Why I Built Dryft: A New Way to Experience March Madness

The Birth of Dryft

A few years ago, my friend Robert Swanson had a fantastic idea: combine the excitement of March Madness with the strategic fun of fantasy sports. While filling out a traditional bracket is enjoyable, we wanted something that made every game even more engaging. That's when we started running our own March Madness draft-style pools, and I quickly realized just how much fun this format could be.

From Manual to Automated

For the last couple of years, I managed these pools using a Google Sheet. It was a completely manual process—I had one tab functioning as a draft board, similar to what you'd see on ESPN Fantasy Football, and another tab for the leaderboard, where I manually updated every participant's picks and scores after each game. While it was fun, it was also a ton of work. Manually entering scores, calculating standings, and ensuring everything was accurate became overwhelming, not to mention the potential for errors in my calculations.

Scaling Challenges

As I shared this pool with friends and coworkers, many wanted to join, but I ran into a major limitation: March Madness has only 64 teams (not including the play-in games), meaning that leagues had to be capped at a certain number of participants. I didn't have an easy way to manage multiple pools or allow others to set up their own without me manually overseeing everything.

The Tech Solution

With my background in IT, I knew there had to be a better way. That's how Dryft was born—a platform designed to automate and streamline the March Madness draft pool experience. Now, anyone can create and host their own pool without the manual effort. Dryft handles drafting, scoring, and leaderboards, making the experience seamless and more accessible to basketball and fantasy sports fans alike.

Beyond March Madness

But Dryft isn't stopping at March Madness pools. I plan to continue developing new and exciting ways to enjoy sports pools, from staples like Survivor Pools and Pick'ems to innovative new formats that bring even more strategy and engagement to the games we love.

The Journey Ahead

This is just the beginning, and I'm thrilled for the journey ahead. Dryft is set to revolutionize how fans interact with sports, bringing more excitement, strategy, and community to every game. Whether you're a casual fan or a die-hard sports enthusiast, Dryft offers a new way to experience the thrill of competition.

Join us as we redefine sports engagement. Let's go!