We were lucky to catch up with Daniel Ginsberg recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Daniel, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
We came up with the idea for Utrain, the all-in-one basketball training software solution, because I was frustrated with the fragmented and expensive options available for basketball trainers. The goal for Utrain is to create an App that provided a complete solution for basketball players and trainers of all levels. So, I teamed up with developer Darryl Smith II, a former Cornell University Mens Basketball standout, to design and develop the software. Utrain now has over 800+ downloads in 35+ states/25+ countries and over 500 active users and we are proud of what we have accomplished to date.
Daniel, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Utrain! The free all-in-one basketball training software solution. Basketball trainers are tired of old software taking 30%+ transaction fees and complex CRM’s leaving a large void in the basketball training community looking to be filled. Trainers are currently using three or more (Acuity + Website + Venmo/Cashapp + Text/email + clients) softwares to manage their business.
We are developing the very first free user friendly mobile App geared specifically towards the basketball training industry. Trainers can seamlessly manage their training business, from scheduling through payments. No hosting or transaction fee, connected clients receive auto notifications, receive payment automatically and instantly.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Managing emotions in business is similar to playing basketball. Just as in basketball, emotions can run high during a game. However, to be successful, I need to learn to manage my emotions and stay focused on the task at hand. This requires separating my personal feelings from business decisions, taking breaks to relax, seeking advice from advisors, and practicing mindfulness techniques such as deep breathing. By managing my emotions effectively, I can bring value to Utrain with confidence and success, just as I can perform well on the basketball court.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
We are proud to say we have bootstrapped from day 1. We have been working on Utrain since late 2018 and are finally ready to raise capital! In December of 2022 we were selected for the UVA Darden School of Business Accelerator Program which provided up to $70,000 in benefits. Just last week in April we were fortunate enough to be invited to the Tom Tom Festival Annual Crowdfunded Pitch Night 2023 and we won the #1 crowdfunded company raising over $1000 from the Charlottesville community! This lead to several investor meetings we are very excited about coming up in May.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.utrainmobileapp.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/danielginsberg11?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daniel.ginsberg.543?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/utrainapp/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/daniel_ginsberg?s=21&t=NW5dP8bKGs1oLXUEjAHdPw
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@danielginsberg11
- Other: www.danielginsbergbasketball.com
Image Credits
@TomTomFoundation #TomTomFestival Boo Agee @AlisaFoytik