From First Startup to AI-Powered Scale: Wes Schroll on Building Fetch

Most companies talk about becoming “AI-first.” Very few actually stop the business to make it real.Wes Schroll — Founder & CEO of Fetch — joins Wade to unpack what it actually takes to scale a consumer platform, evolve a decade-old company, and integrate AI without losing focus, culture, or trust. From building his first business at 14 to leading a reward destination that now influences more consumer spend than nearly anyone outside Walmart and Amazon, Wes shares the behind-the-scenes decisions that shaped Fetch’s growth.They dig into Fetch’s business model, how Wes’s perspective on AI shifted from skepticism to urgency, and why leadership had to get hands-on — not delegate AI exploration to a task force. Wes breaks down the decision to shut down the company for a full week so 1,000+ employees could participate in an AI hackathon, the hard lessons learned from early automation missteps, and why simple, readable AI guidelines matter more than fear-based policy.The conversation also explores how AI is changing founder–engineering dynamics, reshaping what counts as a competitive advantage, and lowering the barrier for non-technical leaders to communicate, prototype, and collaborate more effectively.In this episode, you’ll hear:How a founder’s personal AI “aha moment” sparked a company-wide shift.Why task forces fail and hands-on leadership creates real momentum.What Fetch learned from shutting down the company for a week-long AI hackathon.How to evaluate AI aptitude, scalability, and vendor promises realistically.Why short, human-readable AI guidelines outperform long, punitive policies.How AI reduces expertise asymmetry between founders, product, and engineering teams.Lessons on resilience, responsibility, and surviving the emotional highs and lows of entrepreneurship.Why using AI isn’t “cheating” — and how leaders must reset that narrative.Guest: Wes Schroll—Founder & CEO, Fetch