Brendon Beebe, formerly CTO at foreUP, joins Mike Hendrix on The Tech Caddie podcast

Brendon Beebe, former CTO of foreUP, discusses his experience in the golf industry and building a successful company. He highlights the challenges of building a company in the golf industry, the importance of prioritizing user experience and reducing engagement time, and the significance of culture and empowering engineers. Brendon also shares insights on navigating the relationship with GolfNow, the importance of the tee sheet, and the debate on memberships and annual passes. He emphasizes the value of bootstrapping, hyper-focusing on specific market segments, and building a flexible system to meet the needs of different golf courses. This conversation explores the growth of golf technology, the impact of COVID-19 on the golf industry, the role of aggregators, the future of golf technology, the importance of user experience in golf booking, and creating added benefits for golfers. At the end of the episode, Brendon asks Mike about how he would compete with GolfNow if he was to build a tee time aggregator and how he would use GolfNow if he was a golf course owner. Takeaways Building a successful company in the golf industry requires prioritizing user experience and reducing engagement time. Culture and empowering engineers are crucial for creating a successful software company. Flexibility and customization are key in building a tee sheet that meets the needs of different golf courses. Navigating the relationship with industry giants like GolfNow requires strategic decision-making. Bootstrapping and hyper-focusing on specific market segments can lead to success in the golf industry. The golf industry has seen significant growth in technology, with the emergence of various platforms and apps that enhance the golfing experience. COVID-19 has had a major impact on the golf industry, leading to increased demand for tee times and the need for innovative solutions to manage bookings. The future of golf technology lies in improving user experience, providing convenient booking options, and implementing reward systems for frequent players. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 04:41 Joining 4UP as CTO 07:11 Challenges of Building a Company in the Golf Industry 11:54 Prioritizing User Experience and Reducing Engagement Time 13:18 Using Data to Improve the Software 15:14 Importance of Culture and Empowering Engineers 18:01 Shifting Focus to Value and Building an Ecosystem 20:24 The Core Importance of Point of Sale 23:46 Navigating the Relationship with GolfNow 26:09 Private Equity Investment and Cultural Changes 30:22 The Importance of the Tee Sheet 32:35 Building a Flexible Tee Sheet 34:29 Managing Churn and Prioritizing Customer Support 37:39 Addressing Golf Courses without Electronic Tee Sheets 44:29 Building a Flexible System for Passes and Punch Cards 46:19 The Debate on Memberships and Annual Passes 00:30 The Growth of Golf Technology 07:45 The Impact of COVID-19 on Golf 17:20 The Role of Aggregators in the Golf Industry 27:10 The Future of Golf Technology 37:50 The Importance of User Experience in Golf Booking 47:16 Creating Added Benefits for Golfers 50:10 Superior Booking Experience for Golf Courses 50:32 Closing Remarks