Grappling with the Problem of How to be Fair
All of us at GrapplApp are honored to be a case study with Slicing Pie, as it is a huge part of why we are able to be such a daily success story...we all love Slicing Pie!
Retired Marine Major Michael Cragholm moved to Space Coast, Florida with dreams of joining one of the many aerospace companies in the area. An avid Jiu Jitsu enthusiast, he decided to do a little 1:1 coaching while looking for a job.
One afternoon, after grappling with a client, he was packing up his gear and the client said, “Dude, I just got a personal lesson from a decorated marine corps officer with five tours of Fallujah and a blackbelt in Jiu Jitsu in my own garage! It doesn’t get much better than that!”
At that moment it clicked. “Who needs the aerospace industry?” Cragholm thought, “why not just start a mobile Jiu Jitsu instruction business? Less than a week later Space Coast Mobile Jiu Jitsu was up and running. “I formed the business, set up a web site, got insurance coverage and I was rolling!”
“Guys don’t have time to go to the gym during the day and they don’t want to leave their wives looking after the kids while they are out,” explained Cragholm, “why not bring the gym to them?”
Left to right: Eric Dykert, Aaron Bird, Michael Cragholm
Cragholm, while well-versed in Jiu Jitsu and kicking terrorist ass in Afghanistan, needed help with marketing, branding, and technology. For this he turned to his lifelong friend, Aaron Bird. “I’ve known this guy since the sixth grade. I’m closer to him than anyone with the possible exception of my wife! He’s the real deal, into fighting, excellent with marketing, he even works at the hospital literally saving babies’ lives as a respiratory therapist,” said Cragholm.
Bird was eager to help a friend, but hesitant to commit to any formal business relationship. “I have had previous business relationships go bad because of disputes over equity. Michael is my friend. I didn’t want to damage our relationship over a business relationship,” Bird reflected.
As a friend, Bird helped Cragholm set up a web site and marketing program for Space Coast Mobile Jiu Jitsu and it took off. Cragholm and Bird started reaching out to other instructors and teaching them how to set up their own mobile businesses.
It became clear that they were going to be in business together and needed to form their partnership in a way that would not jeopardize their friendship as Bird feared.
US Marine Major Michael Cragholm (retired)
Cragholm found the Slicing Pie model.
“It was exactly what we needed,” explained Bird, “my previous deals were all fixed-split equity deals. As soon as the work became uneven among my partners tension got high and disagreements damaged relationships. The dynamic Slicing Pie model perfectly accounted for our different contributions so we would each get exactly what we each deserved.”
Cragholm and Bird engaged Slicing Pie-friendly attorney Matt Rossetti to put together a Slicing Pie LLC Agreement and the two were officially partners in a new business called GrapplApp.io.
They quickly realized there was more than just pent-up demand for access to mobile instruction. Jiu Jitsu grapplers were eager to connect with others and build a community. The two decided to design the GrapplApp as a free app that helps grapplers cut through the clutter in finding open mat and private instruction opportunities at home or on the road.
But neither of them were developers. So, they set out in search of a CTO. The Slicing Pie model gave the two a basis for working with other partners. “We met a developer who wanted to build our app for a fixed 50% share and didn’t want to learn about Slicing Pie…that was an easy ‘no,’” said Cragholm.
Rossetti, introduced the two to Eric Dykert, a CTO and fellow grappler who understood the Slicing Pie model and wanted to be part of the company. With Dykert’s help they launched the app in April of 2024.
Each member of the team has different levels of commitment but provides regular input to the company. Cragholm has set up reoccurring allocations of Slices in the Pie Slicer software, but team members log additional contributions if they spend extra time in any given week. They are generating revenue, but all the cash goes back into the company for marketing and growth.
The vision is to create a community of Jiu Jitsu enthusiasts all over the world and to give instructors the tools they need to monetize their talents. “Right now we’re all doing this because we love Jiu Jitsu,” Cragholm explained, “but, Slicing Pie gives us the framework we need to keep things fair as we build the community and the business. Hopefully we’ll all make money, but that’s not the focus right now. We all know we’ll get what we deserve in the end.”
To learn more about Grappl App and join the growing Jiu Jitsu community visit them at www.grapplapp.io or on Instagram
To learn more about Space Coast Mobile Jiu Jitsu visit www.spacecoastmobilejiujitsu.com You can also contact Michael Cragholm to set up your own mobile business.
