Founder Journal: What I Learned from Ben Borton – Reinvention, Replay Culture, and Building a SaaS Unicorn from Ping Pong

🎙 Inspired by Founders Unplugged S3 E42 with Ben Borton – Parts 1 & 2

When I first heard about Ben Borton ’s journey from hedge fund researcher to co-founder of a ping pong startup, I knew there’d be more to the story.

What I didn’t expect was just how much his story would resonate — not because I’ve built table tennis clubs (I haven’t), but because I’ve built something from nothing. And that emotional arc? It’s universal.

1. You Don’t Need Permission to Reinvent Yourself

Ben started in finance. Wrote books for CEOs. Allocated capital. Built a quant fund.

But it didn’t satisfy him.

“It was like playing chess with money. Fun problems… but empty.”

So he walked away.

He didn’t have the perfect startup idea yet. But he had the self-awareness to admit he was solving the wrong problems for the wrong reasons. That decision — to leave comfort behind and start again — is one every founder either faces or avoids.

If you’re feeling the weight of misalignment… pay attention.

2. Your MVP Can Be a Button and a Man Named Max

One of my favourite parts of the story: To test PodPlay’s video replay feature, they installed a literal button in their venue.

Behind the scenes, Max (the CEO) would pull security footage, manually cut the clips, and send them to users. That was the product.

It’s scrappy. It’s messy. And it’s exactly the kind of hands-on validation most startups never bother with.

We often overbuild because we’re scared to look stupid. But if you’re not a little embarrassed by your MVP, it probably took too long.

3. Virality Is a Byproduct of Experience, Not Marketing

PodPlay’s biggest growth lever wasn’t a campaign or a channel — it was joy.

Ben and the team designed tech to capture spontaneous, shareable moments without disrupting gameplay. Users press a button after something great happens. That moment becomes a replay. That replay becomes a story. That story spreads.

“Sharing is the new word of mouth. And video is the new proof.”

It’s a masterclass in building virality into the experience, not slapping it on top.

4. Founders Are Storytellers (Whether You Like It or Not)

Ben describes startups like writing novels.

You start with a blank page. You imagine a better world. You fight to make it real.

That line hit hard.

It reminded me why I love this journey — even when it’s hard. Even when traction is slow. Because for some of us, building is the only way we know how to make sense of the world. To contribute something real.

5. Content Can Be Your Go-To-Market Strategy

No sales team. $1.5M ARR. Hundreds of venues.

How?

Content.

Ben built a four-part flywheel: → Long-form blog posts → Human-first video with community champions → Viral replays from inside the product → Founder-led podcast appearances

“Podcasts are a way of doing relationships at scale.”

That’s a line I’ll steal. Because it’s true. People want to feel like they know you before they trust you. Founders should be out there — in their voice, in their face, in their story.

6. Saying No is the Hardest Startup Skill

Early on, PodPlay said yes to every customer. Every feature. Every request.

Sound familiar?

Eventually, it started to hurt the roadmap. So they stepped back and introduced a simple rule:

Does it improve UX, increase revenue, or cut costs? If not, it’s a no.

It’s a reminder that great products come from ruthless prioritisation, not just great ideas.

7. Sometimes the Real Opportunity Is Hidden Behind the First Business

PingPod wasn’t the end goal. It was the proving ground.

By operating venues themselves, Ben and his team gathered the insights and credibility needed to build PodPlay — a vertical SaaS platform now powering over 100 clubs.

That’s the billion-dollar business.

But it never would’ve existed without the first one. Something to remember next time your “real” idea feels too far away: the stepping stone matters.

Final Thought

The first time I heard “technology in the service of fun,” I laughed. But I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.

We get caught up in AI, valuations, investor decks… but if your product doesn’t make someone’s life better — more joyful, more connected, more human — then what are we really building?

Thanks Ben. You reminded me that fun isn’t a distraction from serious business.

Sometimes, it is the business.

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🎙 Catch the full conversation on Founders Unplugged → https://linktr.ee/foundersunplugged

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