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