The background behind the work.

I'm Ben Hofstetter. I lead strategy, data, and AI at UC Athletics, and this is where I build in public: what I'm making, what I'm learning, and the decisions underneath both.

Most of my projects start as real operating problems like fan data, event logistics, archives, family coordination, or SID of a 9U baseball team. AI has changed which of those problems are worth turning into software, and how quickly I can test an idea in the real world.

I share the field notes, reusable components, and honest postmortems here, including what broke, what surprised me, and what I would do differently next time.

I've spent a decade inside college athletics, starting in digital media and communications, building and leading in-house creative and digital teams, then moving into strategy, data, and AI leadership.

I'm a builder first. Most of my projects start as real operating problems that I turn into software, and I build in public so other people can use what I learn.

I've been fortunate to work alongside a lot of really smart, really talented people. The best work I've been part of came from teams, not solo genius, and I try to credit that everywhere it's true.

I think strategy and creativity are the same muscle. Understanding the problem deeply is the creative act, and the rest is craft and shipping.

What I've learned, mostly: stay close to the real problem, ship to learn, keep the people around you sharp, and let the work compound.