Can You Sell Gold Without Getting Scammed? Brandon Aversano on Starting Alloy (Ep.16)In this episode of Out of Office, Kartik Sathappan and Jack Dwyer sit down with Brandon Aversano, founder of Alloy, the online platform making it safe, simple, and transparent to sell gold and precious metals.Brandon shares the wild origin story of Alloy—starting with a cancer diagnosis, medical debt, and a humiliating pawn shop experience. He explains how Alloy offers 80%+ payouts (versus 20–30% industry standard), the challenges of building trust in a scammy industry, and why customer empathy is his biggest weapon. We also discuss the future of jewelry resale, how Brandon bootstrapped his way from a failed app to state-backed funding, and what most people don’t understand about the value of their gold.🔗 Check out Alloy: https://www.alloymarket.com/📺 Watch on YouTube: Out of Office Podcast🎧 Subscribe:X | Spotify | Apple𝕏 Follow Kartik: https://x.com/sathaxe𝕏 Follow Jack: https://x.com/jackndwyer🎙️ Sponsored by Noots — Enjoy 25% off your order!https://sendnoots.com/discount/OUTOFOFFICEPODChapters: 00:00 Introduction to Alloy and Brandon's Cancer Diagnosis 04:23 Selling Gold the Old Way—and the Idea That Sparked Alloy 07:57 Building Empathy Into a High-Trust Customer Experience 10:38 Hiring Non-Salespeople and Operationalizing Support 12:35 Beating the Pawn Shops: Trust, Transparency, and Pricing 15:07 Go-to-Market, SEO Strategy, and Early PR Wins 20:39 Customer Segments, Indian Gold Culture, and Repeat Use 25:32 Alloy’s Wild Origin: FBI Gold Scandal and Elderly Clients 30:01 Partnerships, Value Chain, and Expanding Beyond Gold 37:11 Funding Alloy: From 401k to Institutional Rounds 44:29 Winning Over the State of Pennsylvania 48:09 Fundraising Strategy in a Skeptical Market 49:59 Competition, Ecosystem Vision, and What’s Next 52:00 The Truth About Jewelry Valuation 56:00 Why Gold Beats Diamonds—and Advice for Founders