The Rejection That Changed Everything What happens when the door closes and you build your own
You know that feeling when you've been researching props for an hour across four different tabs, nothing is coming together, and you think — there has to be a better way?
Pete Smaluck felt that too.
Except he didn't just think it. He built the solution.
But here's the part nobody talks about — he didn't build it for you first. He built it for STUDENTS! He was a math teacher who created software that turned NBA stats into math homework, tested it with 50 teachers across North America during COVID, and was ready to launch.
Then the school boards said no.
Most people would've shelved it. Pete aimed it at a completely different audience, started hitting his own prop bets with it, put it online, and — to his own surprise — people subscribed immediately.
That was five years ago.
Today Props.Cash is one of the highest-grossing sports apps in the Apple App Store. Tens of thousands of subscribers across 30 countries. A full platform rebuild just launched. Eight employees. Zero investors. Profitable from Day 1.
And Pete still thinks about going back to teach math someday.
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In this interview we get into:
→ The pivot moment that turned a failed school pitch into a top-rated app
→ Why AI can't replace the "soul" of sports betting — Pete's take is one of the best I've heard
→ How Props.Cash rebuilt their entire platform based on how real bettors actually research → What Pete told me when I asked if he'd ever take investor money now
→ His answer to "what does betting on yourself mean to you" — especially hitting different with a baby on the way
This one isn't just for bettors.
If you've ever sat on an idea too long, convinced yourself the timing was wrong, or waited for someone to give you permission — Pete's story is the episode you needed.
Ariel Epstein, known as the Prop Queen, turned her passion for fantasy sports and prop betting into a career. After years of working for other media companies and sportsbooks, it’s time to share her knowledge, preparation and analysis with other sports bettors.
