"They have no real way to know what’s selling—we’re here to fix that." - Jason Vego, CEO and Co-founder of Bevz
In this episode of Tech Scenes Studio City, Jeff James Martin sits down with Jason Vego, CEO and Co-founder of Bevz, to explore how one startup is transforming the $650B convenience store industry. Jason shares the Bevz origin story—how a fragmented, analog market inspired him to create the first-ever SaaS platform built specifically for corner stores, helping owners make smarter decisions using data, streamline inventory, and survive in a rapidly digitizing world.
The conversation dives into the emotional journey of a founder, including lessons learned from early product failures, the challenge of finding product-market fit, and the importance of saying no to stay focused. Jason opens up about the realities of serving underserved business owners, the human side of startup life, and what it really takes to build a company that supports the people behind the counter.
Key Takeaways:
Convenience stores face massive inventory management issues due to a lack of real-time data and tools.
Bevz brings modern tech, data, and partnerships to small stores often overlooked by Silicon Valley.
The pandemic accelerated digitization, forcing many stores to rethink how they do business.
Retail success depends on data-driven decisions and understanding product velocity at a hyperlocal level.
Small business owners carry emotional weight, and startups need to build empathy into their solutions.
Product-market fit is a winding journey, often paved with wrong assumptions and tough pivots.
Work-life balance is hard but essential, especially for founders scaling fast.
The best teams win through collaboration, clarity, and ruthless prioritization.
YouTube Chapters
00:00 – The Challenge of Predicting Inventory Needs
02:57 – Bevz: Revolutionizing Convenience Store Operations
05:57 – Navigating the Pandemic: A Pivot in Strategy
09:06 – Understanding Retailer Needs: The Importance of Inventory Management
12:04 – Data-Driven Decisions: Capturing Market Trends
14:56 – The Complexity of Convenience Store Inventory
18:07 – The Struggles of Small Business Owners
21:11 – The Journey of a Founder: Finding Product-Market Fit
23:53 – Balancing Work and Personal Life as a Founder
27:08 – The Importance of Team Collaboration and Focus
29:59 – The Power of Saying No: Prioritizing Goals
33:01 – Final Thoughts: Music and Reflection
Resources
Learn more about the book Peak Teams – Mastering the Habit of Unstoppable Venture-backed Companies https://a.co/d/hp5Jtnu
Visit Collective Genius™ to Build Your Venture-backed Team with the Peak Operating System™ https://www.collective-genius.com/
Music by Andrew Applepie https://soundcloud.com/andrewapplepie
#TechScenes #Bevz #ConvenienceStoreTech #RetailInnovation #InventoryManagement #JasonVego #SmallBusinessSupport #StartupLeadership #CollectiveGenius™ #PeakOperatingSystem™ #JeffJamesMartin #RetailTech #SaaS #ProductMarketFit #StartupGrowth #FoundersJourney #StudioCity #CStoreTech
