New technology from startup ventures is transforming the sports industry. The mission of this series is to introduce startup companies in the sports technology space to a broader audience and allow Founders of promising new ventures to tell their story. Feel free to contact us if you know of a startup that should be considered for this series.
Company: Hustle Fitness
CEO: Matt Michaux
Headquarters: Pittsburgh, PA
1. What is your elevator pitch?
Hustle Fitness is the most comprehensive collection of proprietary and user-generated basketball drills and practice resources for players and coaches, all packaged in a free, convenient, and user-friendly interface on your smartphone.
Our platform gives users the tools they need to master everything from the crossover to the most innovative big-man moves… all it takes is a sense of competition and a willingness to put in the work! To add to the fun and build the community, users can link their Facebook profiles to connect with friends and teammates to share their best new training ideas. Overall, we are here to provide a great resource for players and coaches so they can learn, compete, and ultimately improve their game.
This month we are launching an exciting new feature called the Weekly Challenge, where players will participate in hot-shot-style competitions and show off their skills by recording videos of themselves through the Hustle app. As they work to earn bragging rights and reach the top of the Hustle Leaderboard, participants score their performance and the broader community confirms their point totals. Ever wonder how you stack up against the best shooters in your town? in your state? in your country? With the Hustle Weekly Challenge, you can find out! 
2. Problem & Solution
The problem is that there is just so much tribal knowledge out there and the only ways to learn everything would be by bouncing around from coach to coach, studying for years on end or by paying an arm and a leg for coaching books, videos, tutorials and camps. Hustle Fitness breaks down these barriers by democratizing hoops instruction in a fun way that keeps users coming back for more. With access to our content, both coaches and players can learn the skills needed to stand out from the pack.
3. Market – your target market and the overall market
We have two distinct market segments that we serve: Coaches and Players. For Coaches, we are here to give them the edge to develop their players across all skill levels, from youth leagues to the top college programs. Soon, we will be offering practice plans and plays from some of the best minds in the game. Running practices, strategizing game plans and building a successful program is tough; our goal is to help with the transfer of knowledge from tried-and-true, successful coaches to the ones who might not have figured it out yet. The size of this market is huge (2.5million high school, amateur, and “Mom & Dad” volunteer coaches in the U.S. alone), and we are poised to capture a substantial portion of it.
For Players, there are already several hundred great drills on the Hustle platform that players can try on their own or with their teammates. All players need to do is identify that part of their game where they want to develop an edge and then get to work! Also, who could pass up competing against friends in our new Weekly Competitions? It’s a great way for users to compete, have fun, and learn the skills that will take their game to the next level.
4. Business Model – how do you make money?
For now, we are supported through ad revenue and in-app purchases. It’s important to note that while Hustle is a free app, we do offer ways for players and coaches to enhance their experience, either by purchasing upgrades or earning them through the gamification engine built into our Weekly Challenges. In the future, we will be selling and distributing practice plans from the best basketball minds out there to amateur and “Mom & Dad” coaches who want to feel comfortable picking up a whistle and confident in the time-out huddle.
5. Management Team – with titles
Andrew Brehm – Head of Mobile Development
Jonathan Manger – Chief Architect
Matt Michaux – CEO
Ned Renzi – Advisor, Business Development
Pete Strobl – Advisor, Content Strategy
6. What else do you want the audience to know about your venture?
We are a group of former basketball players and coaches who identified a better way to prep for practices and train during the off-season. Every day we learn from our users and we’re having a blast watching our community of like-minded hoopers grow and develop through the platform. We can’t wait to continue to provide exciting new features that will help our users get the edge that they deserve.
Bonus Questions:
If you were to invite any CEO to dinner who would it be and why?
Mark Cuban – he’s a technology maven, a hugely successful entrepreneur, a down to earth guy and an NBA team owner. I’m sure I’d walk away with some interesting stories, valuable insights and sage advice for Hustle!
If you could go to any sporting event, what would it be and why?
Every round of March Madness… enough said.