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POCKET RADAR: THE DISRUPTIVE INNOVATOR IN THE SPORTS RADAR GUN MARKET

Introduction

At the beginning of January 2022, Chris Stewart, President and COO of Pocket Radar Inc., was reflecting on the success of the entrepreneurial venture he co-founded with his two business partners, Steve Goody and Grant Moulton. More than a decade into the business, Pocket Radar is a well-established brand in the sports radar market, has penetrated a wide number of sport segments, grown from 3 employees to over 30 employees, and experiencing a 5-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 40 percent in sales revenues.1

This is a phenomenal success to cherish and relish. With a sound business model, a competitive advantage based on deep domain expertise in radar technology, the company was providing great returns to the owners. Yet, some important challenges remain. Maintaining the sales growth hinged on continued customer education, and the ability to recruit and nurture human resources that could continue the company’s unique culture were top priorities. Driving innovation that adds customer value, a deep commitment to exceptional customer service, and growth with internally generated revenues are pillars of the company culture. In a digital economy that is radically revolutionizing the way individuals, devices, and businesses interact with each other, the bases of competitive advantages shift radically. An astute strategist, Chris is envisioning the path forward for protecting, growing, and redefining the bases of competitive advantage.

The Entrepreneurial Team and Aspirations

Chris Stewart, Steve Goody, and Grant Moulton met while they were employees at previous companies. At one point they were all employees of Hewlett Packard. With diverse engineering backgrounds, deep knowledge in radar technology, and a passion for experimentation and innovation, the trio were hungry for an entrepreneurial opportunity. Nevertheless, they were clear that their new enterprise needed to be bootstrapped with their own funds rather than venture capital or other outside sources. This would allow them to control the destiny of their enterprise, whenever it took shape, and their ability to pursue the innovation they are passionate about, well into the future without undue external influences. Chris Stewart took the opportunity to exit Agilent Technologies (previously HP), during a round of downsizing with a severance package that allowed him enough financial runway to focus on his new entrepreneurial endeavor. His business partners joined him after traversing other paths (see Exhibit 1 for founders’ backgrounds).

EXHIBIT 1 The Pocket Radar Founding Team5

Chris Stewart—President and Chief Operating Officer

Chris was the Business Manager of the Agilent Technologies Radio Test business. Before the formation of Agilent, he was an R&D project manager for Hewlett Packard in their Test and Measurement business. He spent over a decade as a Microwave, RF, and Analog design engineer gaining experience in R&D, Marketing, and Manufacturing, before moving into management. As an engineer, Chris designed products for the test system used to calibrate every radar system in the U.S. Navy. Chris serves as a volunteer professor at Sonoma State University (SSU), serves as chairman of the External Advisory Board for the SSU Makerspace, Lead Industry Advisor for the Electrical Engineering Department, and the Lead Entrepreneur in Residence for the SSU School of Business and Economics (SBE), as of 2022. A true inventor at heart, he built his first radio transmitter at 8, invented a novel radio-controlled switching system and won a state-wide prize in Ohio at 16, earned his First Class Commercial FCC License and was promoted to Chief Engineer of WATH/WXTQ Radio at 18. A first-generation college graduate, he earned his BSEE from the Ohio State University while working as an engineer at WNCI Radio where he developed new audio processing and synchronous timing systems. He holds 6 granted patents (with more pending) and has published multiple papers and technical articles.

Pocket Radar, Inc.

Steve Goody—Chief Executive Officer

Steve Goody has extensive hardware system architecture experience and was part of the teams that created an award winning line of identity driven network access control (NAC) appliances at Caymas Systems, the industry leading Cisco ONS15454 as part of Cerent Corp. (later acquired by Cisco), and various telecommunications and networking products at Next Level Communications. With over 12 years spent at Hewlett Packard as a hardware designer and principal engineer/scientist, he was responsible for a variety of networking product designs and architectures, including hubs, switches and network adapters. He has rich experience in Ethernet switching, SONET, timing, ASICs, FPGAs, Embedded FW, and DSP. He is a passionate inventor from a very early age and still loves the challenge of taking abstract ideas and turning them into reality. He holds a BSEE from the University of California, Davis and is named an inventor/co-inventor on 17 patents (with more pending) as of 2022.

Pocket Radar, Inc.

Grant Moulton—Chief Technology Officer

Grant Moulton began his career at Hewlett Packard Company (HP) in the engineering group and, after several years, he hired Chris into his team. He was a key contributor in designing the spectrum analyzer system used by the U.S. Navy to tune and calibrate all of their radar units. He later led a manufacturing engineering team supporting that system. Grant and Chris continued innovation on that system and other radio receivers after they both moved into the Research and Development Laboratory at HP. After leaving HP to join Next Level Communications, Grant worked on high speed optical and digital communications. At Next Level Communications, he met Steve Goody and followed him to Cerent Corporation (acquired by Cisco Systems). At Cerent, he worked on even higher speed optical communication and system designs and led engineers designing and redesigning those systems. Grant eventually brought Steve and Chris together and the entrepreneurial dream took root.

Pocket Radar, Inc.

An engineering enthusiast from childhood, Grant fixed his first TV when he was in second grade. He developed a voice-controlled wheelchair for his master’s degree project. He is an alumnus of the University of Utah (BSEE), and Brigham Young University (MEEE). He holds 10 granted patents (with several more in application) and has published multiple articles and papers.

The trio began experimenting with various applications and technology sitting in their small space in Santa Rosa, CA. Their key consideration was choosing a product that was difficult to be copied by global technology companies with abundant resources.2 The opportunity presented itself when they spoke with a friend who described his two young sons walking down the road to a police radar sign trailer and throwing the ball to track the speed of their pitching. The need for conveniently usable radar guns among general population became evident to them. This inspired their mission of providing access to accurate radar speed measurements for anyone and they set out to design a product line to be used by both professionals and everyday consumers alike.

The Evolution of Sports Radar Guns3

A radar gun measures the speed of moving objects by detecting a change in the frequency of reflected radio waves produced by Doppler effect.4 Radar guns have been used in ball sports, particularly baseball, from the early 1970s. Danny Litwhiler, a baseball coach at the Michigan State University, is credited with the insight of applying the radar devices, which were commonly used by police to monitor speed of cars on campus, to measuring the speed of baseball. He believed in the benefits of radar guns for training purposes to help measure difference between fastballs and changeups. He purchased one of the early guns from MSU police and sent it to Mr. John Paulson of JUGS Sports, a company that made pitching machines. Mr. Paulson was tasked with adapting the police radar gun for use in measuring baseball pitches. The original radar gun made for baseball speed measurement is now on display at the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY (a similar one is in Exhibit 2).

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EXHIBIT 2 Pocket Radar—The Disruptive Innovation6

Pocket Radar, Inc.

Litwhiler could see the immense opportunity in revolutionizing the way ball sport coaching could be done and he reached out to MLB commissioner Bowie Kuhn. He also personally travelled to showcase the product in 1975 to all big-league managers, coaches, and executives. An early adopter, Earl Weaver, also recognized the potential of the radar gun as a useful tool for recognizing a tiring/tired arm of a pitcher.

These early radar guns were bulky, heavy, and expensive. A typical police radar gun weighed about 3 pounds and the sports versions weighed well above a pound. These radar guns could cost more than $1,500 dollars and thus were limited in terms of affordability. This situation was not much different in 2009 and several of the sports radar guns still were bulky, heavy, and expensive costing up to $10,000 dollars, or more.

The Founding of Pocket Radar Inc.

Chris Stewart is an avid student of the history of technological innovation and was deeply inspired by Professor Clayton Christensen’s ideas about disruptive innovation.7 Conventional radar guns were based on the Doppler effect, bouncing radio waves off moving objects to calculate speed. He and his partners were convinced of the huge market for coaching and that they needed to design a product that will be drastically smaller in size compared to any of the radar guns then available in the market. Their goal was to create an affordable product that brings the technology within the reach of a large number of customers. Accuracy of speed reading was extremely important because a small difference in the speed of a pitch can result in a drastic difference when the ball moves off the bat and the distance it travels. With these parameters, the design team went to work.

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As with most new innovations, it took a few years to solve the major challenges of shrinking the radar down to the size that would fit in a pocket, and get the product designed to required specifications. Eventually, the team succeeded in reducing the main radar circuitry to the size and thickness of a credit card. In 2009, Pocket Radar Inc. was established as a private company based in Santa Rosa, CA, to build a new brand around this innovative new technology, under the aegis of the parent company called Invention Planet LLC. The technology was developed and patented by Invention Planet and licensed for use in sports radar products to Pocket Radar Inc.

The Pocket Radar was designed with a Doppler radar signal detection and processing system coupled with re-engineered microwave and antenna components. It used proprietary digital signal processing algorithms and state-of-the-art intelligent target acquisition techniques. It is ultraportable, sleek, compact and palm-sized and can fit into a shirt pocket. This is a break-through in speed radar technology and has a point-and-shoot functionality. The device can provide users with extremely accurate, real-time speed measurements of moving objects at the touch of a button. It is highly accurate, +/− 1 mile per hour and can take about 10,000 speed measurements with one set of AAA batteries (see Exhibit 2 for the size difference compared to traditional radar guns).

Their first product, the Classic model, was designed to be used by both professionals and everyday consumers in a wide range of applications. For example, coaches could clock baseball pitch speeds, athletes could use it to improve performance, and NASCAR racing fans could enhance their viewing experience. This product was unveiled in 2010 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.8 The Consumer Electronics Show is the premier technology event in the world for breakthrough innovations and technologies and Pocket Radar was named as the 2010 Innovations Design and Engineering Award Honoree in the highly competitive personal electronics category. The demonstration at the Pocket Radar booth attracted large crowds lining up in front to the point of obstructing the traffic for the neighboring booths (see Exhibit 3 for how the technology works). There were over 1,000 pre-orders taken in January 2010, while the manufacturing plan was still being worked out for the product to be available in Spring 2010.

EXHIBIT 3 How Pocket Radar Technology works?9

Pocket Radar’s Doppler speed radar systems work by emitting a small pulse of radio waves in an invisible focused beam, similar in shape to a flashlight beam.

A small amount of this wave reflects back when the radio wave hits an object that is moving towards or away from a Pocket Radar unit.

The reflected radio wave gets modified depending upon how fast the object is moving directly towards or away from the Pocket Radar unit. The reflected radio wave received gets compared with the original transmitted radio wave and the difference is used to calculate the speed of the moving object. Like all Doppler speed radars, Pocket Radar units can only measure the speed of a moving object that is reasonably close to in-line with the direction of the radio wave beam. They cannot measure any motion side to side, across the radio wave beam.

The focused beam comes from the radar lens on the back of the unit directly behind the display. So, it should be held up vertically like a camera phone with the beam from the radar lens directly in line with the moving object one wants to measure. With the press of the larger button, like taking a picture, while the target object is in motion, its speed appears on the display.

Pocket Radar, Inc.

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In 2011, Pocket Radar’s Classic model won the “Best of the Show” award at the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) convention in Nashville, TN. Pocket Radar was also showcased at other industry shows such as the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Convention and the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association (THSBCA) Convention. The product was highly praised by both baseball and softball coaches for its innovative technology and setting a new standard in capturing speed-readings.10 There were some initial thoughts around entering the golf market. The team researched the products available and learned that there were already several low-cost solutions in the market for golf ball speeds. Since the radar can be placed right next to the initial launch point of the ball, it is much easier to measure the speed of a golf ball than a baseball from behind the backstop in a game. This is because the amount of reflected radio waves coming back to the radar unit drop off dramatically as one gets further away from the moving object. The team decided to focus on baseball and other sports because there were no good solutions available at a low consumer price point.

Product Innovation and New Product Launches

After the initial Classic model, the team worked with coaches from around the country and spent over a year gathering feedback to understand the specific needs of college and professional baseball coaches. With the feedback gathered, they designed and launched a new radar specifically to meet the needs of the ball sports market, the Ball Coach Radar, in January of 2014.

Ball Coach RadarTM

This pro-level radar gun was designed to accurately find the release speed of every ball with a new automatic ball-tracking technology. This technology made it possible to measure the peak velocity of a ball during its flight. Further, the new Constant-On Mode lent itself to hands-free operation and an Automatic Triggering function eliminated human-error in timing the measurement. These features together allowed reliable and accurate speed measurements every time. Thus, the Ball Coach Radar was an ideal tool for tracking and reviewing training progress because it made crucial results like hitting power, pitched speeds, throwing speeds, serving speeds, and shot speeds instantly visible. In addition, an expanded internal memory allowed archiving of the previous 25 speed measurements.

Steve Goody, CEO and cofounder said, “Previous radar guns are limited in that they measure a ball’s speed only at the point where the trigger is pressed by the operator, allowing for a high percentage of user-error and a reading that is not a true measure of the player’s ability. The ball tracking technology eliminates any trigger timing issues as it automatically finds and records the peak velocity of a ball’s flight, and in doing so, the Ball Coach radar empowers coaches with access to the real-time data they need to make informed decisions and adjustments as to a players strength, development and injury potential.”11 This product was the “Best of Show” at the 2014 ABCA national convention. By then, this technology was already being used by elite coaches to develop pitching and hitting mechanics of players because it enabled the measurement of both the incoming pitch and the exit speed of the ball, which otherwise was overlooked.

Former MLB player and hitting coach, Dante Bichette said, “When it comes to hitting, ball exit speed off the bat is what it’s all about. Using the Ball Coach Radar with professional hitters and youth hitters, I’ve learned that players at all levels need instant feedback to improve in the shortest amount of time. Everyone knows what a 90 mph pitch looks like, but if you want to become a better hitter, you need to start measuring your ball exit speed. An extra 1 to 2 mph exit speed can make a completely different hitter.”12

The Ball Coach Radar had great use for injury prevention, in addition to the direct training benefits. Several experts were citing that the number of athletes undergoing Tommy John surgeries as a result of injuries to the ulnar collateral ligament was increasing. This also created the need among many coaches and athletes for radar guns as a method of reducing injury potential by improving muscle memory and mechanics. “A break down in mechanics caused by fatigue is almost always the root cause of every pitching arm injury I have come across in my over 30-plus years working with pitchers. Unfortunately, many youth instructors do not realize that a young player has entered the injury risk zone until it is too late,” said Tom House, National Pitching Association founder and former MLB pitching coach.13 He also said the Pocket Radar Ball Coach Radar helps detect drops in pitch velocity that could serve as early warnings for player fatigue. This could help in preventing serious arm injuries.

Built from the high-impact plastic used for football helmets, the Ball Coach Radar can measure ball speeds from 25 to 130 MPH (40 to 209 KPH), with an accuracy of +/− 1 MPH (+/− 2 KPH) at a range of 120 feet on a baseball/softball and 70 feet for a tennis ball.

Smart Coach RadarTM

Keeping up with the emerging technologies and continuous feedback from top coaches, Pocket Radar Inc. announced the launch of its next generation product, the Smart Coach Radar with a companion App in August 2018. This is a complete speed and video training system designed to empower modern athletes and coaches in many sports with the ability to create and share a digital record of their progress to optimize their techniques and methods to get better results. The App is available on Apple and Android devices and includes video recording abilities with embedded speed display to help optimize speed and control. It provides instant feedback with every speed (audio and speed display) and tracks results over time for players to monitor their progress. These videos can be shared with their parent, coach, or recruiter to review the results and discuss performance improvements. The App also has social media integration feature with YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and more.

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According to Chris Stewart, coaches tell them they waste a lot of time trying to verify the validity of speed numbers supplied by players and the video recording and sharing facility is “a convenience and labor-saving feature.” When the product was launched, Perry Husband, a top pitching and hitting consultant for Major League and Collegiate championship winning baseball and softball teams said, “Remote training, personal daily analysis, camps and creating instructional videos just got a huge boost. Portable and easy to set-up, with video for analysis and sharing, this product allows any player or coach to set up a wireless lab for pitching and hitting feedback. The Smart Coach Radar is the most complete tool for objective feedback that I have used when teaching Effective Velocity in baseball and softball.”14

A truly next-gen product, the Smart Coach Radar is incredibly lightweight and convenient at just 4.5 ounces with batteries included. It measures a baseball with +/− 1 MPH accuracy within a 120-foot range, can be used as a stand-alone radar gun with all of the features of the best-selling Ball Coach Radar or with the companion App. Again, affordability was a distinguishing feature for this product priced at $399.99.

Other Products and Accessories

Pocket Radar Inc. also launched a full performance traffic radar gun in a palm-sized package. The Traffic Advisor Radar was featured in the October 2016 issue of Institute of Transportation Engineers Journal. This radar allows discrete measurement of the acceleration and deceleration of cars, vehicles, and bikes and can be used for traffic survey work in traffic engineering, safety, and calming programs. This technology was independently tested and certified for accuracy by the official test lab for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). This is the same laboratory that certifies all traffic radar guns for use by law enforcement agencies in the U.S. (The Classic model serves this purpose for personal use; see Exhibit 4 for a comparison of different Pocket Radar’s products.)

EXHIBIT 4 A comparison of different Pocket Radar products15Table Summary: A table compares 23 different product features of the following pocket radar products: smart coach radar, ball coach radar, pro radar system, traffic advisor radar, and classic model radar. There are 16 product features in smart coach radar, 7 in ball coach radar, 9 in pro radar system, 4 in traffic control advisor, and 2 in classic model radar.

Product features Smart Coach Radar Ball Coach Radar Pro Radar System Traffic Advisor Radar Classic Model Radar

Prices $399.99 $299.99 $1199.99 $499.99 $199.99

Good for Ball speeds X X X

Good for Vehicle Speeds X X

Good for Runner Speeds X X

Indpdt. Tests with Certificates of Accuracy X

Calibrated Tuning Fork included X

Adjustable Sensitivity (to eliminate interference) X

Narrow Beam (avoids speeds from adjacent lanes) X

Integration with Separate Software companies X

Can Measure Ball Exit Velocity off the Bat X X X

Constant-On Mode X X X

Memory Clear Function X X X

Works with Smart Display X X

Auto-On Function X X

Works with Pocket Radar App (via Bluetooth®) X

Remote Control of Radar (App) X

Wireless Display on Mobile Device (App) X

Audio Speed Call Outs (App) X

Adjustable Speed Ranges to Eliminate Interference (App) X

Speed Embedded in Video (App) X

Dual Mode: Speed Display and Video at same time (App) X

Upload Videos to Other Apps X

Data Export to CSV file (App) X

Future Software Added Capabilities (App) X

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The company has a wide range of accessories which complement and supplement the core product offerings. These are the deluxe tripod, Smart Display (for Smart Coach Radar or Pro Radar System via USB cable), right-angled USB cable (for Smart Coach Radar), tripod mounts (for Ball Coach and Smart Coach Radars), custom lanyards, calibrated tuning fork for accuracy verification (required for professional traffic use), hard shell protective cases, and USB cables for Smart Coach Radar and Smart Display.16

The Sports Radar Gun Industry Outlook and Competition

Baseball and softball are the primary markets for sports radar guns, followed by other sports such as football, hockey, tennis, which lag behind in using this technology. According to industry experts, as of early 2022, there are about 4 million baseball and softball travel ball athletes. About 1 million of these are elite athletes. Over a 100,000 are baseball and softball college players and about 20,000 are professional players. These sports markets are renewing markets in that a new crop of players come in after every 3–4 years. The market is even larger if one includes all those who play these sports for recreational purposes.17

Entry into this industry requires specialized knowledge and new innovations that are patent protected. Further, developing a specialized application can take years and many more years to build a brand that users trust as reliable and accurate. So, patient capital investors that can wait for long term returns becomes important for startups. Design and simple controls contribute to ease-of-use. However, customer education is still the key since an incorrect usage of the product can lead to low reading which can be mis-interpreted as the product not functioning correctly. The market is quite competitive and leading competitors, with established presence, have existing customer loyalty.

A number of suppliers exist in South Korea, China, and other Asian countries for majority of the lower level electronic components, hardware, molds, and lenses for the radar units and also for assembling the final products. Nevertheless, protection of intellectual property in the sourcing/outsourcing decisions varies widely across different countries. Potential partners may not be necessarily operating at the exact levels of technological requirements and that may require some supplier education and handholding.

Buyers for the sports radars are the professional and collegiate sports teams, major league coaches and players, minor league players, youth leagues, high school coaches and players, and third-party distributors such as Dicks Sporting Goods, Amazon, and Sports Inc. Some buyers, for example, the Major League Coaches, can have significant influence on the product adoption and penetration. Many individual buyers, that is, parents who buy to train their kids form a large market for penetration. More broadly, anyone in need of speed-based training becomes a target customer.

From training, performance improvement, to injury prevention, these sports radars serve a variety of purposes. There are no direct substitutes to these sports radar guns. Nevertheless, some other sports specific training devices such as Diamond Kinetics PitchTracker Baseball18 with sensors fitted to measure pitch velocity and spin rate for baseball can act somewhat as substitutes for limited niche applications. In addition, a number of Apps are in the market, several have come and gone already, perhaps, several are still being developed, that monitor and track the speed of a ball and other moving objects with the help of a smart phone. Speed Gun App Android, Ball Speed Radar Gun Baseball Android, Athla Velocity iPhone, Speed Gun by Arius Android are some best examples as of early 2022.19 Several of these Apps charge for usage by sport. Thus far these Apps have had challenges in trying to match the accuracy and ease of use of a radar gun. The degree of accuracy and consistency in capturing ball speeds in different situations remains to be proven.20 Updated sporting equipment, other sports specific training devices, and even private lessons that enhance the athlete’s ability to perform in their respective sports may also be considered substitutes.

Competition is intense with a number of players in the market. JUGS Sports, Stalker Radar, Bushnell, and Sports Radar are some top known competitors.

JUGS Sports

Founded by John Paulson, the creator of JUGS Curveball Pitching machine, JUGS Sports is a family-owned business based in Tualatin, Oregon, and is the leading producer of baseball and softball training aids.21 They are the #1 selling pitching machine company in the world. They designed the sports radar gun for baseball way back in the 70s. Their guns are known for accuracy and greater distance range. They are heavy and expensive priced about $1,295.22

Stalker Radar

Stalker Radar or Applied Concepts Inc. began as a contract engineering and manufacturing business in 1975. Over time, the company grew by developing products aimed at specialized and niche markets. As of 2022, they have over 165 employees and a diversified product line catering to law enforcement, professional sports, traffic control, and OEM speed measurement. Based in Richardson, Texas, they gained a reputation in the global market place for accuracy, durability, and innovation. They have sports radars for the pro-level and also for beginners. Their professional radars are priced about $2,670 and weigh more than 2 pounds. Their sports series radar guns are for budget-conscious teams and upcoming players. These are priced over $500 and weigh over 1.75 pounds with batteries.23

Bushnell

Bushnell was founded in 1948 by David P. Bushnell and is known to be an industry leader in the high-performance sports optics. Based in Overland, Kansas, this company offer sports optics and outdoor accessories such as binoculars, telescopes, riflescopes, etc. Their speed guns or sports radars are featured among “additional products” on their website, reflecting this is one category among many other products they deal with. These products are priced in the range of $100–$200 and are considered affordable and accurate for some applications.24

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Sports Radar Limited

Sports Radar Limited is yet another competitor based in Homosassa, Florida. Established in 1991, they manufacture several sports radar products for the professional and amateur use.25 Their speed radar guns weighed between 0.8 lbs and 1.5 lbs and priced in the range of $200–$400.

Looking Ahead

By early 2022, Pocket Radar penetrated a wide variety of ball sports including, baseball, softball, tennis, volleyball, football, soccer, ice hockey, lacrosse, and cricket. The brand is highly recognized and respected among professional sports teams and collegiate sports programs, which is the top of the market. Testimonials and referrals by top coaches provide credibility for market penetration. It uses unique promotion methods to increase visibility and penetration of its products. For example, it launched innovative scholarships for ABCA, the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level with over 13,000 members representing all 50 states and 33 countries. Through this scholarship, member coaches can apply to get free access to Smart Coach Radar and Smart Display technology and a few of them get selected for this access.26 It also runs an updated sponsorship with National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), a professional growth organization of over 5,300 members for fastpitch softball coaches from all competitive levels of play. With this sponsorship, Pocket Radar integrates its “Own Your Numbers” initiative with the NFCA’s social media campaign. Pocket Radar gets featured, each month, in a post across all of the NFCA’s social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter) on topics featuring various NFCA and Pocket Radar initiatives.

The product is widely available in physical and online stores, for example, Pocket Radar website, DICK’s Sporting Goods, Amazon, Walmart, Target, and many smaller retail sporting goods companies. Its international footprint covers more than 60 countries. Pocket Radar requires its channel partners to maintain a minimum advertised price (MAP) to prevent erosion of margins for its smaller resellers. The company emphasizes exceptional customer service and in a day and age where customers wait in long electronic queues to get answers, the President of the company, Chris Stewart, handles many queries directly. “Customer service is one of our key differentiators,” says Chris Stewart.

Youth athletes and families are big markets where the company seeks to expand its market share and individuals (parent(s) buying for children playing ball sports) are an ideal target who can readily purchase the base model valued at around $300. These individuals need to find the product useful and yet not confuse it with a common toy because the technology requires some basic understanding of how radar works to use it correctly and needs appropriate training. It is possible for individuals to confuse erroneous product use with the product/technology being inaccurate or faulty. For example, small differences in the angle between the path of the ball and the radar beam, the difference in the height of the radar and the height at which the ball makes a contact with the bat, the distance of the radar behind the batter, the length of flight of the ball, make a significant difference in the readings. Less-knowledgeable customers attribute these to the product. Therefore, customer education is an important on-going task.

On the organization front, Pocket Radar recruits a balance of individuals with proven track-record and deep expertise and young college hires, be it in marketing, manufacturing, operations, or any other functional area. In addition, bootstrapping growth with internal funds imposes constraints compared to companies pursuing growth with external funds via IPOs, Venture Capital, and so on. Those joining the company should believe in this self-funded model and growth trajectory. The company encourages contracting in the initial stages for potential employees to figure out if the company is the right “fit” for them and if they are the right fit for the company. Chris Stewart says, “Our culture is fueled by creativity first and rewarded by money later. This is all about building the right environment, where creative people can thrive.”27

In a growing sports technology market, Pocket Radar has democratized the usage of the radar gun and it continues to focus on making high value technology available to the broad market at an affordable cost. It has 10 products in its portfolio as of 2022. At the same time, they recognize that the future growth of the company lies beyond the hardware. “We have the recognized accuracy in the hardware, and we also have the software now. You need to imagine the possibilities with the huge amounts of data about player performance that we have access to. Data analytics will be the core of our advantage into the future. We are very well-positioned and are here to stay and grow,” he said.