Three Things I Learned In SaaS, Sports, Tech & Live Events Podcast

In 2018, I killed a buyout deal of our company at the absolute last minute. It caused havoc with everyone. Our board, our team, and our investors. Here's why I did it, what I think happened, and what I learned.

In the 18 years I've been running this business, there have been so many times we've prayed for vengeance. Today we share four real world stories and what it felt like when it happend.

Three Things I Learned In SaaS, Sports, Tech, & Live Events What’s the most ridiculous attempt at ticket theft I’ve ever seen? We have stories. 20+ years in and around live events will do that. I get asked all the time what's the worst I've seen. The worst was the attempted fraud at the 2006 World Cup Final in Germany between Italy and France.

The three things I learned this week in SaaS, Sports, Tech, and Live Events.  1. The FTC is finally going after mega brokers.   2. The brand names of the 10's are hurting executive job seekers   3. Impossible is just something to do   

You can say whatever you want when it’s the truth. This week, a staffer was deposed in a case. It was his first experience with a process we’ve, unfortunately, gotten to know too well over the past few years when dealing with some bad actors. After talking to the lawyers, he called for advice. It’s simple: tell the truth and sleep well. The truth is easy to remember, consistent, backed up by evide...

We're 17 years into TicketManager. As of this writing, we have approximately 175 people, including full-time employees and contractors. But we weren't always here. And business, when it's your business, is personal. Hiring and friends has been a learning experience. Here's what I've learned, and the scars from it.

There’s always turmoil - tariff volatility is just today's I’ve been doing this at TicketManager for going on 18 years. I can’t remember a period longer than 30 days when there wasn’t some crazy turmoil in the world. It’s a selling point for the news and something people say to each other all the time to justify whatever they’re looking to justify—whether it’s anxiety, poor performance, or a lack...

The Abyss: The day I was introduced to the real-world of work. Desperation, tears, callousness, and a harsh reality that I am not special.

This week we talk about the upcoming Cruel Summer for ticket re-sellers, how confidence men try to make themselves the victim - as shown this week by Ticket Junky - and Bob Myer's mantra as the GM of the dynasty Golden State Warriors.

This week we explore confidence. I am "arrogant, condescending, think I’m better than everyone and an asshole." I am also "authentic, can be trusted when it matters, loyal, and a leader who is put in the game, meeting, or situation, when it matters." The characteristics I have in my life have led me to be called all of those names quite often. We live in a world that values confidence while also h...

Three Things I Learned In SaaS, Sports, Tech, & Live Events    A wall-to-wall week in New Orleans and what I learned:    1) Sometimes an event outgrows it's home. The Super Bowl has outgrown traditional hosts in Miami, Tampa Bay, and New Orleans    The thesis going into the event was that hotel rooms are going to be an issue. They were.    New Orleans is amazing. I hadn't spent much time In the ci...

The final Three Things of 2024! This week we discuss: 1. How 2024 was the first "return to normal" for B2B businesses since the Covid "Pandemic" 2. The New Orleans Super Bowl is setting up to be the most expensive of the 2020's 3. Gen Z and the changing of Malcolm Gladwell's "Overstory"

This week I discuss a very common mistake sales people make at the end of the year, why we all have a choice between "scary" and "boring" in our careers, and how an HR person set me on course as an entrepreneur in my early twenties.

A rough time to be a ticket marketplace. The local social costs of running a successful business "Winning is the best way to go viral"

Three Things I Learned in SaaS, Sports, Tech, and Live Events   The 2024 World Series and this coming Tuesday, Election Day. 

A few hiring and career thoughts while espousing advice to others this week in sports tech. 1. $10k for the rest of your life? 2. Soulless jobs pay more. Why are we surprised? 3. The positive "negative" reviews

As quickly as Lyte exploded on the scene... it imploded and left customers holding the bag. What I've learned about vendors and cheats in my 17 years at TicketManager, where we've been stolen from plenty.

The Origin Story - Part 1 17 years into our business, the question I get asked the most is: What led to the beginning of TicketManager. It is a simple story. Part one:

This week: What I learned at the US Open about corporate hospitality, careers in the sports world, and sponsorship Valhalla.

Three Things I Learned In SaaS, Sports, Tech, and Live Events The "Hospitality" Conundrum The ticketing market has come a long way since I started at the LA Dodgers in 2001. Back then, tickets were dramatically underpriced and sold to season ticket holders for teams and "insiders" (read: brokers) for major events. In the mid-2000s, the NFL caught on to the price vs market disparity and created a p...

This week:     1. They're stealing from you. All of them. Be guarded about your tech, business model, and customers. We share examples and names of those who did it to us     2. "I don't give b--w jobs but I know when they're being done wrong" - Bill Maher. How his quote is applicable to the early days of a business     3. Why Scott Galloway's career advice is wrong - All-Star Game edition 

The unmitigated disaster that was the 2004 AEG Olympics. Sometimes great people have terrible ideas. In 2004, I worked at AEG as a sales person. AEG had just finished building the Home Depot Center (now Dignity Health Sports Park). It was a multi-use sports facility with a professional stadium for the LA Galaxy with training facilities for track, tennis, cycling, baseball, and more. The AEG brass...

Three Things I Learned in SaaS, Sports, Tech, & Live Events I mentioned back in April that we had to take a hiatus until after Memorial Day "for reasons I'll share then." Well, we were in court. In a jury trial for nearly a month. I'll be sharing a LOT about that experience after appeals. But for now: Three things I learned about telling the truth during the most stressful month of my life: 1. You...

Three Things I Learned in SaaS, Sports, Tech, & Live Events 1) You can compete without being enemies. Competition is a part of life. If would be great if there was enough for everyone to be wildly successful, but we haven't figured that out yet, despite many wars. When someone else is stiving for what we want, and there is a limited supply, the easiest thing to do is de-humanize the other person a...

Three Things I Learned in SaaS, Sports, Tech, & Live Events Let's do a fun one this week: The top sporting events I've been to as a result of my job. 1. The Greatest Game Ever Played: USC - Texas Rose Bowl 2006 2. The Helmet Catch 3. Kobe's Finale 4. Tiger Wood's One -Legged Major 5. Super Bowl LIV - Chiefs vs Niners 6. The Fastest Knock-out in UFC History 7. Bama- Clemson 1 - The 2016 Fiesta Bowl...