James Ignatowich on Leaving Selkirk, Building RPM Pickleball, and Paddle Tech’s Future

James Ignatowich is one of the most dynamic players in pro pickleball and now one of the boldest entrepreneurs in the game. In this episode, we cover his transition from college tennis to the PPA Tour, his decision to part ways with Selkirk, and the launch of his own brand, RPM Pickleball.We dig into what it takes to engineer a paddle that can compete at the highest level, the trade-offs between foam and honeycomb cores, and how today’s paddle innovation could reshape the sport in the years ahead. James also shares how he balances the demands of being a full-time pro with building a startup from scratch.Also, apologies for the audio quality. We had some technical difficulties.