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Show Notes
Metacto Partner and CTO Garrett Fritz joins School for Startups Radio alongside French Florist CEO Michael Jacobson to talk about turning traditional industries into scalable, technology-driven businesses.
Garrett Fritz, Partner & CTO at Metacto
What is valuable now is the problem solving, the ownership, the stakeholder mentality, and really the engineering think work which is valuable.
Garrett Fritz is a Partner and Chief Technology Officer at Metacto, where he works closely with founders, creators, and business leaders to turn ambitious ideas into fully realized digital products. With more than a decade of experience in software development and digital transformation, Garrett has led the creation of scalable mobile apps and platforms for both startups and established companies. His expertise lies in translating complex technical concepts into clear, practical strategies, allowing non technical founders to make confident decisions and move quickly from idea to execution. At Metacto, Garrett has helped build a reputation for delivering high quality, modern, and AI enabled solutions across a wide range of industries including wellness, education, sports, and professional services. He focuses on aligning technology with business goals, ensuring that every product is designed not just to function well, but to grow and perform in the real world. Known for his straightforward communication style and results driven mindset, Garrett emphasizes clarity, efficiency, and long term value in every project he leads. Beyond his work with clients, Garrett is passionate about supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs. He mentors founders, shares insights on digital innovation, and continues to explore how technology can make building a business more accessible, efficient, and impactful.
Michael Jacobson, CEO of French Florist
Our rent investment is actually what we consider a digital investment as opposed to a physical rent overhead.
Michael Jacobson is the Chief Executive Officer of French Florist, where he is leading the transformation of a traditional industry through technology, innovation, and a modern franchise model. With a background that blends entrepreneurship, digital strategy, and operational leadership, Michael has helped reposition French Florist from a single retail concept into a scalable and rapidly growing brand. His focus on systems, data driven decision making, and customer experience has enabled the company to deliver significantly higher revenue and stronger margins than the typical neighborhood flower shop. Under Michael’s leadership, French Florist has built a reputation for combining high quality floral design with advanced logistics, e commerce, and marketing capabilities. By integrating technology into every part of the business, from ordering to delivery to franchise operations, he has created a model that allows both consistency and growth across locations. His approach emphasizes efficiency, brand strength, and repeatable success for franchise partners. Michael is passionate about rethinking legacy industries and showing how innovation can unlock new opportunities in even the most established markets. Through French Florist and its franchise platform, he continues to help entrepreneurs enter the floral business with a competitive advantage, while delivering a better overall experience for customers.