I Wasted Two Years on the Wrong Thing (Here's How I Pivoted) — John Soltys

John Soltys, founder of Project Senior Care, shares his hard-won lessons from wasting two years (and resources) on an overcomplicated tech vision—and how a pivot to caregiver training and mentorship unlocked explosive growth.

In this raw conversation, John reveals how his "big idea" mentality almost sank the business, why 96% of seniors fall into an unaffordable care gap, and the partnerships now helping agencies serve everyone—regardless of income.

From rebuilding trust with his team to rethinking caregiver recruitment (hint: stop recycling the same hires), John breaks down the "no one left behind" approach that's transforming referrals, discharge planning, and even veteran care access.

In This Episode, You'll Discover:

1. The $2M mistake: Why John ignored expert advice (and how it burned his runway).

2. The "middle 96%" problem: Solving care for seniors who aren't poor enough for Medicaid or rich enough for private pay.

3. How Project Senior Care's mentor program turns stagnant leads into high-conversion clients.

4. Why caregiver academies should target new talent pools (not just industry veterans).

5. The nonprofit partnerships that now let agencies say: "We can help anyone."

Lesson Takeaways:

1. Focus beats complexity: Start with one "gear" of your vision, then scale.

2. Farm, don't just hunt: Invest in long-term relationships, not just crisis-mode referrals.

3. Reputation is more valuable than revenue: Agencies that help all families (even non-paying ones) build unstoppable trust.

4. Recruit for passion, not experience: Train caregivers who see this as a career—not a side gig.

5. Listen to your team (and experts): Emotional detachment saves startups from "ugly baby" blind spots.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Welcome to Home Care Hindsight

01:15 - John's entrepreneurial journey & Project Senior Care's mission

03:00 - The "middle 96%" crisis: Seniors who can't afford care

06:10 - John's $2M mistake: Overbuilding tech instead of focusing

09:55 - The pivot that saved the business: Caregiver academy & mentor programs

13:30 - Why most agencies recycle caregivers (and how to find new talent)

16:45 - The problem with traditional referral sources

20:00 - "No one left behind": Partnering with nonprofits to serve all families

25:10 - How the mentor program transforms stagnant leads

28:40 - Little mistakes that sink agencies (and how to fix them)

32:50 - John's proudest win: Expanding resources for veterans and low-income seniors

35:20 - How to join Project Senior Care's mentor program

Quotes:

"I wasted two years of runway because I thought I was the smartest guy in the room." — John Soltys

"96% of seniors aren't poor enough for Medicaid or rich enough for private pay. That's our sweet spot." — John Soltys

"Stop hiring the same caregivers working for five agencies. Find people who see this as a career." — John Soltys

"Farm, don't just hunt. If you're not planting, you're stuck on a treadmill." — John Soltys

"The power of saying, 'Send me everyone—not just the ones who can pay.'" — John Soltys

Resources:

1. John Soltys on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnasoltys/

2. Project Senior Care: https://www.projectseniorcare.org/

3. Connect with David Knack on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-knack/

4. Connect with Zingage on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zingage/

5. Powered by Zingage: https://zingage.com/

6. Watch Episode on Zingage's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Zingage