Originally from New Jersey, Jake earned a B.A. in Economics (with a minor in Computer Science) from Vanderbilt University.

As COVID-19 shut the world down and his work environment changed, he saved up a six-month nest egg to go all-in on his startup, Pepper—a social-cooking app he co-founded with childhood friend in September 2021.

What began as a group-chat experiment sharing homemade meals has grown into a community of over 1 million home cooks worldwide, with Pepper featured on Fox’s Food Stars and At 27 years old, Jake was named to Forbes 30 Under 30.

He’s on a mission to improve cooking experiences by bringing social media–style engagement to real-world food sharing.

Jake is only 28 years old.

Contact info:

Website: https://www.peppertheapp.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakearonskind/

Find Built From Scratch updates on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Do you ever finish an interview and still wonder, “Should I hire them?”

I’ve been confident one moment, second-guessing the next.

In this episode, I walk through the 5-step process we now follow at To-Do Dudes to confidently choose the right team members. Starting from application and going all the way through their first week on the job.

You’ll learn:

• How to evaluate candidates before the interview starts
• Our exact 4-part interview structure
• Red flags to catch early
• What we watch for between interview and day one
• How training performance reveals everything

This process has helped us avoid costly mistakes and build a team that fits and stays.

Find Built From Scratch updates on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

In this episode, I walk through the real-world framework I use to build and launch internal systems from scratch.

We’re covering:

• Defining the actual goal (and not doing too much at once)
• Creating without scope creep
• Testing before delegating
• How to document clearly
• Why delegation ≠ abdication

If you're building anything that involves people, process, or automation, this will save you time, energy, and a lot of rework.

Find Built From Scratch updates on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Andrew is an Ohio native and the founder of dcdx, a branding agency he went all‑in on in 2020 when his senior‑year internship at Vanderbilt was canceled.

In the five years since, he’s helped build magnetic, Gen Z‑focused brands for Spotify, Chipotle, Crocs, Eventbrite and more. He made Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, was an Ad Age Gen Zers to Watch in 2025, and was even featured in FastCompany publication.

I got to interview Andrew after his recent launch of offline, a platform that brings social‑media branding into real‑world experiences.

He’s on a mission to make the future human, he’s redefining how brands connect with the next generation.

Andrew is just 26 years old.

Contact info:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-roth43/

Website: https://dcdx.co/

Website: https://www.offlinetalent.com/

Find Built From Scratch updates on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

I finally did it! After nearly two months of late nights, caffeine runs, and endless tabs, our “holy grail” data sheet is live. In this episode, I pull back the curtain on how I wrestled scattered spreadsheets, CRMs, and support tickets into one single, living dashboard and the three “N”s that made it all click.

• Niching: I used to believe we had to be everything to everyone. But once we focused in on what actually moved the needle, it was clear that cutting services made us better, not worse. By niching, it reduces the training required, logistical complications, and gives you more time to focus on the true demand of the customer.
• Numbers: It’s like taking a blindfold off. For too long, we had been navigating by gut feeling. Now we finally have the system that can show what our CAC, LTGP, # of inquiries, # of new customers, and other important metrics.
• Nurturing: I’ll admit, I tried to hand this new system off to my team and walk away, but that completely flopped. I had been working on this system for over 200+ hours. Instead, I share the pivot I made using the “Document → Demonstrate → Duplicate” framework that helped the team get up to speed fast.

Find Built From Scratch updates on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

In this episode, I share raw entrepreneurial reflections from memos I kept in April, May, and June. You’ll hear unfiltered thoughts on:

• How coffee has surprisingly affected me
• Choosing between logical and emotional decisions
• Why authoritarian leadership can diminish buy-in
• Pushing through moments when you’re on the verge of tears

Entrepreneurship is a rollercoaster. My hope is that these lessons, even if small, give a boost to those finding their way. Keep moving!

Find Built From Scratch updates on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Originally from St. Pete, Florida, Cole is the founder of Opal, a mental health AI platform built to support therapists and patients. He began his career in machine learning after earning a Master’s in Computer Science from NYU. From there, he joined Morgan Stanley, then moved to Asapp, where he led the core AI team focused on improving communication efficiency for call centers.

That experience set the stage for his next chapter. In June 2024, Cole launched Opal—and in just one year, the platform has already reached 25,000 active users and earned a spot in the Techstars AI Health Accelerator, in partnership with Johns Hopkins and Florida Blue.

Cole is just 28 years old.

Contact info:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-s-smith/

Website: https://www.heyopal.com/

Find Built From Scratch updates on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

“You gave a great pitch… but did anyone actually buy?”

After 22 live presentations in just 6 months, I realized there’s a big difference between presenting and converting.

In this episode of Built From Scratch, I’m sharing 5 adjustments I’ve made to my pitch that helped me gain more traction — whether I’m in front of real estate agents, potential partners, or a room full of prospects.

From cutting the fluff to closing with a clear CTA, these changes made a real difference.

Find Built From Scratch updates on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.