How Poker Coaching Became a Scalable SaaS with Jason Gondziola
February 17, 2026
Poker has a knowledge problem, and it’s not a lack of information. It’s the lack of a system. Player pools are flooded with solver outputs and ‘perfect lines,’ but most coaches and players still don’t have a consistent way to assess progress, spot patterns, or turn insights into repeatable improvement. In this episode of SaaS That App - Building Tech-Enabled Businesses, Jason, Owner and Lead Developer at Stratagem, joins Aaron Marchbanks and Justin Edwards to explain why poker coaching is an overlooked vertical market with real workflow pain and how he’s turning that niche into a scalable SaaS.
Poker has a knowledge problem, and it’s not a lack of information. It’s the lack of a system. Player pools are flooded with solver outputs and ‘perfect lines,’ but most coaches and players still don’t have a consistent way to assess progress, spot patterns, or turn insights into repeatable improvement. In this episode of SaaS That App - Building Tech-Enabled Businesses, Jason, Owner and Lead Developer at Stratagem, joins Aaron Marchbanks and Justin Edwards to explain why poker coaching is an overlooked vertical market with real workflow pain and how he’s turning that niche into a scalable SaaS.
What You’ll Learn:
- How to identify underserved niches by becoming a domain expert
- Why assessment infrastructure unlocks market adoption
- The bootstrapped developer's AI multiplier for solo building
- How to design UX that enforces pedagogical best practices
- Why knowledge management beats knowledge creation in saturated markets
Jason Gondziola is a software developer, data manager, and founder of Stratagem, a poker learning management system designed to streamline coaching workflows and player assessment. With a background in philosophy, an MBA, and extensive experience in software development and change management, Jason brings a uniquely interdisciplinary approach to solving the assessment paradox in poker coaching.
This podcast is brought to you by Delta Systems, your one-stop shop for front-end, back-end, and full-stack software development. At Delta, Justin and Aaron share the same philosophy when it comes to clients: they treat people like colleagues, not just customers. Maybe that’s why Delta typically spends years working with the same companies: how many software engineering firms can you say that about? So, if you’ve got a big SaaS project in mind but have no idea where to start, come and get a free scope and estimate from Delta Systems on their website.
Got a burning idea for an episode, or a SaaS question you absolutely must know the answer to? Leave us a voice memo at SaasThatApp
Highlights:
Highlights:
- [00:00] Introduction
- [01:48] What Is Stratagem?
- [02:17] Why Poker Coaching Is a Real Niche
- [04:19] Too Much Knowledge, Not Enough System
- [05:14] How Drills Work in Stratagem
- [06:22] One Place for the Coaching Workflow
- [08:09] Pricing: Coaches Pay, Players Start Free
- [09:37] GTO vs. Exploitative Play
- [11:15] Where AI Fits
- [12:36] Tech Stack and AI-Assisted Building
- [17:02] How Jason Decides It’s Beta-Ready
- [25:51] Marketing Plan
- [30:04] The Real Goal: Make Assessment Easier
- [31:18] Where to Sign Up
Episode Resources:
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