Startup interview: Tyler Gottstein, CEO and Co-founder, Cadi

RTIH gets the lowdown on Cadi, which is pitched as the world’s first autonomous golf retailer.

RTIH: Tell us about Cadi

TG: Cadi is on a mission to change the way people shop for golf products.

We are a retail automation company, building technology that connects golfers with products they love, and the fast, custom experience they deserve.

In effect, we’re transforming the traditional golf industry with the first autonomous solution built for golfers. You can now demo clubs right on the course whenever you want.

When you find the perfect club, it can be purchased instantly through our self-service kiosk and e-commerce platform. There are no salespeople and no hassles, just golfers with the freedom to play the newest equipment.

Our team and technology are paving the way for a new hybrid omnichannel that changes how golf products are sold and distributed for years to come.

RTIH: What was the inspiration behind setting the company up?

TG: Myself and Matt Ahrens (Co-founder and COO) are passionate golfers and we sought to create a solution to try golfing products before purchasing them right on the golf course.

When you go to any big box sporting store, the staff may not know a lot about golf equipment, and even if you can try equipment, trying golf equipment like clubs indoors is somewhat constricting.

There is no better way to try golf equipment than on the course.

RTIH: What has been the industry reaction thus far?

TG: We have been very lucky and grateful to have raised over $1 million on StartEngine in just over two months.

Our retail technology platform has proven market fit and is leading the transition to autonomous retail in the $126 billion sporting goods market.

Cadi has over $1 million+ in pilot testing sales, and we have signed letters of intent from 63 golf courses unlocking significant revenue and access to over 250,000 golfers.

RTIH: What has been your biggest challenge/setback?

TG: Fundraising during the pandemic has been a challenge but we overcame it and had a very good year in 2020.

Golf courses closed so there was no physical shopping experience, and we had to rethink our strategy. We doubled down on selling online and recorded our highest revenue year to date.

It was a serious challenge for our business.

RTIH: What are the biggest challenges facing the omnichannel retail sector right now?

TG: Changing consumer behaviour. The need for instant gratification. Technology that is rapidly advancing. Pressure on your logistics and supply chain.

These factors put a heavy strain on organisations and developers to constantly improve their products or services with every iteration.

It is one thing to provide your customer with direct access to your product, but it creates logistical nightmares and high risks of failure for companies that are not properly positioned to deliver an omnichannel experience.

RTIH: What's the best question about your company or the market asked of you recently by an investor and/or a customer?

TG: The best question we get is why are other companies, competitors, or industry players not doing what we are doing. The simple answer is, what we are doing is extremely difficult.

We are working on very challenging projects that demand lots of our time, energy, and resources. There is inherent risk and uncertainty involved as well as a knowledge barrier for anyone entering this space.

Very few people or teams in the world have the deep technical understanding needed to build and deliver these types of solutions on a massive scale.