Building SwingVision: An AI-Powered Revolution in Racket Sports

In this episode of The Next Next, host Jason Jacobs interviews Swupnil Sahai, co-founder and CEO of SwingVision, an AI-driven app for tennis and racket sport performance tracking. Swupnil shares his journey from working on Tesla's autopilot team to founding SwingVision, blending his passion for tennis with his expertise in AI. The app leverages a single iPhone or iPad to provide amateur players with pro-level analytics, including real-time stats, automatic line calling, and video highlights. They discuss the inception of SwingVision, early challenges, data collection strategies, and the importance of user feedback in refining the technology. Swupnil also talks about the company's go-to-market strategy, funding journey, and future aspirations, including potential expansion into other sports and improving infrastructure at sports facilities. The conversation highlights the merging paths of entrepreneurship and AI in sports tech, providing valuable insights for aspiring founders.

00:00 Introduction to The Next Next

00:33 Meet Swupnil Sahai: From Tesla to SwingVision

01:37 SwingVision: Revolutionizing Tennis Analytics

04:16 The Reality of Entrepreneurship

06:49 Swupnil's Journey: From Academia to Tesla

11:15 Building SwingVision: The Early Days

14:47 Training AI Models for Tennis

19:40 Gathering Data and Scaling Up

22:07 Launching the MVP and Iterating

23:27 Advice for Aspiring AI Entrepreneurs

25:15 Customer Feedback and Data Utilization

26:56 Fundraising Journey and Initial Challenges

29:01 Go-to-Market Strategy and Organic Growth

31:23 Adapting to AI Advancements

36:03 Freemium Model and Product Experiments

41:23 Future Vision and Expansion Plans

49:01 Final Thoughts and Encouragement for Entrepreneurs