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Forward Thinking FoundersForward Thinking Founders is a founder podcast where we interview high potential founders from networks like Y Combinator, The Thiel Fellowship, Product Hunt, Twitter, etc. Author: Mat Sherman
Forward Thinking Founders is a founder podcast where we interview high potential founders from networks like Y Combinator, The Thiel Fellowship, Product Hunt, Twitter, etc. and brings to light what they're building for the world. Think of it like the opposite of How I Built This, where we interview founders before they are successful, then if they are, we have a moment in time we can look back on in the early days. Does the model work? Look at our early interviews and you'll have your answer. Language: en Genres: Business, Careers, Entrepreneurship Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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972 - Enabling Better Basketball Analytics Using Computer Vision w/ Bo Shaffer (Playswise)
Episode 972
Wednesday, 19 November, 2025
In today’s episode of Forward Thinking Founders, Mat sits down with Bo Shaffer, founder and CEO of Playswise, a startup using computer vision and AI to unlock deep basketball analytics straight from broadcast footage. Bo played basketball at Duke, and she saw firsthand how much of the sport still relies on slow, manual film review. Playswise is her attempt to change that — bringing NBA-level insights to any team, coach, or player by automating detection, tracking, and advanced breakdowns using modern AI models.In the conversation, we get into Bo’s path from college basketball to tech, how AI can transform scouting and player development, why legacy tools like Hudl and Synergy are ripe for disruption, and what the future of automated sports analytics could look like. We also talk about AI agents, staying on top of rapid AI progress, and what it means to build an AI-native company in an industry that hasn’t kept up.If you’re interested in sports, AI, or the intersection of the two, you’ll enjoy this one.Timestamps:00:01 – Intro + Welcoming Bo Shaffer00:30 – What Playswise is and why it matters01:19 – Bo’s background at Duke + how she got into AI02:42 – Discovering tech and realizing the basketball world is still manual03:55 – How the internet (Twitter, open source) helps her build05:13 – Staying focused while AI evolves so fast07:06 – How she trains the models and improves accuracy08:19 – What training looks like behind the scenes09:41 – Coaches’ reactions + existing tools in the space10:57 – Thoughts on AI agents and future tech12:24 – Are agents real or still early hype?14:02 – College years, Zoom era, and seeing AI rise16:17 – Her big goals for Playswise over the next few years17:35 – Why legacy systems like Hudl/Synergy are outdated18:21 – The accuracy problem in today’s sports tools19:08 – Where to find Bo + Playswise online ★ Support this podcast ★
