
From Cybersecurity to Golf Apparel - Scott Martin
From Escaping the Drift with John Gafford by John Gafford
May 12, 2026 · 42 min · Episode 232
About this episode
Scott Martin shares his journey from cybersecurity to launching a golf apparel brand, discussing the challenges and lessons learned along the way.
On this episode of Escaping the Drift, we sit down with Scott Martin: cybersecurity advisor to Fortune 500 companies, founder of golf apparel brand Scooter Martini, and a guy currently in the middle of building something from scratch in real time. Most podcast guests come on after they've crossed the finish line. Scott is still in the race. About 18 months ago he and his wife sketched out a golf brand at the kitchen table, dropped six figures on a first run before they had a single customer, and started learning the apparel game the hard way. In this episode, Scott opens up about getting burned by a middleman manufacturer in China, the freelance designer who saved the project, the $100K bet he placed before validating the market, and the pro shop resistance forcing him to pivot his entire go to market strategy. We dive into the real mechanics of launching a product: what a tech pack actually is, how to find the right manufacturer, why pro shops protect their $125 polo price point, and the cleaner path most first time founders skip when they fall in love with their idea. If you've got a business burning in the back of your head, this is the playbook of what to do and what to avoid…
People in this episode
Host: John Gafford
Guest: Scott Martin
Topics covered
- cybersecurity
- golf apparel
- entrepreneurship
- product launch
- manufacturing
- market strategy
Keywords
- cybersecurity
- golf apparel
- entrepreneurship
- product launch
- manufacturing
- market strategy
- Scooter Martini
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Scooter Martini, Fortune 500, China
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