episode 0064- from nba dreams to inventing a game-changing basketball machine with grind founder thomas fields

Thomas Fields grew up chasing NBA dreams. He didn't have height on his side, but he had grind. Until multiple torn ACLs ended his shot altogether. But instead of giving up on the game, he turned to innovation. In this episode, Thomas shares how he went from aspiring pro athlete to tech founder, building Grind, a portable basketball shooting machine that's changing how players train. With no formal engineering background, he spent several years developing his first prototype, eventually landing appearances on platforms like ABC's Shark Tank, Forbes 30 Under 30, and CNBC. This is a story of resilience, invention, reinventing yourself, and redefining what it means to make it.

Show Highlights:
1- Where did the idea for Grind originate, and how did you get started? (8:20)
2- What was step one to building a prototype for such a high tech product without an engineering or tech background? (11:25)
3- How much was “The Gun” that already existed used for inspiration, vs. just building what you want from scratch? (14:40)
4- What was the process to learning each step in building this? (18:10)
5- We discuss the time and the process to getting a minimum viable product, and all the PR and accomplishments that came shortly after. (23:15)
6- We discuss the Shark Tank experience. (32:10)
7- Where can we learn more about Thomas and about Grind? (39:05)
8- Listener question: How do you balance giving back in your business with being profitable? (39:50)

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Follow Thomas on Instagram: @grindbasketball_ and @thomas.fields

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