Sparket is betting on culture, while its founder bets on balance

Sportsbooks can often feel like a sea of sameness, which is why Sparket has built a platform that helps operators engage new audiences by aggregating alternative content—everything from niche sports and pop culture events to politics and reality TV. 

Founder Evan Fisher says the product helps operators engage underserved demographics like Gen Z and women by building betting markets that are more relevant to them, as opposed to the more common sports-heavy approach.

“I’m really glad [Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift] are still together because it’s beneficial for our business,” he joked on The BettingStartups Podcast.

Now operating in partnership with tribal and commercial operators—including Station Casinos, Penn Entertainment, Saboba Casino, and WONDR NATION—the company is transitioning from the grind of building to the grind of scaling, Fisher says. It’s raised roughly $2.5M to date and is currently mid-round with more than $650K committed. 

A machine learning patent is also expected soon, aimed at helping streamers and emerging sports leagues spin up markets quickly and efficiently. Overall, Fisher says there are a lot of tailwinds in the industry right now, pointing to prediction and DFS+ as an example, adding “are now different avenues to bring products to market,” even outside traditional state-by-state regulation.

But even amidst all the momentum, Fisher is focused on a less visible part of the business: balancing mental health while building a startup. Earlier this month, he published a Substack essay titled Managing Mental Health as a Founder, where he detailed how Sparket has consumed his day-to-day life—from the moment he wakes up until the seconds before he falls asleep—the company is always top of mind.

“Vacations no longer have the same meaning,” he wrote. “I fly with my laptop and end up taking meetings and working in hotel rooms.” The underlying feeling: if he’s not working, he’s letting the company down. That pressure—compounded by the weight of rejection, the responsibility of raising from friends and family, and the risk of failing publicly—became all-consuming.

To manage it, Fisher has implemented what he calls macro and micro boundaries. Daily movement, phone-free walks, and specific offline time on weekends help him carve out mental space. He also leans on gratitude—reminding himself that having a strong support system, and the opportunity to build something at all, is a privilege. “A balanced and mentally clear founder is a better founder,” he wrote.

Sometimes, it’s a matter of stepping back to smell the flowers, Fisher said, recounting his experience after being named startup of the year at The Starties Awards last year.

“As a startup founder, I talk about the grind and it's really hard to see the progress and feel it and feel successful when you're in that grind, and to take that step back and recognize that… that gave me an opportunity,” he said.

But rejection remains a constant, even for the startup of the year. “We get way more nos than yeses,” Fisher said on the podcast, noting that it’s easy to lose confidence after the 10th straight pitch with no traction. On the client side, he says you may need to reach out to 1,000 clients to get one deal, adding “whether or not you recognize it consciously, that certainly takes a toll subconsciously.” His solution: actively celebrating wins—both personally and across the team—to combat the brain’s natural tendency to fixate on losses.

“One thing the human mind does that is a natural part of our evolution is it will anchor on threats, it will anchor on negativity,” he said. “You have to very consciously celebrate every win for yourself, for your team, for the company, and really focus on that to bring that energy to overcome to the extent you can.”

Imposter syndrome still creeps in, but so does self-trust. Fisher said he reminds himself regularly that faith in his own ability is why he took the plunge to begin with—and why he keeps showing up through the grind.

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