On Episode 54 of the Crazy People Podcast, things get savory, smart, and just a little unhinged in the best possible way. This week, Russ Broomell and Maurice Hofmann sit down with Matt Wampler, co-founder and CEO of ClearCOGS, who went from slicing bread in the back of a Jimmy John’s to slicing up restaurant data for predictive insights—without ever losing his sense of humor, hustle, or humanity.

Matt is a former Jimmy John’s franchisee turned tech founder, but don’t let the suit fool you—he’s still got the restaurant grease under his fingernails and the entrepreneurial fire in his belly. In this episode, he opens up about his wild transition from running stores with overflowing toilets and no-shows on shift, to building a B2B SaaS company that’s helping restaurants across five countries predict exactly how much pulled pork to prep—or when to expect a mob of cupcake-loving book club moms.

From building his first startup with nothing but a co-founder, some code, and a pandemic-induced side hustle, to now raising half a million dollars to close his seed round, Matt takes us behind the scenes of what it’s like to blend data science, AI, and pure gut instinct into something that actually helps real humans make fewer mistakes and sleep a little better at night.

He talks candidly about the brutal difference between managing real-time chaos in a restaurant and the long, slow feedback loops of tech startup life. He shares the frustrations of learning to code (and unlearning the idea that everything has to be urgent), and the very real lessons he’s picked up from venture capitalists, including why you should always test your internal champion early in a sales process.

Along the way, we cover everything from Taylor Swift and Springsteen to Magic Johnson’s Starbucks empire, the logistics of Japanese trade shows, the trials of Harvard’s data science courses, and why raccoons on meth might be a perfect metaphor for your next dishwasher-loading strategy.

If you’ve ever worked in hospitality, dreamed of launching a tech company, or just love hearing how far curiosity, hustle, and a bit of calculated chaos can take you, this episode is for you. It’s fast-paced, full of unexpected wisdom, and—like any great dish—best served with a story.

So tune in, learn something new, and maybe next time you order a sandwich, you’ll wonder: Did AI help make this happen?

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