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After the 2018 baseball season, I decided to spend the offseason in California to be closer to my fiancé.
Moving to an entirely new place, I wanted to find a learning opportunity while I continued my training. After consulting my agent about places to find work in the Bay Area, he mentioned Pando, saying that it would be the perfect marriage of my baseball knowledge and an introduction to business.
My agent put me in touch with Pando’s CEO and co-founder, Charlie. Charlie and I met up, and after an initial conversation he invited me to meet the team. The Pando team shared their business philosophy, and gave me insights into the inner workings of the business. They offered to assist me in any way they could during the offseason. I eventually decided to intern at the company so I could gain more business experience and better understand Pando.
The previous summer, a few people had reached out about Pando, but I was hesitant to explore pooling as many ideas had been created, with little to none being successful. However, when my close friend and former teammate from college reached out and sent me Pando’s explainer video, I quickly became interested in Pando’s offering.
The founders, Charlie and Eric, were extremely accommodating when I came onboard as an intern. They were eager to help me learn about all parts of the business. I was really interested in learning more about how the company was founded and wanted to better understand the components that go into the pooling algorithm. During my time at Pando, I’ve been assisting the sales team in their outreach to current and former players. And, I have helped bring a current player’s perspective to how Pando’s algorithm values players.
Additionally, I spearheaded the spring training gift box and built relationships with vendors. Not only have I gained valuable sales experience, in large part thanks to my sales mentors Andrew and Evan, I’ve learned how to collaborate with a team in a business setting. Through acquainting myself with the sales process and pitch, I became familiar with just how much Pando offers baseball players. Additionally, they were extremely flexible with my internship schedule, since they wanted me to get the most out of my experience with them, but also be prepared for another season of baseball.
My perspective of Pando has dramatically shifted. In working with the team, I have seen how Pando truly lives out their mission of always helping players, and in doing this increases players’ odds of making money.
Pando’s pooling idea is designed to give players the best possible chance to make money, helping them de-risk a highly volatile career in professional sports. Additionally, during each phase of creating a pool the players remain in control. While Pando provides pooling suggestions based on their algorithms, it is ultimately the player’s decision to determine who they pool with.
Throughout my time at Pando, each and every team member has been extremely helpful — I have gained invaluable experience that will serve me for life.
Being a professional baseball player, I know that you cannot play the game forever, and now I feel even more prepared for life after baseball.
If you are a professional baseball player I would advise you to reach out to Pando; even if you’re on the fence, knowing your options will help you make a more educated decision regarding your financial future. And at the end of the day, the Pando team truly cares about you and wants you to make the decision that works best for you.
