Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Coni Heinemann, Gabe Heinemann, Vali Heinemann, and Amit Sanghvi. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Coni, Gabe, Vali, and Amit, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
Amit: From the beginning, we wanted the page to feel like a full media platform, not just a podcast feed. Right away we started creating graphics for everything from game day posts, podcast announcements, final score graphics, and stat posts. Looking back, those early graphics were very amateur, but it was part of the learning process. We were figuring things out as we went and slowly improving both the visual side of the page and the quality of the podcast.
The risk was committing time and energy to something when there was no guarantee anyone would pay attention. Sports media is already a crowded space, and covering a rebuilding team makes it even harder to attract an audience early on. But over time we started to see people engaging with the content, sharing posts, and listening to the podcast.
Looking back, that risk was worth it because it taught us that consistency matters more than perfection. Starting early, even when the content wasn’t perfect and the team wasn’t winning, gave us time to grow and develop our voice. It also allowed us to build something gradually instead of trying to appear overnight once the team became more relevant.
Gabe: I recently moved across the world to go to school. Away from all of my family, friends, and my lovely cat. I was blind to what the future really held, and honestly, it scared the hell out of me. However, I decided that only by stepping out of my comfort zone, would I be put in a position to grow. I decided that ambition would get me to where I wanted to be.
Several months later I now feel I am where I belong. Away from the comforts of home, but finding solace in the comforts of today.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Our platform started in a pretty unexpected way. I was in class one day and raised my hand to ask a question related to Hamidou Diallo and the Detroit Pistons. After class, one of my classmates, Vali, came up to me and asked if I was a Pistons fan. That simple moment ended up turning into a great friendship and a conversation that led to the idea of starting a podcast together. From there, we invited his brothers, Coni and Gabe, to join, and before we knew it we had a group of people who were all passionate about the team and excited to build something together.
At the beginning, the idea was really just to create a space where we could talk about the Pistons and share our perspectives as fans. The team was going through a tough stretch at the time, but that actually made the conversations more interesting because there was so much to analyze about the direction of the franchise, player development, and what the future could look like.
Alongside the podcast, we started posting graphics almost immediately. I’ve always enjoyed being creative, so I began making game day graphics, final score posts, podcast announcements, and stat breakdowns. At first they were very amateur, but it was a way to bring more personality to the page and make the content feel more complete. Over time those graphics improved and became a bigger part of what we do.
Interestingly, the platform slowly evolved into a media page without that ever being the original plan. We started by simply wanting to make graphics and talk about basketball, but as we kept creating more content, the page naturally grew into something that felt like a full Pistons media platform.
What we’re most proud of is the consistency and the community we’ve built around the team. We try to combine thoughtful basketball discussion with creative visuals and content that fans can engage with. At the end of the day, it all started from a simple conversation between Pistons fans who wanted to create something together, and we’ve just kept building from there.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
When we first started the podcast, we didn’t have a detailed strategy for building an audience. The goal was simply to talk about the Pistons and share our perspectives as fans. Early on, I started creating graphics for the page — things like game day posts, final score graphics, podcast announcements, and stat breakdowns.
Those first graphics were definitely amateur, but they gave us a way to stay active and give the page its own identity. Over time the designs improved and we started creating more content around games, highlights, and major team storylines. Without really planning it, the page slowly evolved from just a podcast account into something that felt like a full Pistons media page.
One of the biggest things that helped us grow was consistency. Even when the team was struggling, we kept posting, recording episodes, and engaging with fans. That consistency helped build a small but loyal audience that enjoys talking about the team with us.
At the same time, social media growth isn’t always as fast or predictable as people might think. There are definitely stretches where engagement is lower than you’d like or growth feels stagnant, and that can be discouraging at times. But we’ve learned that those moments are just part of the process. The most important thing is continuing to create content you enjoy and staying consistent.
For anyone starting a platform today, the biggest advice we would give is to just start creating and stay consistent. The early content might not be perfect, but if you keep improving and stay authentic to what you enjoy talking about, the audience will slowly grow with you.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Amit: One aspect of this journey that has required a lot of resilience for me personally is that I’m legally blind. My vision was damaged when I was younger due to neuroblastoma, which affected my optic nerve and also impacted my hearing as a result of chemotherapy treatments.
Because of that, working on something that is so visually driven, like designing graphics and running a media page, can sometimes present challenges people might not expect. Creating graphics requires a lot of attention to visual detail, and there are moments where the process can be slower or more difficult for me than it might be for others. There are also still times where I miss something and don’t notice until after it’s posted.
At the same time, working on this platform has been an incredibly rewarding creative outlet. When we started the podcast, I immediately began making graphics for the page such as game day posts, final score graphics, podcast announcements, and other content to support the episodes. Those early designs were very amateur, but improving them over time became part of the learning process. I like to think I’ve come a long way since then, especially with the content I’ve created this season. I was particularly proud of the winter series I released, and I’ve tried to follow that up with cleaner, more professional designs that showcase the range of what I can create.
For me, resilience has meant continuing to create and improve despite limitations or setbacks. Some people might say that being a legally blind graphic designer is chasing something unrealistic, but I try my best to prove those naysayers wrong. Every new graphic or piece of content is another opportunity to get a little better.
I also wouldn’t be where I am without Vali, Gabe, and Coni. They’re constantly giving me feedback on my graphics and helping me improve. Being able to build this platform alongside them has made the entire process even more meaningful.
Gabe: As the wise John-Blair Bickerstaff once said about a foundational leader, Cade Cunningham, ” He doesn’t have to take the food off your plate in order for him to be full.”
Wise words indeed…
Cultivating a healthy relationship with those around you is the pillar to being a great leader. A person people feel comfortable with, one of good character, is someone who is naturally easy to follow.
When a team is open, progress occurs. Whether that is a fiscal or a communal contribution to, not only maintaining, but fostering moral. Being an involved leader, rather than managing externally is always the goal of a team.
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