1-ea9f224a60fd