You Can Just Build Things Now
We didn't see this one coming, but now our galaxy brains are in overdrive...
Starting Line
We love to lean on friend-of-the-pod Steve Holmberg for insights into the world of outdoor and brands, but his latest move has our galaxy brains in overdrive. Instead of relying on the typical routes to gather insights from consumers, Steve utilized a new platform to create a totally new way to get the job done. We think you’re going to love this episode - and we can’t wait to see what it inspires you to make!
You Can Just Build Things Now
Steve Holmberg is one of our favorite recurring guests, and this time, he showed up with something nobody expected. Over the holidays, Steve went from zero coding experience to a fully functional AI-powered app called Field Check, built using the vibe coding platform Lovable. The app connects retail store associates directly to brand product and marketing teams through AI-driven chats that go deeper than any survey can — and he built the whole thing in about a month.
In this conversation, Steve walks through exactly how he did it, what he wishes he'd known before starting, and why AI is "a tool masquerading as a solution." He also deployed Field Check live on the Second Nature Slack channel to surface what the audience actually wants — and the results are fascinating.
The Playbook For Outdoor Brands
Second Nature is proudly supported by Popfly, and recently they posted an article that is an actual playbook to answer the question “How Global Brands Should Partner With Outdoor Creators”. We highly recommend checking it out - and if you’re a Brand in the Outdoor industry, or a creator/athlete, click these links (and support Second Nature) to get set up on the platform, or get a customized brand demo.
Job Of The Week
Vibram is hiring a Sports Marketing Manager out of their Boulder office. Looking through the job description, this one looks fun!
Article Of The Week
Steve joins us regularly on the show to share insights, predictions and recommendations - but if you don’t want to wait until his next podcast appearance, you can follow him here!
Show Notes
BPC - Brand, Product, Content
BPC is our closing segment where we share brands we’ve discovered, products we’re using and content we love.
🎙️ Jason Fried - David Senra Podcast: This episode has been mentioned offline to us quite a few times, it’s an incredibly insightful episode with a founder who built multiple products from scratch - and continues to demonstrate successful (and sustainable) scaling over time.
🪣 Adventure Bucket List: This is a 50-pack of scratch-off cards, organized by state or region, with different adventures that you can take (ranked by location, cost, time of year, etc). A new way to get out there and adventure, we’re already off to a good start with these cards!
Thank You
We always love having Steve Holmberg on the pod - and we can’t wait to see him on stage at TrailCon in just a few weeks. We’re super excited for next week’s podcast - we caught the founder of a new trail running brand 7 days after the launch of his company, and we think it’ll be an insightful look into everything that went into the brand - stay tuned!
Thanks for listening to the podcast this week, if you’re not already with us in the Second Nature Slack Community, here’s the (free) link to join in!