I was invited into the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business program in 2024. One week, they asked us this question. It stuck with me ever since—
That question became the match that lit the Wave Rider fuse.
Since 2012, I've owned and operated Prestige BBQ and Oven Cleaning in Denver, CO. You can't get much more seasonal—or different—than BBQ cleaning!
The Goldman Sachs program changed how I viewed my business. They pushed us to think bigger. That question gave me permission to think WAY bigger than I currently was - I realized if I removed every barrier I placed around me and my little ol' BBQ cleaning business the possibilities were endless but I was thinking too small - way too small.
Even with all that growth talk and motivation, I hit a wall
I kept good records over the years, I tracked my revenue numbers, customer trends, seasonal patterns—all sitting in spreadsheets. But when it came time to make decisions? Hire or hold off? Raise prices or stay competitive? Expand or tighten up? I was guessing. I didn't need more data. I needed to know what to do with the data I already had!
AI has basically solved the "technology" part of that opening question. The tools are here. The barrier now is understanding—turning your data into decisions. So I built Wave Rider. Not just to collect data in a different place but for clarity. For answers. For business owners like me who are tired of drowning in numbers and ready to actually use them.
