When you listen to this guy talk, you just get that sense that you want to root for him to do well. So I bought a Vatic paddle based off reviews and I’ve been more than impressed. Hearing this interview, makes me really happy to know the paddle brand that I’ve chosen to support has an owner with such a grounded view of the world and a great head on his shoulders, and a lot of drive. All are hallmarks of great owners that have very successful careers
Very nice young man. Great business plan. I am a 62 year old PPR Pro and I have been playing the Vatic Flash 16 mm for over a month now. I have played one tournament with it and I love the performance, 4.5 60-64 Gold and 4.0 60-64 Gold. I have ordered the new Alchemy. I am an Ambassador and I have sold several paddles, everyone loves it. I love Daryl's story and knowing more about his background really helps me support his company.
Had no idea of the face behind the paddle brand. Great to learn the story of these entrepreneurs (Vatic, Legacy, 6.0, etc). Interesting how having the language allows him to avoid middle -men.
100%. Couldn’t find anything on him before the conversation haha had no idea who was behind it. Yeah, loving these stories of all these guys as well. Thanks for watching, Dan.
Wow how impressive I signed up with Vatic as an ambassador a few months back after hitting the Flash. I was astounded by the quick responses by Daryl who is the owner. In this industry, CS is very important and Daryl is at the top of that. There are other companies which shall remain nameless who charge over $220 that wait a number of days to respond to an email. Anytime I’ve sent an email to Daryl it’s a quick response. I was already impressed with the quality of the paddles and the price. Ive hit most every top paddle out there and their build quality and carbon fiber surface is better than most of the more expensive paddles out there. Now to find out he’s a 25 year old one man show??? Man I wont bother him by email unless it’s important haha Proud to represent Vatic Pro. Also, I think we need orange edge guards now that would pop on the courts!! Scott Francis
Hahaha “man I won’t bother him by email unless it’s important”. Yeah, impressive he’s doing a lot of it on his own. Truly learning and earning the hard work before he decides to delegate it. Thanks for watching!
Just received my Flash 16mm and V7 16mm today. The reviews sold me on the paddles but listening to Daryl has made me really want to support his company.
What a great interview! Your channel is really bringing realness and positivity to the pickleball community. Daryl (Vatic) trying to bring pickleball to less forturnate and less wealthy communities is huge and demands a lot of applause. Not all of us have big money to spend to get on w a sport that has potential for pretty much everyone to have a good time and build friendships. Setting the bar for cheaper high performing paddles is amazing!
Love my Vatic Pro paddles, Flash and V7, just pre-ordered the new Alchemy, yesterday, love them even more knowing about founder's story and sad he lost his Mom so early in life, wishing good fortune to Daryl Wang
It blows my mind that Daryl started the successful company less than 12 months ago. What a smart, driven and caring young man. I learned that, compared to him, I was a total slacker when I was 25. Kudos to him for doing things the right way.
From this video, it is clear that Daryl is an impressive young man, running his business with integrity. From word of mouth and online reviews, it is clear that he is also building a solid product at a value price. I may just purchase a Vatic paddle in the near future - thanks for conducting & sharing this interview!
Absolutely. Yeah I finally got around to playing with / testing their paddles, using the Prism 16mm currently. It’s impressive. I’m a bit shocked this quality is at the price that it is.
I’ve been with Vatic since October 2022 and I haven’t looked elsewhere. Everything about the brand and the relationship I’ve had with them screams success. Great work with the interview. Let’s go Vatic Pro!!! 🔥💪🏽
It's awesome to see a guy so passionate about his company. It's really sweet to see Daryl open up and give us the inside scoop of a pickleball business! I really like his take on business, that it isn't about age it's about getting out there and doing it.
Brian- I’ve enjoyed this entire series of interviews. I’ve been a very happy Vatic Pro customer for a month now. From your interview, I learned that Daryl has focused on philanthropy from the start with his paddle donation program. Most founders wait until their company has achieved a certain level of scale before thinking about “giving back.” He is building customer loyalty and making the sport far more accessible and inclusive . Didn’t know this part of his story and it makes me proud to use his product.
I ordered the Vatic Flash 16 after seeing all of the great reviews! Great paddle! Hits are solid, spin is great, control is awesome. The only issues for me was the cover, weight and balance. The paddle was 8.2 oz but felt head heavy which caused me a bit of a sore wrist. Sold to a friend that absolutely loves the paddle. The zipper on the cover got stuck and after one email with Daryl he offered to send me a new cover at no cost. I ordered a shirt and had him send it with the order. BTW the quality of the shirt is excellent as well as the customer service! It's great to see Daryl's story. I never realized he was so young. Keep up the great interviews!
It would be nice like a couple other companies have started to do spending a little more to get a custom weight. Dlash is a little head heavy what I did was out some tungsten weight at throat make it feel faster at the net even though weight is 8.5
This was a great interview. This video has really shown me that it doesn’t matter what age you are to start a business. As long as you have the passion for it and have the drive, anything is possible. I love watching your videos, they are so inspirational.
Daryl is great! I was definitely super impressed when he was the one responding to me when I reached out to customer service! Also, I just ordered my second Vatic Pro paddle, the Prism Flash and I cannot wait to play with it! This is another fire episode, Brian!
Great video/interview! Watched it through til the end. I liked the thought he put in, and meaning with the name. To predict the future. Pretty wild that he handles so much of it on his own.
Me too. Still a bit bummed about the "half life" statement. I'm a Rec only guy, so keeping a less than perfect paddle around for longer is not a big deal to me. I play with people who are still using the same paddle 5,6 yrs.???
Vatic’s customer service is top tier . I had issues with my first paddle. Daryl was quick to reply to my concerns. He sent me a return label and within the same week, I got my replacement
1. I own a Vatic and I love it. I tried a Hyperion and… meh. 2. This young man is inspiring! I love his positive attitude and his appreciation for those around him who support what he’s doing. 3. Your questions are great and you conduct an excellent interview.
Great to see the feedback on Vatic compared to another top brand. Yeah, inspiring for sure, hard not to get behind him. I appreciate the feedback on the interview, mean’s a lot 🙏
Good interview. Daryl is a very inspirational young man. I bought a V7 back in January, and a Flash 16mm in April. I really enjoy playing with both of them. I’m sure I’ll be purchasing more Vatic paddles in the future.
Great work, Brian. I learned how how Daryl’s ability to speak Chinese helped him cut out the middle man and deal with the factory directly. Pretty cool how invested Daryl is.
I own a Vatic Pro and love it! I loved learning about the founder of the company, where the name came from, and his background. It's incredible that he's only 25 years old!
This discussion really shows that building a business is more than just ideas, theres so many aspects that you dont think about it until you get down to getting out of your comfort zone, and how much time/effort customer service actually takes. i'm glad Daryl started Vatic Pro, i hope when the company is bought up they keep the same values that he holds for the company.
As a new player (former table and court tennis), I'm glad I didn't have a good paddle, too much else to focus on. I recently stumbled upon vatic pro when looking for a grip recommendation...on reddit. I googled them, led to a rabbit hole search, 2 weeks later I upgrade to their Flash 16 from my Vulcan 540 and was hitting drops/spins that left my opponents stumbling into the kitchen several times. I didn't realize how much a better tool would equip me when I thought it was my technique. Amazing. My very first game after unwrapping the handle, I hit a game winning baseline cross court drop into kitchen corner. This was my experience, I'm not a smasher...yet. I already knew this from my time in China and digging into product design with niche hobbies, but hearing Daryl talk about difference between working through an agent to manufacturer or doing it AS the product owner is huge.
As of today or tomorrow Daryl will really be shaking up the paddle industry. The popular V7 and Flash paddles will be part of a Vatic Prism series. Non Thermoformed so can’t possibly delaminate. But they are injected with foam on the edges for sweetspot enhancement. Same raw carbon fiber face as the Pro series. So basically the Prism Flash will be a better made Hyperion. For $100. These will be a HUGE Seller and will be available today or tomorrow.
Loving the stories you are telling, and the quality of the interviews and videos are really great! Keep up the good work! One thing I learned is the meaning of Vatic and how Daryl chose the name. Vatic has the meaning along the lines of "being able to predict the future"
Only recently getting into pickleball, but i really appreciate your chronicling the explosive growth of the sport and industry. It's been amazing to listen and learn from all these inspiring entrepreneurs. Recognizing the various ways people build businesses out of passion and necessity is quite eye-opening.
Learning that it makes a difference how things are “manufactured” and it’s weight on how we perceive paddles was eye opening. I’m interested in doing more research on the make of all paddles I may be interested in buying. Perhaps, the manufacturing may outweigh a decision even if, it’s the nicest paddle out there.
Enjoyed this episode. I dont need another paddle but bought one to support this thoughtful young man. Great job staying on top of all the Pickleball chaos.
Great interview, looking g forward to the next one. So cool to see such a young entrepreneur. I learned Daryl is 25 and Vatic means predicting the future.
I haven't bought one of his paddles yet, but from all of the reviews online they say these paddles play extremely well, and have a very good value. So it seems like performance and value is what is helping him. Not having a middleman definitely helps pass on the savings.
Very informative and insightful video.I learned that “Vatic” means to be able to predict the future , entrepreneurs must wear a lot of “hats” and be jack of all trades & lastly most manufacturers must go through agent middle men. Great Content , Keep these founder interviews coming please!
Great interview! Thank you for doing this podcast, I'm really enjoying these interviews! You are adding something great to the PB community! There are real people behind these brands.
great interview! loved that Daryl's advice is to try new things! awesome to see such a young person become so successful. continue the great interviews with the pickleball industry
I chose Vatic Pro v7 because it was the cheapest thermoform gen paddle and it has been a great paddle for me. Looking forward to Spencer’s paddle and the under $100 paddle. Friend has the Flash and I’ll be trying it out eventually. Great interview!
Yup great to see the price and quality is resonating with people. Can’t wait to try the Alchemy either and looking forward to those lower price tier paddles!
The boring but effective answer? It depends. Paddle care, how often you play, maybe weather conditions, style of play. Generally speaking though, yes. There’s another video I put up where Carl Schmidts (from USAP) talks about checking for delam. This is why the newly released Gearbox is making waves (I and reviewers also released videos on this week). It hits on the performance but most importantly durability. They have carbon fiber in the core, not just 100% plastic/polypropylene.
New Subscriber...Great interview! I learned about more the new thermoformed and defamation...Also nice to see a young entrepreneurs be successful in the PB industry
I was surprised to learn that most PB manufacturers in the US use an Agent to do business in China. I guess I thought they would just go direct to the Chinese company. That's a huge cost advantage for Daryl. Love his story, looking forward to more "founder" series video's. Nice to see such a professional young man that's wanting to shake things up. He is 100% correct, if he or someone else doesn't challenge the norm then NOTHING will change! Can't wait to see what he brings in the future.
Likewise! Awesome story and I was surprised to learn that as well. We got a bunch of other founders stories in the channel, founder of SixZero, Legacy. Take a look!
Great interview. I think that one can learn a lot from Daryl. What seems to set Vatic a part is his connections with the suppliers. I learned about the importance of networking and how it can help you to grow your business. Also, FAIL FAST.
So surprised by his age. And it's great that he is native Chinese speaking so it helps bring the cost down. Really looking forward to the prism paddle. Think it drops this week!
Beware Vatic Pro has a 20% re-stocked fee meaning if you take out the plastic wrapper from the handle your done ! I do not think is fair policy for the customer.
Something I’m starting to see outside of this industry more and more as a standard practice. As an example at a local camera store, if you just simply purchase an item and return it, even if you don’t open it, as soon as it leaves the store, you incur a re-stocking fee.
Yeah. I’m not sure why I either never noticed it before or why it’s becoming more common practice. I agree, from a customer perspective it’s annoying. It’s quite a bit of $ for “re-stocking”. Like if we aren’t pleased with a purchase, odd that we take a hit? But it also does make sense from the business side. Costs them resources to make up for it.
@@buildingpickleball I did send my paddle back to them paid for the shipping $14.90 plus $34.00 to restock paddle do the math. Me and my son have other Vatic Pro Paddles that we like and play with them.
So stoked to see this interview. Got my Vatic Pro Flash when they were pre-order. Had no idea about Daryl or his back story. What a inspiring story and so glad I chose Vatic. Brian you are really putting up content true to your Channel name. Maybe someone from "Box Car" camera systems would be a choice for the future. Or another company. You both spoke about better camera systems for lines calls and other replay needs to advance the sport. I know MLP is debuting one at the next MLP Tournament, so hopfully the lousy resolution quality on line call replays is a thing of the past as well as all other parts of spectator benefits to streaming and TV. Keep up the great work. Your'e doing all the right things. IMO. PEACE.
Great interview! I learned a ton, but my favorite thing I learned was about the correlation of the durability to technology ratio of paddles (or any advanced gear) as the technology in the paddles gets better and the durability actually decreases somewhat because higher performing materials may not last as long as say, wood. really awesome interview, I subbed to the channel too, thanks, looking forward to more videos! Also, I LOVE the Vatic Flash 16mm, the Hybrid shape is the way to go, barely smaller than elongated and larger than standard. LOVE that paddle.
The Prism Flash is such a great paddle. The thing has a wonderful combination of power, spin, control and feel. Also the quality of the build is amazing. And in terms of the life of a paddle, have you ever looked at how many people smack themselves with their paddles or throw them? It's ridiculous. Take care of your paddles and they will last. I have a paddle that's six years old and it still plays fine. It's never been thrown or slammed against my leg.
I was torn between that and the paddle donations. I am in the process of starting a charitable organization, called 'Play it Forward", I am a paddle rep., Certified Coach and consultant. The name is is "The Sid Williams Foundation", tagline 'Sid's Kids" , Sid was the original founder of the USAPA and the Director for 15 years. He wrote the rules most of us play by today. He is credited with starting the tournament phase of pb. See PB Hall of Fame. Sid was my mentor. Anyway, I take trade ins to soften the blow of the prices of new paddles. I refurbish the paddles that are traded in and donate them to kids that other wise couldn't play. I work at the YMCA. Loved your interview w daryl, will be a fan for the future. thanks
Enjoying the content! Please keep it up. Would also love to see you interview the founder of The Pickleball House. They just had an event in Miami and it was a blast!!!
My first paddle I bought was a Holbrook & now I feel like I may have jumped the gun 🤣 Gotta get my hands on a Vatic, I’ve heard nothing but amazing things.
@@buildingpickleball not horrible, my control when it comes to dinks isn’t anything to write home about but that probably comes down to needing to drill more than it does the paddle. I’ll have to demo a couple more for a good comparison, I have only hit with a wooden paddle & my Holbrook 😅
Awesome interview, discovered your channel since I'm a big Vatic Pro fan. Learned how old Daryl is finally haha, always knew he was young but now we know the exact age. Looking forward to future reviews on your channel!
LOVE THE SHOW, the Rob N episode what excellent. What i learned in this episode is one of the KEYS to growing pickleball is going to be affordability. I have thought alot about growing the sport through many channels but this was a first. You see all these in my opinion absurd prices people are paying just too rent courts by the hour, its crazy. Lets hope VATIC is right and can predict the future.
Thank you for the support! Glad to hear you enjoyed the episode with Rob Nunnery. Yeah those court prices. I saw something recently about the Pickleball Mall that was like $270/yearly membership + an hourly court fee? Free will prevail the majority of the time. Inclement weather is on the side of the facilities. Just hope each city does it’s part to keep growing free parks.
Nice. Two successful companies by the time he is 25 and still as humble as can be. I learned he now has 461 marriage proposals in his inbox. 😂 No, on a more serious note one thing I learned is you don’t have to be the best at something to start a business in that field. Not the best student? Start a company that helps students. Not the best pickleball player. Start a company that helps pickleball players.
Wow 25??? What the hell was i doing at 25….smoking mj 😂. What i learned , Vatic…..clean short…predict the future! Im predicting Daryl’s future is very bright! 😊
One thing I learned watching this video is that diversity is going to be an important factor in helping pickleball to grow…and don’t ever count out the youngins helping to make it happen. Really great podcast, yet again!
In case you missed it, there’s a paddle giveaway announced in the video. (If you’re entering, make sure to DM @buildingpickleball on Instagram the screenshot so I know it’s you!) If you need a Vatic Pro discount code: BP-10 Remember to visit vuori.com/buildingpickleball for a 20% discount off your first purchase
What I learned from this interview is that if you make a paddle with a defect, you just claim that it's like a Ferrari and wasn't designed to last very long. Nice analogy. Better described as an excuse. My original V7 went bad quickly. Then the replacement with whatever fixes were put in, lasted about a month. We have a total of six that have been retired at my club. Another two are still being used, but you can tell they are defective also. Hitting like a cannon and shotgun sound. So from my experience, it's 100% failure rate over a reasonably large sample size. It's interesting that people don't care. As long as Daryl keeps replacing paddles, they are happy. The ones that are still being used.... those players are happy too because they have huge power. It's also important to know that there is no serial number, date code, or lot code on these paddles. If a fix was actually put into place on a new batch, you have no idea what you have and neither does Vatic. Vatic and the other white label brands are flooding pickleball with illegal paddles. The ppa pros are insulated since they have the ultrasound test now. Yes they are "disrupting" the paddle industry, but not in a the good way.
That is inspiring, thanks.
Just ordered a vatic pro prism flash and I'm so excited to try it out. I enjoy this kids outlook.
Great video, loving my Vatic Prism and really like Daryl's approach to business. Very impressive too for being so young. All the best to him!!
he's got a lot of fans 🙌
Got my Vatic today! I'm sold.
🙌 which one did you order?
I don't know why I didn't watch this when you first released it but this is a great video/interview!
Glad you enjoyed it! Yeah I’ve kept in touch with Daryl, still a solid guy
Subscribed here. Thanks for the great interview 🫡
Welcome aboard 😎
Double black diamond 6.0. Splurge a little more and enjoy.
What are some noticeable differences between the 2 from your end?
Great interview. Can you do an interview with Ronbus founder. Thanks!
Thanks for watching. I’m working on it.
When you listen to this guy talk, you just get that sense that you want to root for him to do well. So I bought a Vatic paddle based off reviews and I’ve been more than impressed. Hearing this interview, makes me really happy to know the paddle brand that I’ve chosen to support has an owner with such a grounded view of the world and a great head on his shoulders, and a lot of drive. All are hallmarks of great owners that have very successful careers
YO THAT'S MY BRO!! Daryl is a legend
Hell yeah! He’s doing the same thing
I’m a block away from Northwood Irvine….crazy!
Small world! Are there Vatic Pro’s everywhere out there?
Is there a new prism flash comin out
I’m wondering the same thing 🤔 they did release diff handle lengths. Your best bet is to keep an eye on their Instagram page.
Very nice young man. Great business plan. I am a 62 year old PPR Pro and I have been playing the Vatic Flash 16 mm for over a month now. I have played one tournament with it and I love the performance, 4.5 60-64 Gold and 4.0 60-64 Gold. I have ordered the new Alchemy. I am an Ambassador and I have sold several paddles, everyone loves it. I love Daryl's story and knowing more about his background really helps me support his company.
Appreciate you sharing all of this, great to see the support.
I play with Daryl regularly. Solid guy, super down to earth! Great interview my dude!
That’s so awesome!
Had no idea of the face behind the paddle brand. Great to learn the story of these entrepreneurs (Vatic, Legacy, 6.0, etc). Interesting how having the language allows him to avoid middle -men.
100%. Couldn’t find anything on him before the conversation haha had no idea who was behind it. Yeah, loving these stories of all these guys as well. Thanks for watching, Dan.
Wow, what a great interview. You can tell Daryl really knows his stuff and is serious about the industry. I wish Vatic much success moving forward.
Definitely, glad more people can see what he’s been up to. Thanks for watching!
Amen to that 1000%
Wow how impressive I signed up with Vatic as an ambassador a few months back after hitting the Flash. I was astounded by the quick responses by Daryl who is the owner. In this industry, CS is very important and Daryl is at the top of that. There are other companies which shall remain nameless who charge over $220 that wait a number of days to respond to an email. Anytime I’ve sent an email to Daryl it’s a quick response. I was already impressed with the quality of the paddles and the price. Ive hit most every top paddle out there and their build quality and carbon fiber surface is better than most of the more expensive paddles out there. Now to find out he’s a 25 year old one man show??? Man I wont bother him by email unless it’s important haha
Proud to represent Vatic Pro. Also, I think we need orange edge guards now that would pop on the courts!!
Scott Francis
Hahaha “man I won’t bother him by email unless it’s important”. Yeah, impressive he’s doing a lot of it on his own. Truly learning and earning the hard work before he decides to delegate it.
Thanks for watching!
Great to hear Daryl's story. Been enjoying my Vatic Pro V7 since January!
Can’t wait to try one out. Thanks for watching!
Just received my Flash 16mm and V7 16mm today. The reviews sold me on the paddles but listening to Daryl has made me really want to support his company.
Curious to hear what you think after you’ve played with the paddles. The reviews rave about em.
What a great interview! Your channel is really bringing realness and positivity to the pickleball community. Daryl (Vatic) trying to bring pickleball to less forturnate and less wealthy communities is huge and demands a lot of applause. Not all of us have big money to spend to get on w a sport that has potential for pretty much everyone to have a good time and build friendships. Setting the bar for cheaper high performing paddles is amazing!
Yeah definitely, many individuals in it for many different reasons. Appreciate the support!
Love my Vatic Pro paddles, Flash and V7, just pre-ordered the new Alchemy, yesterday, love them even more knowing about founder's story and sad he lost his Mom so early in life, wishing good fortune to Daryl Wang
Damn let me know how that Alchemy is when you get it!
Alchemy will be a big hit
Thoughts on the Prism??
Love the hustle!
😤😤
It blows my mind that Daryl started the successful company less than 12 months ago. What a smart, driven and caring young man. I learned that, compared to him, I was a total slacker when I was 25. Kudos to him for doing things the right way.
100%. It really is a story that deserve to be heard. Thanks for watching!
From this video, it is clear that Daryl is an impressive young man, running his business with integrity. From word of mouth and online reviews, it is clear that he is also building a solid product at a value price. I may just purchase a Vatic paddle in the near future - thanks for conducting & sharing this interview!
Absolutely. Yeah I finally got around to playing with / testing their paddles, using the Prism 16mm currently. It’s impressive. I’m a bit shocked this quality is at the price that it is.
I’ve been with Vatic since October 2022 and I haven’t looked elsewhere. Everything about the brand and the relationship I’ve had with them screams success. Great work with the interview. Let’s go Vatic Pro!!! 🔥💪🏽
Ayyy, that’s awesome. Appreciate it! Thanks for watching
It's awesome to see a guy so passionate about his company. It's really sweet to see Daryl open up and give us the inside scoop of a pickleball business! I really like his take on business, that it isn't about age it's about getting out there and doing it.
100%. Great to see the guy behind the brand.
Brian- I’ve enjoyed this entire series of interviews. I’ve been a very happy Vatic Pro customer for a month now. From your interview, I learned that Daryl has focused on philanthropy from the start with his paddle donation program. Most founders wait until their company has achieved a certain level of scale before thinking about “giving back.” He is building customer loyalty and making the sport far more accessible and inclusive . Didn’t know this part of his story and it makes me proud to use his product.
Thanks for watching! Agreed, building some great loyalty and contributing to the growth of the sport.
Great interview, let's go Vatic!😀
Thank you, and thanks for watching! Yeaaa let’s go!
I ordered the Vatic Flash 16 after seeing all of the great reviews! Great paddle! Hits are solid, spin is great, control is awesome. The only issues for me was the cover, weight and balance. The paddle was 8.2 oz but felt head heavy which caused me a bit of a sore wrist. Sold to a friend that absolutely loves the paddle. The zipper on the cover got stuck and after one email with Daryl he offered to send me a new cover at no cost. I ordered a shirt and had him send it with the order. BTW the quality of the shirt is excellent as well as the customer service! It's great to see Daryl's story. I never realized he was so young. Keep up the great interviews!
Good to know! Thanks for watching and the input!
It would be nice like a couple other companies have started to do spending a little more to get a custom weight. Dlash is a little head heavy what I did was out some tungsten weight at throat make it feel faster at the net even though weight is 8.5
This was a great interview. This video has really shown me that it doesn’t matter what age you are to start a business. As long as you have the passion for it and have the drive, anything is possible. I love watching your videos, they are so inspirational.
Agreed. And thanks, Anthony! Happy to hear I’m providing you value in some form. Thanks for supporting the channel.
Coincidently, I just ordered a Vatic Pro paddle this morning. Very interesting young man!
🙌 enjoy the paddle!
They’re all real solid paddles
Awesome to see him killing it at such a young age. Looking forward to what he's got planned for the industry.
Seriously. Can’t wait to see what he does too
My first bought paddle was a v7 16mm. After listening to this interview my second might just to be an Alchemy. This young man earned the support.
Love when you buy a product then find out whose behind it validating your support.
GREAT interview , amazing young man. Well Done!
I learned a lot more about the delamination vs core breakdown in this video. Thanks for that explanation and correction of terminology!
100%! I learned that as well.
Great interview! Appreciated that you made space and asked about upbringing and how it affects who we are and the decisions we make.
Thanks for checking it out! And appreciate the feedback.
Of course! Tried to DM u as well for the giveaway but it says u need to accept it
Sorry for the late reply, I got ya in there! And this will make it easier for any future ones too
Been waiting for this one!!! So excited to listen and hear Vatic Pro's story.
I was super stoked for this one!
Another banger
Everyone check this guy’s Instagram: @picklebald rising pro in Austin.
Daryl is great! I was definitely super impressed when he was the one responding to me when I reached out to customer service! Also, I just ordered my second Vatic Pro paddle, the Prism Flash and I cannot wait to play with it! This is another fire episode, Brian!
Thanks, Darlene 🥹
I’m def curious about that prism!
Great video/interview! Watched it through til the end. I liked the thought he put in, and meaning with the name. To predict the future. Pretty wild that he handles so much of it on his own.
Thanks for watching till the end 🙌 agreed. I admire that he’s taking the hard route at an early age and the lessons that come with it.
Me too. Still a bit bummed about the "half life" statement. I'm a Rec only guy, so keeping a less than perfect paddle around for longer is not a big deal to me. I play with people who are still using the same paddle 5,6 yrs.???
Yeah that’s true, crazy to see people still using discontinued models like there’s a guy at the local court using Selkirk Maxima lol
Vatic’s customer service is top tier . I had issues with my first paddle. Daryl was quick to reply to my concerns. He sent me a return label and within the same week, I got my replacement
He doesn’t take it lightly and it’s very admirable. Making the sentiment of customer service in the industry look different.
1. I own a Vatic and I love it. I tried a Hyperion and… meh.
2. This young man is inspiring! I love his positive attitude and his appreciation for those around him who support what he’s doing.
3. Your questions are great and you conduct an excellent interview.
Great to see the feedback on Vatic compared to another top brand. Yeah, inspiring for sure, hard not to get behind him.
I appreciate the feedback on the interview, mean’s a lot 🙏
Good interview. Daryl is a very inspirational young man. I bought a V7 back in January, and a Flash 16mm in April. I really enjoy playing with both of them. I’m sure I’ll be purchasing more Vatic paddles in the future.
Agreed. Now that I know the half-life is relatively short, might need to pick up a Vatic paddle here soon 🙂
Thanks for watching, David!
Great work, Brian. I learned how how Daryl’s ability to speak Chinese helped him cut out the middle man and deal with the factory directly. Pretty cool how invested Daryl is.
Appreciate the support, Steven 🙌 definitely, cool to hear that side of the business.
Great interview
Thanks for watching 🙌
Very interesting to learn about the story behind my favorite paddle!
Thanks for tuning in.
I own a Vatic Pro and love it! I loved learning about the founder of the company, where the name came from, and his background. It's incredible that he's only 25 years old!
That seems to be the consensus for owners! Yeah, really impressive. Thanks for watching!
This discussion really shows that building a business is more than just ideas, theres so many aspects that you dont think about it until you get down to getting out of your comfort zone, and how much time/effort customer service actually takes. i'm glad Daryl started Vatic Pro, i hope when the company is bought up they keep the same values that he holds for the company.
Absolutely. An idea is just an idea without execution.
Impressive young man especially advice on finding your passion.
Absolutely. Got a good head on his shoulders.
Vatic can predict the future....I'm waiting for my Vatic Pro to tell me! Loved the interview.
It says that you’ll love the paddle 🔮
Thanks for watching 🙌
As a new player (former table and court tennis), I'm glad I didn't have a good paddle, too much else to focus on. I recently stumbled upon vatic pro when looking for a grip recommendation...on reddit. I googled them, led to a rabbit hole search, 2 weeks later I upgrade to their Flash 16 from my Vulcan 540 and was hitting drops/spins that left my opponents stumbling into the kitchen several times. I didn't realize how much a better tool would equip me when I thought it was my technique. Amazing.
My very first game after unwrapping the handle, I hit a game winning baseline cross court drop into kitchen corner. This was my experience, I'm not a smasher...yet.
I already knew this from my time in China and digging into product design with niche hobbies, but hearing Daryl talk about difference between working through an agent to manufacturer or doing it AS the product owner is huge.
🙌 awesome story and experience. Some paddles just do that for ya
Interesting to know about him. I enjoy my Vatic and my Legacy. Both wonderful paddles. Good luck to him!
100% both solid. Thanks for watching!
As of today or tomorrow Daryl will really be shaking up the paddle industry. The popular V7 and Flash paddles will be part of a Vatic Prism series. Non Thermoformed so can’t possibly delaminate. But they are injected with foam on the edges for sweetspot enhancement. Same raw carbon fiber face as the Pro series. So basically the Prism Flash will be a better made Hyperion. For $100. These will be a HUGE Seller and will be available today or tomorrow.
Can’t wait.
Loving the stories you are telling, and the quality of the interviews and videos are really great! Keep up the good work!
One thing I learned is the meaning of Vatic and how Daryl chose the name. Vatic has the meaning along the lines of "being able to predict the future"
Really appreciate the feedback! Thanks for watching and supporting the channel.
Only recently getting into pickleball, but i really appreciate your chronicling the explosive growth of the sport and industry. It's been amazing to listen and learn from all these inspiring entrepreneurs. Recognizing the various ways people build businesses out of passion and necessity is quite eye-opening.
Wow, thank you for that feedback. To hear my initial intention aligning with someone else is rewarding to say the least.
Been using the V7 for a month or so now. great paddle
Awesome to hear!
Will definitely buy a Vatic Pro.
if you need a code: BP10
Learning that it makes a difference how things are “manufactured” and it’s weight on how we perceive paddles was eye opening. I’m interested in doing more research on the make of all paddles I may be interested in buying. Perhaps, the manufacturing may outweigh a decision even if, it’s the nicest paddle out there.
Further research is a good move, might find some surprising facts.
my mind is a little blown not gonna lie -- so cool to see the guy behind the brand of paddle that i play
That’s the goal- to share the story of the individual behind the brand 🙌 thanks for watching
Enjoyed this episode. I dont need another paddle but bought one to support this thoughtful young man. Great job staying on top of all the Pickleball chaos.
Keeping his head on straight. Thanks for watching!
Dude, you are putting out some great content. Keep it up!!
Thanks man, appreciate it. Thanks for supporting the channel.
Great interview, looking g forward to the next one. So cool to see such a young entrepreneur. I learned Daryl is 25 and Vatic means predicting the future.
Right? Thanks for watching and looking forward to sharing more stories. Take a look at the one with SixZero and Legacy if you haven’t already
I haven't bought one of his paddles yet, but from all of the reviews online they say these paddles play extremely well, and have a very good value. So it seems like performance and value is what is helping him. Not having a middleman definitely helps pass on the savings.
Yeah definitely. A lot of people seem to have good things to say about it
I tried runbus paddles and slk, my favorite is my pro flash paddles. It has good sweet spot and power. 🫡
Very informative and insightful video.I learned that “Vatic” means to be able to predict the future , entrepreneurs must wear a lot of “hats” and be jack of all trades & lastly most manufacturers must go through agent middle men. Great Content , Keep these founder interviews coming please!
100%! Thanks for watching
Great interview! Thank you for doing this podcast, I'm really enjoying these interviews! You are adding something great to the PB community! There are real people behind these brands.
Thank you! Love to hear that you’re enjoying it. Thanks for the support 🙌
Have the flash and V7. Great balance spin and feel real solid. Great price and service. Not much more to ask for.
This is all I ever hear now. He’s built up quite the following. Tons of people who own those 2 are also getting the Prism.
Found your channel and enjoy what you’re doing.
Welcome to the channel. And thank you, that means a lot.
Great info about the owner and origin of vatic
thanks for watching! Yeah enjoyed having him on.
👌👏👏👏
Thanks for watching 🙏
great interview! loved that Daryl's advice is to try new things! awesome to see such a young person become so successful. continue the great interviews with the pickleball industry
Yeah really enjoyed sharing his story! Thanks for watching
I chose Vatic Pro v7 because it was the cheapest thermoform gen paddle and it has been a great paddle for me. Looking forward to Spencer’s paddle and the under $100 paddle. Friend has the Flash and I’ll be trying it out eventually. Great interview!
Yup great to see the price and quality is resonating with people. Can’t wait to try the Alchemy either and looking forward to those lower price tier paddles!
Awesome video, didn't know that Vatic the company was so new and the founder was so young.
Thanks! Yeah, was news to me, too, haha. Happy to shine the light on young entrepreneurs
Huge ran and brand ambassador! Learning Daryl’s pb origin story! Insight on not having to deal with an agent.
I think the agent part really surprised people. Thanks for watching!
I had no clue the owner of Vatic was only 25. That’s amazing!
Wild, right?! What were we doing at that age 😂
@@buildingpickleball I can tell you I wasn’t starting a paddle company. I’ll leave it at that lol
Very nice interview with a lot of good information, way to go Daryl #Vaticpro flash 16mm.
Thanks for watching the video.
Does this mean if you're a leisure player, you will need to replace your paddle 2x a year?
The boring but effective answer? It depends. Paddle care, how often you play, maybe weather conditions, style of play. Generally speaking though, yes. There’s another video I put up where Carl Schmidts (from USAP) talks about checking for delam.
This is why the newly released Gearbox is making waves (I and reviewers also released videos on this week). It hits on the performance but most importantly durability. They have carbon fiber in the core, not just 100% plastic/polypropylene.
New Subscriber...Great interview! I learned about more the new thermoformed and defamation...Also nice to see a young entrepreneurs be successful in the PB industry
Appreciate it! Thanks for the sub and watching.
I was surprised to learn that most PB manufacturers in the US use an Agent to do business in China. I guess I thought they would just go direct to the Chinese company. That's a huge cost advantage for Daryl. Love his story, looking forward to more "founder" series video's. Nice to see such a professional young man that's wanting to shake things up. He is 100% correct, if he or someone else doesn't challenge the norm then NOTHING will change! Can't wait to see what he brings in the future.
Likewise! Awesome story and I was surprised to learn that as well.
We got a bunch of other founders stories in the channel, founder of SixZero, Legacy. Take a look!
Great interview. I think that one can learn a lot from Daryl. What seems to set Vatic a part is his connections with the suppliers. I learned about the importance of networking and how it can help you to grow your business. Also, FAIL FAST.
Agreed. The supplier connection 👌.
Thanks for watching, Austin!
So surprised by his age. And it's great that he is native Chinese speaking so it helps bring the cost down. Really looking forward to the prism paddle. Think it drops this week!
Prism?! 😯
Thanks for watching, and your entry into the giveaway!
Beware Vatic Pro has a 20% re-stocked fee meaning if you take out the plastic wrapper from the handle your done ! I do not think is fair policy for the customer.
Something I’m starting to see outside of this industry more and more as a standard practice. As an example at a local camera store, if you just simply purchase an item and return it, even if you don’t open it, as soon as it leaves the store, you incur a re-stocking fee.
Thank for the reply.
Yeah. I’m not sure why I either never noticed it before or why it’s becoming more common practice. I agree, from a customer perspective it’s annoying. It’s quite a bit of $ for “re-stocking”. Like if we aren’t pleased with a purchase, odd that we take a hit? But it also does make sense from the business side. Costs them resources to make up for it.
@@buildingpickleball I did send my paddle back to them paid for the shipping $14.90 plus $34.00 to restock paddle do the math. Me and my son have other Vatic Pro Paddles that we like and play with them.
So stoked to see this interview. Got my Vatic Pro Flash when they were pre-order. Had no idea about Daryl or his back story. What a inspiring story and so glad I chose Vatic. Brian you are really putting up content true to your Channel name. Maybe someone from "Box Car" camera systems would be a choice for the future. Or another company. You both spoke about better camera systems for lines calls and other replay needs to advance the sport. I know MLP is debuting one at the next MLP Tournament, so hopfully the lousy resolution quality on line call replays is a thing of the past as well as all other parts of spectator benefits to streaming and TV. Keep up the great work. Your'e doing all the right things. IMO. PEACE.
Thank you, Kim! And appreciate the suggestions as well. Always love seeing your input and engagement on here.
Just got my vatic pro prism flash today - one side is rough to the touch while the other side is smooth… is that normal?
Hm I haven’t heard of that. I’d suggest emailing them
Amazing how young he is and that he has such close connections to manufacturing. I am a Vatic user and never knew that!
Me either until recently!
Great interview! I learned a ton, but my favorite thing I learned was about the correlation of the durability to technology ratio of paddles (or any advanced gear) as the technology in the paddles gets better and the durability actually decreases somewhat because higher performing materials may not last as long as say, wood. really awesome interview, I subbed to the channel too, thanks, looking forward to more videos! Also, I LOVE the Vatic Flash 16mm, the Hybrid shape is the way to go, barely smaller than elongated and larger than standard. LOVE that paddle.
Yep one of the best paddles I’ve hit great at the net and lot of pop and spin
Very impressive kid! Keep up the good work....great interview!
Thanks for watching! I got to meet Daryl at the MLP event this past weekend, good kid.
The Prism Flash is such a great paddle. The thing has a wonderful combination of power, spin, control and feel. Also the quality of the build is amazing. And in terms of the life of a paddle, have you ever looked at how many people smack themselves with their paddles or throw them? It's ridiculous. Take care of your paddles and they will last. I have a paddle that's six years old and it still plays fine. It's never been thrown or slammed against my leg.
100%. Truth.
I was torn between that and the paddle donations. I am in the process of starting a charitable organization, called 'Play it Forward", I am a paddle rep., Certified Coach and consultant. The name is is "The Sid Williams Foundation", tagline 'Sid's Kids" , Sid was the original founder of the USAPA and the Director for 15 years. He wrote the rules most of us play by today. He is credited with starting the tournament phase of pb. See PB Hall of Fame. Sid was my mentor. Anyway, I take trade ins to soften the blow of the prices of new paddles. I refurbish the paddles that are traded in and donate them to kids that other wise couldn't play. I work at the YMCA. Loved your interview w daryl, will be a fan for the future. thanks
Thanks for this comment and sharing the story. Appreciate what you’re doing and thank you for the kind words.
Enjoying the content! Please keep it up. Would also love to see you interview the founder of The Pickleball House. They just had an event in Miami and it was a blast!!!
Thanks! I’ll def look into them. Thanks for watching 🙌
My first paddle I bought was a Holbrook & now I feel like I may have jumped the gun 🤣
Gotta get my hands on a Vatic, I’ve heard nothing but amazing things.
Not only seeing them all over the place but people really enjoy them. How’s the Holbrook?
@@buildingpickleball not horrible, my control when it comes to dinks isn’t anything to write home about but that probably comes down to needing to drill more than it does the paddle.
I’ll have to demo a couple more for a good comparison, I have only hit with a wooden paddle & my Holbrook 😅
Ahh yeah damn what an upgrade! Wouldn’t hurt to have a 2nd solid paddle 🤷♂️ I like being able to switch
VATIC PRO!!!
ORP CITAV
Awesome interview, discovered your channel since I'm a big Vatic Pro fan. Learned how old Daryl is finally haha, always knew he was young but now we know the exact age.
Looking forward to future reviews on your channel!
I’ve def come across your IG! Thanks for watching. Haha his age, right?
Really impressive and only 8 month old company.
Crazy. Can’t help but support him.
LOVE THE SHOW, the Rob N episode what excellent. What i learned in this episode is one of the KEYS to growing pickleball is going to be affordability. I have thought alot about growing the sport through many channels but this was a first. You see all these in my opinion absurd prices people are paying just too rent courts by the hour, its crazy. Lets hope VATIC is right and can predict the future.
Thank you for the support! Glad to hear you enjoyed the episode with Rob Nunnery.
Yeah those court prices. I saw something recently about the Pickleball Mall that was like $270/yearly membership + an hourly court fee?
Free will prevail the majority of the time. Inclement weather is on the side of the facilities. Just hope each city does it’s part to keep growing free parks.
Nice. Two successful companies by the time he is 25 and still as humble as can be. I learned he now has 461 marriage proposals in his inbox. 😂
No, on a more serious note one thing I learned is you don’t have to be the best at something to start a business in that field. Not the best student? Start a company that helps students. Not the best pickleball player. Start a company that helps pickleball players.
Hahah 😂
Yeah that’s a really good point. Solve a problem 🤷♂️
Vatic makes great paddles!
🙌🙌 seems to be the consensus
The new alchemy one looks sweet but i just got the flash 16. My new fav paddle.
Yeah I def want to try the Alchemy. Prism as well. Been seeing the Flash here in Austin quite a bit.
Wow 25??? What the hell was i doing at 25….smoking mj 😂. What i learned , Vatic…..clean short…predict the future! Im predicting Daryl’s future is very bright! 😊
Haha, I can’t post on her what I was doing at 25 but it certainly wasn’t what Daryl is doing. Thanks for watching.
One thing I learned watching this video is that diversity is going to be an important factor in helping pickleball to grow…and don’t ever count out the youngins helping to make it happen. Really great podcast, yet again!
Thank you! Hopefully Daryl inspires some youngins to pursue the entrepreneurial route as well
In case you missed it, there’s a paddle giveaway announced in the video. (If you’re entering, make sure to DM @buildingpickleball on Instagram the screenshot so I know it’s you!)
If you need a Vatic Pro discount code: BP-10
Remember to visit vuori.com/buildingpickleball for a 20% discount off your first purchase
I learned that Vatic saves money by not needing an agent to communicate with the factory manager. 😊
That surprised a lot of people
it's clever and I would 100% do the same if I were Chinese living in the West.
What I learned from this interview is that if you make a paddle with a defect, you just claim that it's like a Ferrari and wasn't designed to last very long. Nice analogy. Better described as an excuse. My original V7 went bad quickly. Then the replacement with whatever fixes were put in, lasted about a month. We have a total of six that have been retired at my club. Another two are still being used, but you can tell they are defective also. Hitting like a cannon and shotgun sound. So from my experience, it's 100% failure rate over a reasonably large sample size. It's interesting that people don't care. As long as Daryl keeps replacing paddles, they are happy. The ones that are still being used.... those players are happy too because they have huge power. It's also important to know that there is no serial number, date code, or lot code on these paddles. If a fix was actually put into place on a new batch, you have no idea what you have and neither does Vatic. Vatic and the other white label brands are flooding pickleball with illegal paddles. The ppa pros are insulated since they have the ultrasound test now. Yes they are "disrupting" the paddle industry, but not in a the good way.