I worked 16-hour days building a business inspired by my son

July 10, 2026 - 03:42

Craig Moody never planned on building a sports tech company. But one afternoon, watching his son shoot hoops on a video game console, he noticed something. The boy was completely absorbed, learning moves and angles from a digital avatar. Moody wondered: why couldn't real basketball training feel that engaging?

That question led to Shoot 360, a company that uses motion capture, video feedback, and data analytics to teach basketball skills. Last year, the business generated $20 million in revenue. But the road to that number was anything but easy.

Moody spent years working 16-hour days, often sleeping in his car between meetings. He built the first prototype in a warehouse with borrowed equipment. The idea was simple: use cameras and sensors to track every shot a player takes, then give instant feedback on form, arc, and release time. No more guessing why a shot misses. The system shows you.

The company now operates training centers across the United States. Players step onto a court surrounded by screens. They see their shooting percentage in real time. They compete against their own stats. Moody says the key was making practice feel like a game, without losing the hard work of repetition.

He admits the early years were brutal. He maxed out credit cards. He pitched investors who laughed at him. But he kept thinking about his son, and about all the kids who love basketball but hate drills. Shoot 360 turned drills into data. It turned practice into play.

Today, the company is expanding into other sports. Moody still works long hours, but he says the payoff is watching young players improve, one shot at a time.