<![CDATA[Three Things I Learned In SaaS, Sports, Tech & Live Events Podcast]]>
tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/podcastSubstackMon, 01 Jun 2026 10:06:03 GMThttps://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/456689.rssTony KnoppThree Random Things I Learned This Week In Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events episodicTony Knopptonyknopp@substack.comNo<![CDATA[Most Popular Start-Up Advice After Mentor Week 2022]]>
Had two mentor weeks with accelerators and funds we help with. After meeting with 16 start-ups in the past two weeks, here are the three things we advise which draw the most positive responses:

1) Jungle, Forest, Highway (by Jeff Bussgang) - Companies can be characterized by what stage they are in and it can be immensely helpful to your decision making on strategy, hiring and expectations. Companies in "the Jungle" need small teams of super resourceful people who can do a lot well with a direction that's clear but often changing. In the Jungle, there are no roads. If we need shelter, we just need to get something up to get us out of the elements. On the dirt road, efficiencies pick up and we're moving much faster in a 4x4 jeep than our band of machete bearing Jungle experts. And on the Autobahn, our Ferrari needs a driver, and technicians, who can maximize life at 200+ mph. That racecar, however, is useless in the Jungle and breaks down on the dirt road. So do hires who are used to the "first class and steak" life on the highway - trust me, I made that mistake a dozen times trying to hire those who've "done it before." Competitors can be seen in their stage too. Big tech sucks at start-ups and often dies in the Jungle. Use where you are to your advantage. We wrote about our NYC "Jungle" here years ago.

2) Spend cash not stock. So obvious right? Well, you should see some of these cap tables. Owners with less than half the company pre-seed. We had an advisor we loved in 2010 but couldn't afford. He wanted $98k for a project and we didn’t want to spend it. So we gave him stock. We wrote him a check in 2020 for $974,000. Oof. Another vendor we hired with a small amount of stock in 2011 to help us with publicity. Guy didn't do anything. Nine years later he got a check for $62k. Do whatever you can to use money and not stock. You can always get more money.

3) It doesn't get better….but you do. Every entrepreneur is looking forward to a day the pressure isn't so intense. I'm 15 years in at a $100m company with 100+ employees. I can tell you, that day doesn't come. If you screw up early, there are only 5 of you. Later? There are lives you know with kids and responsibilities counting on you. The pressure never stops. BUT……you get better at it. You get better at finding people to help you personally and professionally. You get better at understanding your balance. And you get better at learning to live with the Babadook- "the monster in the basement." (Thanks Susan David). The funny thing….You just might learn to like dancing with the monster.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/most-popular-start-up-advice-after-7ecda57a3d1-ca45-4bec-ad50-175ad684ae1dFri, 29 Apr 2022 02:44:31 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned In Saas, Sports, Tech and Live Events Had two mentor weeks with accelerators and funds we help with. After meeting with 16 start-ups in the past two weeks, here are the three things we advise which draw the most positive responses: 1) Jungle, Forest, Highway (by Jeff Bussgang) - Companies can be characterized by what stage they are in and it can be immensely helpful to your decision making on strategy, hiring and expectations. Companies in "the Jungle" need small teams of super resourceful people who can do a lot well with a direction that's clear but often changing. In the Jungle, there are no roads. If we need shelter, we just need to get something up to get us out of the elements. On the dirt road, efficiencies pick up and we're moving much faster in a 4x4 jeep than our band of machete bearing Jungle experts. And on the Autobahn, our Ferrari needs a driver, and technicians, who can maximize life at 200+ mph. That racecar, however, is useless in the Jungle and breaks down on the dirt road. So do hires who are used to the "first class and steak" life on the highway - trust me, I made that mistake a dozen times trying to hire those who've "done it before." Competitors can be seen in their stage too. Big tech sucks at start-ups and often dies in the Jungle. Use where you are to your advantage. We wrote about our NYC "Jungle" here years ago. 2) Spend cash not stock. So obvious right? Well, you should see some of these cap tables. Owners with less than half the company pre-seed. We had an advisor we loved in 2010 but couldn't afford. He wanted $98k for a project and we didn’t want to spend it. So we gave him stock. We wrote him a check in 2020 for $974,000. Oof. Another vendor we hired with a small amount of stock in 2011 to help us with publicity. Guy didn't do anything. Nine years later he got a check for $62k. Do whatever you can to use money and not stock. You can always get more money. 3) It doesn't get better….but you do. Every entrepreneur is looking forward to a day the pressure isn't so intense. I'm 15 years in at a $100m company with 100+ employees. I can tell you, that day doesn't come. If you screw up early, there are only 5 of you. Later? There are lives you know with kids and responsibilities counting on you. The pressure never stops. BUT……you get better at it. You get better at finding people to help you personally and professionally. You get better at understanding your balance. And you get better at learning to live with the Babadook- "the monster in the basement." (Thanks Susan David). The funny thing….You just might learn to like dancing with the monster.No273<![CDATA[Three Things: We won our fantasy hoops league. What we learned building a business which led to our win]]>
Here's four things we learned running a start-up which we used in winning our fantasy hoops league:

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-we-won-our-fantasy-hoops-9dbf57ef1f8-425a-48e2-8a26-c5d2726d3a9fFri, 15 Apr 2022 04:43:06 GMTTony KnoppMy middle school son and I played fantasy basketball this year for the first time as something to do together. What started as an afterthought became something we did together every day. And we ended up winning. It was stressful and exciting as we got closer to the end. The lessons were the same as building a $100m start-up in so many ways. Here's four things we learned running a start-up which we used in winning our fantasy hoops league:No408<![CDATA[Three Things: The 5 best (out of 164) books we've read on business, psychology, and leadership]]>
Since then, we've been trying to devour 2 to 3 books per month on leadership, business and psychology. I'm 164 books deep. Of that list, here are the 5 books I've found most impactful to our journey in building TicketManager and my career:

a. Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. Changes the way we see our decisions, how we make them and where we are clouded in our decision making by subconscious bias we are not aware of. IMHO, this Nobel prize winning masterpiece should be required reading in school. For those who find it reads too much like a text book, "The Undoing Project" by Michael Lewis is a sort of 'Thinking Fast and Slow Lite.' Both terrific reads.

b. How Champions Think by Bob Rotella - Rotella has spent his professional life maximizing the potential of athletes and leaders. There are a ton of gurus, like Rotella, however I find most of them to be pop-psychologists telling people what they want to hear as opposed to what actually works in the real world marathon that is life. Rotella has an impressive track record of practical psychology. To that end….

c. Emotional Agility by Susan David - An expert psychologist who digs deep into why we do what we do, how we feel when we do it, and gives practical explanations for living beyond the all-to-common motivational speakers. She's incredible. I had the privilege of having lunch with her once and her EQ is off-the-charts. Everything can't be optimism all the time, and that's a good, and healthy, aspect of life. I'm so thankful for her work and how it has helped us grow a business.

d. The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz - The most real, practical, and straightforward business book I've ever read. It's required reading for anyone looking to be an entrepreneur. A masterpiece. Had I read it four years earlier, as we were starting the business, I would have saved millions of dollars and countless hours of heartache.

e. Influence by Robert Cialdini - Written in 1984 and even more applicable today. The book seems so obvious when reading, as most truths usually appear when we uncover them. Put together, however, the six rules of influence are as powerful as they are dangerous. There's a reason it has gotten more popular with age. The reader can quickly see how the ideas are weaponized in commerce, politics, business and social circles.

An added bonus - "The Sure Thing," an article by Malcolm Gladwell, is the best explanation of entrepreneurs I've come across and is worth reading multiple times through the journey

I hope these help and am always looking for great reads and suggestions!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-the-5-best-out-of-164-1835be2009f-f072-4fbf-966f-81d801b41a5bFri, 08 Apr 2022 07:00:00 GMTTony KnoppBack in 2004, a mentor convinced me reading was a life hack. They spent an entire breakfast convincing me to set aside enough time to expand my worldview while learning from those who've "done it before." Since then, we've been trying to devour 2 to 3 books per month on leadership, business and psychology. I'm 164 books deep. Of that list, here are the 5 books I've found most impactful to our journey in building TicketManager and my career: a. Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. Changes the way we see our decisions, how we make them and where we are clouded in our decision making by subconscious bias we are not aware of. IMHO, this Nobel prize winning masterpiece should be required reading in school. For those who find it reads too much like a text book, "The Undoing Project" by Michael Lewis is a sort of 'Thinking Fast and Slow Lite.' Both terrific reads. b. How Champions Think by Bob Rotella - Rotella has spent his professional life maximizing the potential of athletes and leaders. There are a ton of gurus, like Rotella, however I find most of them to be pop-psychologists telling people what they want to hear as opposed to what actually works in the real world marathon that is life. Rotella has an impressive track record of practical psychology. To that end…. c. Emotional Agility by Susan David - An expert psychologist who digs deep into why we do what we do, how we feel when we do it, and gives practical explanations for living beyond the all-to-common motivational speakers. She's incredible. I had the privilege of having lunch with her once and her EQ is off-the-charts. Everything can't be optimism all the time, and that's a good, and healthy, aspect of life. I'm so thankful for her work and how it has helped us grow a business. d. The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz - The most real, practical, and straightforward business book I've ever read. It's required reading for anyone looking to be an entrepreneur. A masterpiece. Had I read it four years earlier, as we were starting the business, I would have saved millions of dollars and countless hours of heartache. e. Influence by Robert Cialdini - Written in 1984 and even more applicable today. The book seems so obvious when reading, as most truths usually appear when we uncover them. Put together, however, the six rules of influence are as powerful as they are dangerous. There's a reason it has gotten more popular with age. The reader can quickly see how the ideas are weaponized in commerce, politics, business and social circles. An added bonus - "The Sure Thing," an article by Malcolm Gladwell, is the best explanation of entrepreneurs I've come across and is worth reading multiple times through the journey I hope these help and am always looking for great reads and suggestions!No404<![CDATA[Three Things: WFH Ending Sooner Than Many Believe - Life Is Too Short To Do Shitty Things - Jordan Peterson's Listening Rule]]>
2. Life is too short to do sh-tty things. Even if it does help you "get ahead." The "Yuppie Nuremberg" defense, so well described in 2006's hit "Thank You For Smoking" (a must watch) doesn't sit well when looking back on one's legacy. An influential CRO shared a "simple tip" for getting a "green light" to start "selling hard" against competitors and "pointing out weaknesses." Yes, you can do this. Yes, it might work (and it absolutely could backfire). But is this the life we want? I tried the whole "bashing" competitors thing twice and I remember both like they were yesterday (they were 10+ years ago). Once was with a team. I got a call from the NBA after, disappointed in me that I'd behaved this way. I apologized. To them and the team. They were right. The second time was in a pitch meeting for a bank in NYC. I felt awful when I left. This wasn't the person I wanted to be in the world. We only get one trip around the carousel. Let's build, not tear down. Besides, as pointed out in Matthew 4 - the devil tempted Jesus with "all the spoils of the world" b/c "they are mine to give." We sure we want "success" at that cost? No thanks.

3. "You can be pretty smart if you just shut up." From Peterson's "12 rules for life," the chapter on listening is mind-blowing. Very highly recommend the entire chapter and not the online summaries. The author brings to light a lot of bias by redefining what listening really is and why we all need to think and talk to make order of our lives. "Listen to others as if they know something you don’t" sounded so simple. I suppose most groundbreaking truths usually do.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-wfh-ending-sooner-than-b500a983d8c-1783-468f-92b8-2fbf4cccea45Fri, 01 Apr 2022 07:00:00 GMTTony Knopp1. Companies want staff back in the office more than they're letting on- and plans are in place to bring them back. They're just afraid to say it…for now. News like the Pac-12 going "permanent wfh" isnt' going to change much. Staff, for the most part, don't want to come back. No surprise. Gas prices, a commute, childcare, a side hustle and moving away from the office during the pandemic are the most common reasons given. But there are cracks in the informal "great resignation" union as many are seeing employees willing to return with the incentive of career advancement (or decentive of lowered pay when moving). Companies are staring to look overseas more as it's much cheaper than an out-of-office local. And they're finding really qualified, well-educated professionals willing to take much less pay. Unpopular opinion: normal is coming sooner than most believe. One company we talked to this week cut workforce by 38% and only brought back 14% - all of which will be back in the office end of summer- they just don't know it yet. It's coming. But first….one last summer of fun. Personal opinion: Pac-12 will be back in an office by 2025 - just nowhere near one as opulent as what Larry Scott wasted money on. 2. Life is too short to do sh-tty things. Even if it does help you "get ahead." The "Yuppie Nuremberg" defense, so well described in 2006's hit "Thank You For Smoking" (a must watch) doesn't sit well when looking back on one's legacy. An influential CRO shared a "simple tip" for getting a "green light" to start "selling hard" against competitors and "pointing out weaknesses." Yes, you can do this. Yes, it might work (and it absolutely could backfire). But is this the life we want? I tried the whole "bashing" competitors thing twice and I remember both like they were yesterday (they were 10+ years ago). Once was with a team. I got a call from the NBA after, disappointed in me that I'd behaved this way. I apologized. To them and the team. They were right. The second time was in a pitch meeting for a bank in NYC. I felt awful when I left. This wasn't the person I wanted to be in the world. We only get one trip around the carousel. Let's build, not tear down. Besides, as pointed out in Matthew 4 - the devil tempted Jesus with "all the spoils of the world" b/c "they are mine to give." We sure we want "success" at that cost? No thanks. 3. "You can be pretty smart if you just shut up." From Peterson's "12 rules for life," the chapter on listening is mind-blowing. Very highly recommend the entire chapter and not the online summaries. The author brings to light a lot of bias by redefining what listening really is and why we all need to think and talk to make order of our lives. "Listen to others as if they know something you don’t" sounded so simple. I suppose most groundbreaking truths usually do.No264<![CDATA[Three Things - 1) Coming fallout from too much venture investing 2) Rihanna and your capital raise 3) A great show of determination]]>
1. There's a record amount of capital in startups. Means there's going to be a record number of failures too and, thought expected by investors, there is collateral damage to many lives. It's easy to try and keep up with the Joneses when competing for talent or sponsorships or the like with your fresh new funding. We've quoted "when racing east looking for a sunset, the first to turn around wins" here before. Make sure you're not joining the race east. It's got a record number of participants and things change cycle by cycle. All markets get wonky both ways- up and down. Have patience and prudence. Never lower your talent bar. Don't buy business which will hurt you later and ruin your price integrity/ability to have the best experience/offering. Don't overpay for a trendy vendor. There will be more failures than ever, and not that many more winners. Remember: Innovators, imitators and idiots. We're at the idiot stage of tech start-ups (and funds). Find the innovators - and be an innovator.

2. "Was it really necessary to tell her that if you spend money on things you will end up with the things and not the money." - Rihanna's advisor when sued. Yes. It was necessary. Once money is raised, it is to be invested in "things" which return more money. In "The Psychology of Money", House explores why most everyone, once they come into money, seemingly all-of-the-sudden change their fiscal prudence. A terrific understanding of one of the reasons start ups piss away funding and run out of money too fast. We're wired to do it. Take note and act accordingly.

3. "You don’t have to make a great show of determination if you’re really determined, you just have to be who you are." Peggy Noonan WSJ. What terrific advice for us all. Especially in new jobs, partnerships, and relationships. The most important goal of any interview isn't job aptitude. It is understanding who we really are behind the show being put on. If determined, it'll be impossible to hide. Had a candidate a few weeks back who'd been bouncing around gigs. We were concerned they weren't being authentic with us when telling us we were the outliers - the ones they'd stay with- and telling elaborate tales of each previous move. We were the only ones he was talking to - or so that was his story. So we waited two weeks and made a few reference calls. Truth came forward. He took another job. Always does. Bullet dodged.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-1-coming-fallout-from-02599656f75-49a4-4c1f-9628-bfa8fd474e89Fri, 25 Mar 2022 23:46:47 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned In Saas, Sports, Tech and Live Events: 1. There's a record amount of capital in startups. Means there's going to be a record number of failures too and, thought expected by investors, there is collateral damage to many lives. It's easy to try and keep up with the Joneses when competing for talent or sponsorships or the like with your fresh new funding. We've quoted "when racing east looking for a sunset, the first to turn around wins" here before. Make sure you're not joining the race east. It's got a record number of participants and things change cycle by cycle. All markets get wonky both ways- up and down. Have patience and prudence. Never lower your talent bar. Don't buy business which will hurt you later and ruin your price integrity/ability to have the best experience/offering. Don't overpay for a trendy vendor. There will be more failures than ever, and not that many more winners. Remember: Innovators, imitators and idiots. We're at the idiot stage of tech start-ups (and funds). Find the innovators - and be an innovator. 2. "Was it really necessary to tell her that if you spend money on things you will end up with the things and not the money." - Rihanna's advisor when sued. Yes. It was necessary. Once money is raised, it is to be invested in "things" which return more money. In "The Psychology of Money", House explores why most everyone, once they come into money, seemingly all-of-the-sudden change their fiscal prudence. A terrific understanding of one of the reasons start ups piss away funding and run out of money too fast. We're wired to do it. Take note and act accordingly. 3. "You don’t have to make a great show of determination if you’re really determined, you just have to be who you are." Peggy Noonan WSJ. What terrific advice for us all. Especially in new jobs, partnerships, and relationships. The most important goal of any interview isn't job aptitude. It is understanding who we really are behind the show being put on. If determined, it'll be impossible to hide. Had a candidate a few weeks back who'd been bouncing around gigs. We were concerned they weren't being authentic with us when telling us we were the outliers - the ones they'd stay with- and telling elaborate tales of each previous move. We were the only ones he was talking to - or so that was his story. So we waited two weeks and made a few reference calls. Truth came forward. He took another job. Always does. Bullet dodged.No276<![CDATA[Three Things: The early days of entrepreneurship]]>
1. Entrepreneurship doesn't mean freedom like people think it does. The vast majority of those who intend to "be their own boss" one day overwhelmingly cite freedom as a reason. And there is a lot of freedom. But not nearly as much as most believe. Unless independently wealthy already, you'll still have banks, customers, the IRS, local government, and on and on who make demands of you, your time, and your calendar. Not to mention staff. Guess who covers when there are no shows? This Xanadu idea of being able to cruise in and out whenever you like? Not real. At all. In fact, you will have far less free time than you do if you work for someone else who provides holidays and vacation where you can turn off. Freedom of ideas, of purpose, of what to pursue? Absolutely. And those freedoms are what make it all worth it. But the freedom many imagine of cutting out on a Wednesday to hit the lake with some friends and unplug. Not at all. There's no unplugging. Nearly ever.

2. The Personal Guaranty is the least of your worries. Saw this great tweet the other day and thought back to our early days and the fear we had when we had to personally guarantee (financially) our loans, bank accounts, credit cards etc. Yeah, that S-Corp protects us from lawsuits and damages, but good luck getting a loan on a business with no revenue without staking your personal resources as collateral. We're not all Marc Benioff getting $2.5 mil from Larry Ellison on day one and keeping our jobs. In the end, the risk of a guaranty is a terrific harbinger of an entrepreneurs resolve. Trust me from someone who's done it and gotten as close to broke as it comes - that financial guarantee is the least of your worries. The mental, social and physical guaranty….much more demanding.

3. "What do i care about the law? Ain't I got the power?" Rockefeller had a number of 'ends justify the means' quotes and the "Battle for Uber" (or "Bad Blood" or "Smartest Guys in the Room" or "Billions" or or or) reminds us people will do just about anything to look out for themselves. And if it works? The confirmation bias goes through the roof and the justifications get even broader. When we ask start-ups we advise what they'll do if the incumbent plays dirty, they usually answer with "they wont. It's illegal. And if they do, we'll sue them." Trust me from experience kids, they don't care about the law and that lawsuit takes 2 to 4 years these days. Better have the stomach for it. (And if you do, have at it….it's a hell of a ride!)

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-the-early-days-of-entrepreneurship-3ed7329917a-d6c1-4824-ab35-bc008451a51dFri, 11 Mar 2022 04:52:15 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned In Saas, Sports, Tech and Live Events: 1. Entrepreneurship doesn't mean freedom like people think it does. The vast majority of those who intend to "be their own boss" one day overwhelmingly cite freedom as a reason. And there is a lot of freedom. But not nearly as much as most believe. Unless independently wealthy already, you'll still have banks, customers, the IRS, local government, and on and on who make demands of you, your time, and your calendar. Not to mention staff. Guess who covers when there are no shows? This Xanadu idea of being able to cruise in and out whenever you like? Not real. At all. In fact, you will have far less free time than you do if you work for someone else who provides holidays and vacation where you can turn off. Freedom of ideas, of purpose, of what to pursue? Absolutely. And those freedoms are what make it all worth it. But the freedom many imagine of cutting out on a Wednesday to hit the lake with some friends and unplug. Not at all. There's no unplugging. Nearly ever. 2. The Personal Guaranty is the least of your worries. Saw this great tweet the other day and thought back to our early days and the fear we had when we had to personally guarantee (financially) our loans, bank accounts, credit cards etc. Yeah, that S-Corp protects us from lawsuits and damages, but good luck getting a loan on a business with no revenue without staking your personal resources as collateral. We're not all Marc Benioff getting $2.5 mil from Larry Ellison on day one and keeping our jobs. In the end, the risk of a guaranty is a terrific harbinger of an entrepreneurs resolve. Trust me from someone who's done it and gotten as close to broke as it comes - that financial guarantee is the least of your worries. The mental, social and physical guaranty….much more demanding. 3. "What do i care about the law? Ain't I got the power?" Rockefeller had a number of 'ends justify the means' quotes and the "Battle for Uber" (or "Bad Blood" or "Smartest Guys in the Room" or "Billions" or or or) reminds us people will do just about anything to look out for themselves. And if it works? The confirmation bias goes through the roof and the justifications get even broader. When we ask start-ups we advise what they'll do if the incumbent plays dirty, they usually answer with "they wont. It's illegal. And if they do, we'll sue them." Trust me from experience kids, they don't care about the law and that lawsuit takes 2 to 4 years these days. Better have the stomach for it. (And if you do, have at it….it's a hell of a ride!)No246<![CDATA[Three Things: Fanatics in Ticketing - Cut Bait Quickly on Bad Books! - Just leave, they don't care like we do]]>
1) Fanatics announced their big new war chest this week and rumor is they're looking to buy a ticketing company by end of Q3 with Seat Geek a target. Who knows if it's true, but if Seat Geek is next in line for the unrenewed StubHub deal, things will get interesting in ticketing quick. Omnichannel isn't a new idea, it is just finally maturing industries already are as per caps expand with gambling, NFT's and more. The game is no longer in the entertainment district - it's everywhere.

2) Be willing to cut bait. Especially with Conferences, books, jobs and classes. Back in the early 00's at AEG our boss took us to the Burbank Marriott for sales training. It was a hike from downtown LA and required us staying late. Once we got there, the content was awful. But how he handled it taught me a lot. Instead of making us sit through it, he apologized halfway through and encouraged us to leave to "save what's left of our Thursday night." It doesn't sound like much, but most bosses I've had would have made us sit through the end. We do book reports at TicketManager and it surprises me how many people will stick with a book they don't like just because they started it. I see the same at conferences, where we see people hanging out with their friends, who they can call and see anytime, and skipping the content while they 'stay to the end.' If the conference isn't worth the time - leave. Life's too short....move on.

3) The world don't miss ya like you miss it. When I quit my job at AEG after about 3 years, it was a big deal to me. I was 24 and 3 years was the majority of my working life. And I was the #1 rep! Nobody cared. As they shouldn't have, I was a small fish there for a cup of coffee. Ten people were behind me ready to take the top spot. Learned that lesson first hand. Saw it again, much more powerfully, when reading "Tuesdays With Morrie." I've watched countless professionals leave a gig thinking the place would crumble without them only to be forgotten within minutes. World keeps spinning - and that’s terrific news. The sooner we recognize, the more we can understand where we are on in our organization's eyes and the more lasting good we can do at each stop. In the end, our goal should be to build a place and a team we can leave without it falling apart.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-fanatics-in-ticketing-1687ea3e67f-e31b-4f7d-8203-8e1ce079df29Fri, 04 Mar 2022 05:18:55 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned In Saas, Sports, Tech and Live Events: 1) Fanatics announced their big new war chest this week and rumor is they're looking to buy a ticketing company by end of Q3 with Seat Geek a target. Who knows if it's true, but if Seat Geek is next in line for the unrenewed StubHub deal, things will get interesting in ticketing quick. Omnichannel isn't a new idea, it is just finally maturing industries already are as per caps expand with gambling, NFT's and more. The game is no longer in the entertainment district - it's everywhere. 2) Be willing to cut bait. Especially with Conferences, books, jobs and classes. Back in the early 00's at AEG our boss took us to the Burbank Marriott for sales training. It was a hike from downtown LA and required us staying late. Once we got there, the content was awful. But how he handled it taught me a lot. Instead of making us sit through it, he apologized halfway through and encouraged us to leave to "save what's left of our Thursday night." It doesn't sound like much, but most bosses I've had would have made us sit through the end. We do book reports at TicketManager and it surprises me how many people will stick with a book they don't like just because they started it. I see the same at conferences, where we see people hanging out with their friends, who they can call and see anytime, and skipping the content while they 'stay to the end.' If the conference isn't worth the time - leave. Life's too short....move on. 3) The world don't miss ya like you miss it. When I quit my job at AEG after about 3 years, it was a big deal to me. I was 24 and 3 years was the majority of my working life. And I was the #1 rep! Nobody cared. As they shouldn't have, I was a small fish there for a cup of coffee. Ten people were behind me ready to take the top spot. Learned that lesson first hand. Saw it again, much more powerfully, when reading "Tuesdays With Morrie." I've watched countless professionals leave a gig thinking the place would crumble without them only to be forgotten within minutes. World keeps spinning - and that’s terrific news. The sooner we recognize, the more we can understand where we are on in our organization's eyes and the more lasting good we can do at each stop. In the end, our goal should be to build a place and a team we can leave without it falling apart.No211<![CDATA[Three Things: Ukraine and software development - Allegiant Stadium's Super Bowl boo-boo and what we can learn - A drop of sewage in a magnum of champagne]]>
1) Ukraine and off-shore development will impact a lot of businesses we all know. Unrest in the Ukraine has a number of layers - which we can't cover here. One of them: Ukraine is a very popular off-shoring destination for software development work and support for a number of western companies. There are a lot of agreements reliant on data and geopolitical security in the Ukraine which are void as of today. Always have a plan B when off-shoring. Always.

2) Rumor has it Allegiant Stadium didn't carve out the Super Bowl in '24 from their suite holder agreements. If true, and we've heard it now from a number of suite holders that the building is trying to "buy back" the suites, what an incredible win it is for those who got in early on the new stadium.

3) "A drop of sewage can ruin a magnum of champagne." We can never be too diligent in our relationships. Whether a deal, a culture, or even personally. Often people believe their culture can turn around troubled situations - some examples include athletes going to new teams and thriving. More often than not, that athlete was mislabeled. Be very careful with toxic people. It's as potent as a drop of sewage

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-ukraine-and-software-7cedf43c4c7-2556-4383-b04b-0bf7138f1041Fri, 25 Feb 2022 05:39:11 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned In Saas, Sports, Tech and Live Events: 1) Ukraine and off-shore development will impact a lot of businesses we all know. Unrest in the Ukraine has a number of layers - which we can't cover here. One of them: Ukraine is a very popular off-shoring destination for software development work and support for a number of western companies. There are a lot of agreements reliant on data and geopolitical security in the Ukraine which are void as of today. Always have a plan B when off-shoring. Always. 2) Rumor has it Allegiant Stadium didn't carve out the Super Bowl in '24 from their suite holder agreements. If true, and we've heard it now from a number of suite holders that the building is trying to "buy back" the suites, what an incredible win it is for those who got in early on the new stadium. 3) "A drop of sewage can ruin a magnum of champagne." We can never be too diligent in our relationships. Whether a deal, a culture, or even personally. Often people believe their culture can turn around troubled situations - some examples include athletes going to new teams and thriving. More often than not, that athlete was mislabeled. Be very careful with toxic people. It's as potent as a drop of sewageNo216<![CDATA[Three Things: Forcing (aka Ruining) culture - Sales advice from the WWE - When business gets "boring"]]>
1) Nobody can manufacture passion. It takes time, as we saw at Super Bowl LVI on Sunday . Same goes for culture. The Rams built a $5bln stadium and poured millions into building a fan base. They were overrun by road fans in the last two games. Culture is built by the culture. Not by mandate. Last week, at my daughters volleyball game, our coach let some parents know they didn't want the kids looking at their parents during the match (the parents are, lets just say, a bit into it). He then threatened to bench the girls if they did. He wanted them turning to one another. Eh. That's mandating a culture. Trust is formed naturally, not by force. It is why it is so incredibly powerful. Trust is built through belief and positive growth, not by short term incentives or threats of punishment. Teams don't trust each other because they're told to, they trust each other b/c it's earned.

2) "The most successful wrestlers I've ever worked with are the ones whose characters are the most authentically and organically extensions of who they really are." - Jim Ross, Head of Talent for the WWE for 20 years. Same goes for sales. Ran a pretty broad RFP over the summer. The amount of authenticity was staggeringly low as bankers all acted like one another. The best, from our experiences, are the most authentic.

3) "The better you get the more "boring" the business can seem." So much truth here. At a new business, fighting through the "Jungle" phase is stressful, exhausting, unpredictable and…..exciting! Once you start scaling and doubling/tripling down on what's working, it is less unpredictable. There's a playbook and less improvising. Focus here as that's when small tweaks have outsized outcomes. We all take the talent we get from experience for granted.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-forcing-aka-ruining-97704e9fcad-9350-4f7e-a307-a6c8b8f479abFri, 18 Feb 2022 08:00:00 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned In Saas, Sports, Tech and Live Events: 1) Nobody can manufacture passion. It takes time, as we saw at Super Bowl LVI on Sunday . Same goes for culture. The Rams built a $5bln stadium and poured millions into building a fan base. They were overrun by road fans in the last two games. Culture is built by the culture. Not by mandate. Last week, at my daughters volleyball game, our coach let some parents know they didn't want the kids looking at their parents during the match (the parents are, lets just say, a bit into it). He then threatened to bench the girls if they did. He wanted them turning to one another. Eh. That's mandating a culture. Trust is formed naturally, not by force. It is why it is so incredibly powerful. Trust is built through belief and positive growth, not by short term incentives or threats of punishment. Teams don't trust each other because they're told to, they trust each other b/c it's earned. 2) "The most successful wrestlers I've ever worked with are the ones whose characters are the most authentically and organically extensions of who they really are." - Jim Ross, Head of Talent for the WWE for 20 years. Same goes for sales. Ran a pretty broad RFP over the summer. The amount of authenticity was staggeringly low as bankers all acted like one another. The best, from our experiences, are the most authentic. 3) "The better you get the more "boring" the business can seem." So much truth here. At a new business, fighting through the "Jungle" phase is stressful, exhausting, unpredictable and…..exciting! Once you start scaling and doubling/tripling down on what's working, it is less unpredictable. There's a playbook and less improvising. Focus here as that's when small tweaks have outsized outcomes. We all take the talent we get from experience for granted.No232<![CDATA[Three Things: Disruption meets sports business at the Super Bowl]]>
Disruption meets the sports business at the LA Super Bowl

The business crowd at the Super Bowl is much different than at my first in the mid-00s and it is a harbinger of massive disruption headed the way of the team's business offices. Think of what Moneyball did to the baseball industry. Only this time, it's the quants of venture, banking, private equity and gaming playing the role of Billy Beane and Paul DePodesta.

Three things we've learned, and seen, this Super Bowl week:

1) The fraternity will be over soon. The industry is full of those who 'paid their dues' in a sales office or internship to move up in the business office. That talent pool was limited back then to those who could 'survive' getting paid little money out of school while they got in the good graces of the fraternity above them. They moved up, many of them not bothering to stay up to speed with tech and disruption outside the industry. They're getting run over by disruption rapidly. We've been working with bankers and gaming for over a decade now. These are Harvard/Stanford/Etc MBAs and JDs, alongside wildly intelligent founders, operating at another level. They eat inefficiency, especially when driven by biased ego. They're here. And they're hungry.

2) Many in sports don't understand what 'early' really is. When we talk to those being displaced, or those trying to push the envelope, they often say they want to get into "new" businesses like health and wellness or gaming. They ask me all the time about StubHub, FanDuel or Hyperice, as examples. FanDuel is thirteen years old. I have a friend who was on the board through some rocky policy shifts in gaming. It ain't 'early' there. One of the leaders I admire most, Jim Heuther of Hyperice, has been there 8 years. The company is 12 years old. I joined StubHub in 04 - already the 4th year. Yes, that's 'early' to sports pros used to certainty, employment contracts and cash comp unrelated to stock, but not to the rest of the disruptive world. A lot happens before disruptive businesses cross over to our collective knowledge.

3) The conversion will be rocky. Most team execs don't understand terms like "KPI", "LTV" "CAC" or many common practice banking terms. It's not how they've valued and run their businesses. Scalable businesses use different metrics. They are much less likely to add headcount for revenue. There have been a number of acquisitions recently which didn't disclose valuations. Many categorized as "tech" firms which are really agencies selling at agency values. For more on how relationships are valued vs tech, check out Michael Ovitz's book.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-disruption-meets-sports-01bede7a3cb-5157-4c48-ac3f-52c454e95a93Sat, 12 Feb 2022 00:35:01 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned in Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events Disruption meets the sports business at the LA Super Bowl The business crowd at the Super Bowl is much different than at my first in the mid-00s and it is a harbinger of massive disruption headed the way of the team's business offices. Think of what Moneyball did to the baseball industry. Only this time, it's the quants of venture, banking, private equity and gaming playing the role of Billy Beane and Paul DePodesta. Three things we've learned, and seen, this Super Bowl week: 1) The fraternity will be over soon. The industry is full of those who 'paid their dues' in a sales office or internship to move up in the business office. That talent pool was limited back then to those who could 'survive' getting paid little money out of school while they got in the good graces of the fraternity above them. They moved up, many of them not bothering to stay up to speed with tech and disruption outside the industry. They're getting run over by disruption rapidly. We've been working with bankers and gaming for over a decade now. These are Harvard/Stanford/Etc MBAs and JDs, alongside wildly intelligent founders, operating at another level. They eat inefficiency, especially when driven by biased ego. They're here. And they're hungry. 2) Many in sports don't understand what 'early' really is. When we talk to those being displaced, or those trying to push the envelope, they often say they want to get into "new" businesses like health and wellness or gaming. They ask me all the time about StubHub, FanDuel or Hyperice, as examples. FanDuel is thirteen years old. I have a friend who was on the board through some rocky policy shifts in gaming. It ain't 'early' there. One of the leaders I admire most, Jim Heuther of Hyperice, has been there 8 years. The company is 12 years old. I joined StubHub in 04 - already the 4th year. Yes, that's 'early' to sports pros used to certainty, employment contracts and cash comp unrelated to stock, but not to the rest of the disruptive world. A lot happens before disruptive businesses cross over to our collective knowledge. 3) The conversion will be rocky. Most team execs don't understand terms like "KPI", "LTV" "CAC" or many common practice banking terms. It's not how they've valued and run their businesses. Scalable businesses use different metrics. They are much less likely to add headcount for revenue. There have been a number of acquisitions recently which didn't disclose valuations. Many categorized as "tech" firms which are really agencies selling at agency values. For more on how relationships are valued vs tech, check out Michael Ovitz's book.No235<![CDATA[How To Ask For Tickets (And How Not To!)]]>
It's Super Bowl Week and with it comes the avalanche of people asking for tickets

This week, we discuss How To Ask For Tickets using our twenty years of experience in sports and live events:

The Do's
1) Ask
2) Ask once
3) Know our place on the hierarchy of tickets
4) Say thank you. A lot.
5) Send an appropriate gift
6) Inform if we go elsewhere
7) The big rule

The Do Nots
1) Take advantage of people
2) Pester
3) Talk smack
4) Ask all over town
5) Put pressure on friends
6) Be inauthentic

Much more in the article below and the commentary!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/how-to-ask-for-tickets-and-how-not-4e1cfb47662-7c10-4117-9e4c-9e6ff07e2e73Fri, 04 Feb 2022 05:36:49 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned in Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events It's Super Bowl Week and with it comes the avalanche of people asking for tickets This week, we discuss How To Ask For Tickets using our twenty years of experience in sports and live events: The Do's 1) Ask 2) Ask once 3) Know our place on the hierarchy of tickets 4) Say thank you. A lot. 5) Send an appropriate gift 6) Inform if we go elsewhere 7) The big rule The Do Nots 1) Take advantage of people 2) Pester 3) Talk smack 4) Ask all over town 5) Put pressure on friends 6) Be inauthentic Much more in the article below and the commentary!No794<![CDATA[Three Things: Should I join a start-up?]]>
One of the most common questions we get is around joining a startup. There are a myriad of reasons people consider the move, and those are personal and not our business. But questions about compensation lifestyle and career path we can offer our experiences on. The four things we advise when our friends and connections are considering joining a start-up

1) You're not going to get as clear of a picture of your stock's actual value as you'd like. No matter what anyone tells you on Twitter. Everyone online opines to demand the full breakdown of any prospective employer. I'd prefer it too. And some high-level hires can do so. The bulk of the staff, however? It's impossible. There is so much structure out there. There's preference, super shares and all kinds of funny business which can change value significantly and quickly. Even if you have X shares out of Y total outstanding right now, there's a low chance that math holds up as most companies grow. It's imperative to work for people of integrity who care about you. References matter much more than the math, b/c the math is too easily fudged. It's also comp, and it's not standard practice to tell new hires what everyone at the company's compensation is. The only way to truly know to the penny would uncover who else has what pretty quick.

2) Take a start-up job because of the lifestyle. /not the money. Not the outsized score. In my limited experience (roughly 20 years), those who get the most from working at startups, excluding the lottery winners, do so for one of two reasons: 1) They value purpose over paycheck and status. At a start-up, everything matters more as resources (time, money or people) are more scarce and 2) They want to jump the line and are willing to take less money and more risk for the prospect of outsized experience. There are a number of other reasons, but these two seem to make up the majority. Most people would make more money working in more mature businesses over the course of their careers.

3) Conviction. It's important to really dig in on the conviction of the company towards their ideas. Businesses change and evolve. Often they pivot and it is wildly successful. But some start-ups make too many changes too fast and you could find yourself working towards an idea you don't love pretty quickly. Is there product-market fit or, at least, conviction in where it could come from and how?

4) The exec team matters so much more than the idea. If the idea is exceptional, but you don't believe the leadership is, run. Most start-ups iterate many times over. More importantly, leadership at a start-up don't have checks and controls around them found at more mature firms (see Adam Neumann, Elizabeth Holmes etc.) They are finger on the pulse all the time and can do some pretty crummy things. The people matter more than the idea. It's cliché. Everyone says it. Yet few follow it. Just read all about the employees left empty handed from Theranos, Good, and WeWork.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-should-i-join-a-start-b81925c9083-7c9b-4374-b951-5a3f9e687048Fri, 28 Jan 2022 17:30:51 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned in Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events One of the most common questions we get is around joining a startup. There are a myriad of reasons people consider the move, and those are personal and not our business. But questions about compensation lifestyle and career path we can offer our experiences on. The four things we advise when our friends and connections are considering joining a start-up 1) You're not going to get as clear of a picture of your stock's actual value as you'd like. No matter what anyone tells you on Twitter. Everyone online opines to demand the full breakdown of any prospective employer. I'd prefer it too. And some high-level hires can do so. The bulk of the staff, however? It's impossible. There is so much structure out there. There's preference, super shares and all kinds of funny business which can change value significantly and quickly. Even if you have X shares out of Y total outstanding right now, there's a low chance that math holds up as most companies grow. It's imperative to work for people of integrity who care about you. References matter much more than the math, b/c the math is too easily fudged. It's also comp, and it's not standard practice to tell new hires what everyone at the company's compensation is. The only way to truly know to the penny would uncover who else has what pretty quick. 2) Take a start-up job because of the lifestyle. /not the money. Not the outsized score. In my limited experience (roughly 20 years), those who get the most from working at startups, excluding the lottery winners, do so for one of two reasons: 1) They value purpose over paycheck and status. At a start-up, everything matters more as resources (time, money or people) are more scarce and 2) They want to jump the line and are willing to take less money and more risk for the prospect of outsized experience. There are a number of other reasons, but these two seem to make up the majority. Most people would make more money working in more mature businesses over the course of their careers. 3) Conviction. It's important to really dig in on the conviction of the company towards their ideas. Businesses change and evolve. Often they pivot and it is wildly successful. But some start-ups make too many changes too fast and you could find yourself working towards an idea you don't love pretty quickly. Is there product-market fit or, at least, conviction in where it could come from and how? 4) The exec team matters so much more than the idea. If the idea is exceptional, but you don't believe the leadership is, run. Most start-ups iterate many times over. More importantly, leadership at a start-up don't have checks and controls around them found at more mature firms (see Adam Neumann, Elizabeth Holmes etc.) They are finger on the pulse all the time and can do some pretty crummy things. The people matter more than the idea. It's cliché. Everyone says it. Yet few follow it. Just read all about the employees left empty handed from Theranos, Good, and WeWork.No306<![CDATA[Three Things: What I learned losing in a gold medal match]]>
In 1997, we lost the gold medal match in volleyball junior nationals to a Reebok team from San Diego. There's a picture, which I can't find, of us with our hands on our hips watching them celebrate. It was the second time they'd beaten us that day solidifying the fact they were better than us- despite our winning six matches that day to earn the rematch. No questions left to ask.

At that time in my life, that gold medal was one of the most important goals to me. And we lost. It felt different. It changed me. What I've learned in life from losing in a gold medal final.

1) Usually, when we lose, we grieve. And that grief is amplified by 'what ifs.' What if I'd practiced harder. Lifted more. Changed the offense. Would we have won? But in this case, unlike losses before, I felt no regrets and it was very strange. No second guessing. I was accepting reality: they were better than us. I did everything I could for years leading up to that day. That tournament was the best I'd ever played - by a lot. We still lost. And it was more okay than I thought it would be in the moment. It was surreal. There is freedom in going for it all when we do our very best. Even if we don't get there. Knowing so helped us take the chances we've taken here.

2) Losing is like anything else - louder in the moment. We had been assembled two years earlier with a single goal- Gold in 1997 in the 18 Open division. From there we grew up together. When I got home, I handed the medal to my dad and told him "I never want to see it again." My dad, far wiser than I, went and had it framed. I wasn't proud of it in the moment, but he was plenty proud for us both. I still haven't seen it- 20+ years later. But now I'd like to. And I'd look at it with a lot of pride today than I did then. Don't destroy the accomplishment in the heat of the moment. You'll never know what you're most proud of as time passes. For me, now, having kids playing volleyball and seeing just how rare it is, just knowing I was there and on the court makes me smile. Ah the good ol' days….

3) It really does make you stronger but not in the way you'd think - even when you can't see it in the moment. I could insert a million movie clips, from Rocky to Batman to the Avengers, of the unbeatable protagonist losing to the super villain, regrouping, and returning stronger to defeat said villain. Reality imitates art. Knowing we can lose, tasting our own blood, and coming back - that creates a different kind of confidence. There's less fear of losing the next time. There'll be another gold medal match in our lives. It'll just take a different form.

Nike Santa Cruz 1997

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-what-i-learned-losing-245374a7d83-7923-4982-8db9-6171ecad58bbFri, 21 Jan 2022 08:00:00 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned in Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events In 1997, we lost the gold medal match in volleyball junior nationals to a Reebok team from San Diego. There's a picture, which I can't find, of us with our hands on our hips watching them celebrate. It was the second time they'd beaten us that day solidifying the fact they were better than us- despite our winning six matches that day to earn the rematch. No questions left to ask. At that time in my life, that gold medal was one of the most important goals to me. And we lost. It felt different. It changed me. What I've learned in life from losing in a gold medal final. 1) Usually, when we lose, we grieve. And that grief is amplified by 'what ifs.' What if I'd practiced harder. Lifted more. Changed the offense. Would we have won? But in this case, unlike losses before, I felt no regrets and it was very strange. No second guessing. I was accepting reality: they were better than us. I did everything I could for years leading up to that day. That tournament was the best I'd ever played - by a lot. We still lost. And it was more okay than I thought it would be in the moment. It was surreal. There is freedom in going for it all when we do our very best. Even if we don't get there. Knowing so helped us take the chances we've taken here. 2) Losing is like anything else - louder in the moment. We had been assembled two years earlier with a single goal- Gold in 1997 in the 18 Open division. From there we grew up together. When I got home, I handed the medal to my dad and told him "I never want to see it again." My dad, far wiser than I, went and had it framed. I wasn't proud of it in the moment, but he was plenty proud for us both. I still haven't seen it- 20+ years later. But now I'd like to. And I'd look at it with a lot of pride today than I did then. Don't destroy the accomplishment in the heat of the moment. You'll never know what you're most proud of as time passes. For me, now, having kids playing volleyball and seeing just how rare it is, just knowing I was there and on the court makes me smile. Ah the good ol' days…. 3) It really does make you stronger but not in the way you'd think - even when you can't see it in the moment. I could insert a million movie clips, from Rocky to Batman to the Avengers, of the unbeatable protagonist losing to the super villain, regrouping, and returning stronger to defeat said villain. Reality imitates art. Knowing we can lose, tasting our own blood, and coming back - that creates a different kind of confidence. There's less fear of losing the next time. There'll be another gold medal match in our lives. It'll just take a different form. Nike Santa Cruz 1997No244<![CDATA[Three Things: Antonio Brown and our business - Broken glass in the fundraising and M&A process - Talent and Opportunity - and the opportunity in them both]]>
1. Antonio Brown and your sales team. We all watched Brown storm off the field after ripping off his jersey when the Bucs played the Jets. Turns out, he was upset about his incentives, which weren't aligned with the team's goals for the week. Comp plans are very difficult. Just know, no matter how strong a culture we think we have, sales people will always do what's best for them first. That means cutting corners to close deals in certain corners, looking for loopholes to get an accelerator, mis-categorizing deals and burning every bridge there is to get to their max incentive- team goals be damned. Comp is a legal issue too. If we make the mistake, we pay. Period. Nothing will ruin our culture faster than missing on incentive pay. Spend lots of time here.

2. "All deals have broken glass." For young entrepreneurs, going into a financing or a sale can be scary. Things are going great, which is usually why there's a deal occurring, but that doesn't mean there won't be some uncomfortable conversations or circumstances we know will be uncovered. One of our investors taught us as much and it's been true of every deal we've been in. Plenty of examples out there, like this lawsuit challenging the Pittsburgh Penguins sale. https://frontofficesports.com/penguins-limited-partner-tries-to-block-900m-sale/

3. "The world equally distributes talent. It doesn't equally distribute opportunity." And in that statement is serious opportunity for those willing to look "outside the margins" of the institution to find teammates, partners and customers who can really grow our businesses. If we do what everyone else does, we get what everyone else has. Many of our biggest wins have come from outside the brand name colleges, the flashy partners, or the hot customers.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-antonio-brown-and-our-89105517f2e-bc76-4991-935d-cbe06db5e0d5Fri, 14 Jan 2022 08:00:00 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned in Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events 1. Antonio Brown and your sales team. We all watched Brown storm off the field after ripping off his jersey when the Bucs played the Jets. Turns out, he was upset about his incentives, which weren't aligned with the team's goals for the week. Comp plans are very difficult. Just know, no matter how strong a culture we think we have, sales people will always do what's best for them first. That means cutting corners to close deals in certain corners, looking for loopholes to get an accelerator, mis-categorizing deals and burning every bridge there is to get to their max incentive- team goals be damned. Comp is a legal issue too. If we make the mistake, we pay. Period. Nothing will ruin our culture faster than missing on incentive pay. Spend lots of time here. 2. "All deals have broken glass." For young entrepreneurs, going into a financing or a sale can be scary. Things are going great, which is usually why there's a deal occurring, but that doesn't mean there won't be some uncomfortable conversations or circumstances we know will be uncovered. One of our investors taught us as much and it's been true of every deal we've been in. Plenty of examples out there, like this lawsuit challenging the Pittsburgh Penguins sale. https://frontofficesports.com/penguins-limited-partner-tries-to-block-900m-sale/ 3. "The world equally distributes talent. It doesn't equally distribute opportunity." And in that statement is serious opportunity for those willing to look "outside the margins" of the institution to find teammates, partners and customers who can really grow our businesses. If we do what everyone else does, we get what everyone else has. Many of our biggest wins have come from outside the brand name colleges, the flashy partners, or the hot customers.No200<![CDATA[Three Things: 1. The most important forecast 2. Divorce and your business 3. Primordial ooze and revenge]]>
1. When forecasting the coming year, hit the first quarter no matter what. We're all excited about the upcoming year and many of us are optimistic, it's why we're entrepreneurs! The board and investors will push for bigger growth numbers as that is their job. Stand your ground on Q1. Give elsewhere. If you miss Q1, even when you have 9 months of black behind it, that red Q1 shows up for months. Be aspirational. Commit to big growth. But make sure you're going to hit that Q1 first.

2. "50% of all marriages end in divorce, but 90% of newlyweds strongly believe that stat doesn't apply to them," from Thinking Fast & Slow. We use this quote often in business and personally. Everyone thought the Moneyball Oakland A's were crazy. Or that the "jump-shooting Golden State Warriors will never win a championship." We're told these stats in business all the time and we all believe we don't have bias, it's everyone else who does."40% chance your VP Sales won't work out" (per Jason Lemkin)? Yep. You too. "40% of companies in this fund will go to zero inside two years." Yep. You too.

3. "And he did b/c you did b/c his parents and your parents b/c America b/c England b/c ancient Rome b/c primordial ooze." Anyone who's ever lead a team or a business sees the genius in Adam Perlman's line from Billions. The way this line implores the audience to deal with the situation at hand instead of lamenting on the past while identifying just how common all our rivalries and bitterness are…just terrific. Here we are, what are we doing next? Sometimes it isn't worth explaining why some people are who they are to you or your company. A simple "they're not on team us" works fine.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-1-the-most-important-ac922194ccc-b248-4a08-9e48-ec8e1f565899Fri, 07 Jan 2022 08:00:00 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned in Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events 1. When forecasting the coming year, hit the first quarter no matter what. We're all excited about the upcoming year and many of us are optimistic, it's why we're entrepreneurs! The board and investors will push for bigger growth numbers as that is their job. Stand your ground on Q1. Give elsewhere. If you miss Q1, even when you have 9 months of black behind it, that red Q1 shows up for months. Be aspirational. Commit to big growth. But make sure you're going to hit that Q1 first. 2. "50% of all marriages end in divorce, but 90% of newlyweds strongly believe that stat doesn't apply to them," from Thinking Fast & Slow. We use this quote often in business and personally. Everyone thought the Moneyball Oakland A's were crazy. Or that the "jump-shooting Golden State Warriors will never win a championship." We're told these stats in business all the time and we all believe we don't have bias, it's everyone else who does."40% chance your VP Sales won't work out" (per Jason Lemkin)? Yep. You too. "40% of companies in this fund will go to zero inside two years." Yep. You too. 3. "And he did b/c you did b/c his parents and your parents b/c America b/c England b/c ancient Rome b/c primordial ooze." Anyone who's ever lead a team or a business sees the genius in Adam Perlman's line from Billions. The way this line implores the audience to deal with the situation at hand instead of lamenting on the past while identifying just how common all our rivalries and bitterness are…just terrific. Here we are, what are we doing next? Sometimes it isn't worth explaining why some people are who they are to you or your company. A simple "they're not on team us" works fine.No166<![CDATA[Three Things: Starf***ers, Backstabbers and Holidays!]]>
1) Nobody likes the starf**ker. It's the holiday party season and following the example of some before them, many new start up entrepreneurs try to follow the path of 'celebrity entrepreneur.' They spend time only networking with those who are very public. They're snobby to others and follow around those they're trying to get value from like Chester following Spike around https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oj_cP2Y5aos. The start-up ecosystem has seen this movie before - and I've seen it really hurt some founders reputations and their business. Mix in some humility. Take meetings with those you can help AND with those you need help from. The fake ones, for the most part, get spit out.

2) Loyalty, for the vast majority, is to themselves. Lincoln Riley, the new coach at USC, hadn't even had time to update his social media profile from taking the new job and leaving Oklahoma in his rearview mirror but he found time to slap on some new gear and get to work poaching recruits. We've had "friends" (yes, multiple) literally turn around to compete directly with us. One asked us for a job and advice before going to a competitor. Your back will get stabbed quite a bit. How you handle is up to you. https://twitter.com/ArashMarkazi/status/1465544889077166083

3) "You'll never see a U-haul behind a hearse. The Egyptians tried it. They got robbed. That's all they got." Take time with family, friends, or even yourself. If you can at the holidays, do it then. If not, find another time. I promise you, there will be plenty of vacations and holidays spoiled by new big customer prospects (I've spent many a 4am on "vacation" working in a rental car in the parking lot), capital raises (twice to us), acquirers (seems to happen every holiday) and even lawsuits. If you find that window where you can slow down even just a little bit, take it.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-starfers-backstabbers-08ea56b53e5-0f24-433a-a636-37bfb701d7e1Fri, 10 Dec 2021 08:00:00 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned This Week In Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events - 1) Nobody likes the starf**ker. It's the holiday party season and following the example of some before them, many new start up entrepreneurs try to follow the path of 'celebrity entrepreneur.' They spend time only networking with those who are very public. They're snobby to others and follow around those they're trying to get value from like Chester following Spike around https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oj_cP2Y5aos. The start-up ecosystem has seen this movie before - and I've seen it really hurt some founders reputations and their business. Mix in some humility. Take meetings with those you can help AND with those you need help from. The fake ones, for the most part, get spit out. 2) Loyalty, for the vast majority, is to themselves. Lincoln Riley, the new coach at USC, hadn't even had time to update his social media profile from taking the new job and leaving Oklahoma in his rearview mirror but he found time to slap on some new gear and get to work poaching recruits. We've had "friends" (yes, multiple) literally turn around to compete directly with us. One asked us for a job and advice before going to a competitor. Your back will get stabbed quite a bit. How you handle is up to you. https://twitter.com/ArashMarkazi/status/1465544889077166083 3) "You'll never see a U-haul behind a hearse. The Egyptians tried it. They got robbed. That's all they got." Take time with family, friends, or even yourself. If you can at the holidays, do it then. If not, find another time. I promise you, there will be plenty of vacations and holidays spoiled by new big customer prospects (I've spent many a 4am on "vacation" working in a rental car in the parking lot), capital raises (twice to us), acquirers (seems to happen every holiday) and even lawsuits. If you find that window where you can slow down even just a little bit, take it.No219<![CDATA[The 11 Interview Questions That Saved Our Company]]>
We got to work on changing who we were. After years of effort, we iterated to 11 interview questions that saved our company.

We ask them of everyone. Today, we discuss why, how, and what they've meant for us.

Hope you enjoy!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/the-11-interview-questions-that-saved-dd21388e5b1-067f-43cc-b3e7-f9b23ddbc650Fri, 03 Dec 2021 08:00:00 GMTTony KnoppBack in 2012, TicketManager was a crappy place to work. And our performance was a reflection of this reality. We got to work on changing who we were. After years of effort, we iterated to 11 interview questions that saved our company. We ask them of everyone. Today, we discuss why, how, and what they've meant for us. Hope you enjoy!No1263<![CDATA[Three Things: You gotta wobble if you wanna fly - Inflation and Saas contracts - Much more on the Staples Center to Crypto Arena change and why armchair quarterbacks may be wrong on this one]]>
1) AEG is changing the name of Staples Center to Cypto.com Arena and investing in a major renovation. No surprise with SoFi Stadium and the Intuit Dome entering the market along with the upcoming 2028 LA Olympic Games. There's a lot of speculation about risk taking these naming rights deals in what some think is a bubble. We talk to teams all day every day. They're very aware of what happened in the .com bust and the 2008 meltdown, as well as the many flameouts along the way. AEG isn't a new ownership group. They've got decades of experience here. They've papered every kind of contingency plan and have definitely seen Crypto's financial feasibility. In the end, AEG quietly buying back the naming rights in 2019 then selling them for $35m per on a 20 year deal is a master class. Companies who get outsized returns from naming rights are usually from one of two camps: a highly commoditized business or a new emergent and disruptive business. Crypto.com is the latter and they're betting on a trust transfer using AEG's flagship arena to have new crypto traders chose, and trust, their offerings due to affinity and validity. Don’t be surprised if it is highly effective if well activated.

2) Saas CFO's don't know what to do with pricing if inflation becomes a consistent issue for years. Most contracts have escalators and are multi-year, but the industry hasn't adjusted expectation yet. Customers expect to have 2% to 5% escalators which hit either annually or at term (up to 3 and 5 years). At 6%, inflation, longer term deals could have an impact on margins. Once the big Saas providers move, the others will follow.

3)"You have to wobble if you want to fly." I love this one. In James Altucher's book, he tells how the Wright Brothers experience owning a bike shop was a major influence on them being first to fly. The brothers watched kids learn to ride bikes and observed the ones who were willing to wobble, without slowing down, and continuing to build momentum, were the ones to learn fastest. Kids who panicked and stopped at the appearance of adversity, they took much longer. What a fantastic inspiration for those of us trying new things in business. Embrace the wobbles. Keep pedaling. It's the only way to fly.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-you-gotta-wobble-if-f3a6e757834-db64-40c3-aae2-8e15e706a8e4Fri, 19 Nov 2021 05:29:39 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned This Week In Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events - 1) AEG is changing the name of Staples Center to Cypto.com Arena and investing in a major renovation. No surprise with SoFi Stadium and the Intuit Dome entering the market along with the upcoming 2028 LA Olympic Games. There's a lot of speculation about risk taking these naming rights deals in what some think is a bubble. We talk to teams all day every day. They're very aware of what happened in the .com bust and the 2008 meltdown, as well as the many flameouts along the way. AEG isn't a new ownership group. They've got decades of experience here. They've papered every kind of contingency plan and have definitely seen Crypto's financial feasibility. In the end, AEG quietly buying back the naming rights in 2019 then selling them for $35m per on a 20 year deal is a master class. Companies who get outsized returns from naming rights are usually from one of two camps: a highly commoditized business or a new emergent and disruptive business. Crypto.com is the latter and they're betting on a trust transfer using AEG's flagship arena to have new crypto traders chose, and trust, their offerings due to affinity and validity. Don’t be surprised if it is highly effective if well activated. 2) Saas CFO's don't know what to do with pricing if inflation becomes a consistent issue for years. Most contracts have escalators and are multi-year, but the industry hasn't adjusted expectation yet. Customers expect to have 2% to 5% escalators which hit either annually or at term (up to 3 and 5 years). At 6%, inflation, longer term deals could have an impact on margins. Once the big Saas providers move, the others will follow. 3)"You have to wobble if you want to fly." I love this one. In James Altucher's book, he tells how the Wright Brothers experience owning a bike shop was a major influence on them being first to fly. The brothers watched kids learn to ride bikes and observed the ones who were willing to wobble, without slowing down, and continuing to build momentum, were the ones to learn fastest. Kids who panicked and stopped at the appearance of adversity, they took much longer. What a fantastic inspiration for those of us trying new things in business. Embrace the wobbles. Keep pedaling. It's the only way to fly.No290<![CDATA[Three Things: Cracks in the live events comeback story foundation. What, why and what's next?]]>
Major cracks are showing in the live events ticketing comeback narrative, as shared by Ben Fischer (SBJ) Jacob Feldman (Sportico) and Ethan Strauss. Three Things we learned from these pieces and what to watch going forward.

1. Show rates are way down, and it's not just companies. We've been seeing the low scan rates all year in company owned tickets (usually 70% of company tickets get scanned at the gate. It's been around 40% in 2021) but it's now clear it's not just companies. In talking to a number of teams this week, Show rate is hurting most everywhere. (There are some surprising exceptions). Per Caps are down for all but the outlier teams - meaning customers are no-showing which hurts parking, merchandise, food and beverage and discretionary spend. If it doesn't recover, these lower numbers would theoretically lead to lower guarantees from the providers in future deals. Covid is a big part, but there's a concern it's not the only part in an economy where fans have had everything delivered to their homes for 20+ months.
2. More supply is coming. Much more. There could be a tectonic shift in ticketing pricing, selling and distribution starting next year when we have the busiest live events market we've ever seen with 2x to 4x the number of concert tours on the market. Vivid Seats guesstimated $4.6 trillion saved during the pandemic would be spent and tickets would be a part of that spend. Let's hope. So far, it's not happening. Vivid's earnings report cited "pent up demand" in 2022….let's hope so.
3. Yields are down for too many. Season ticket holders aren't recouping their costs. Companies aren't seeing customers willing to attend or even employees willing to come back to city centers- as only 28% have returned to Manhattan and less than 50% anticipate doing so by Jan. Those impacts don't hit teams in the pocketbook directly until renewal season this coming summer ('22). Fans will be asked to renew season tickets while there are more events than ever going on simultaneously. The marketplaces/primaries aren't, and won't, feel any pain for quite awhile as volume will buoy their businesses. But they aren't insulated either, their conversations are just a little further out.
4. The next generation doesn't want to work in sports. Spent the week talking to a number of teams, leagues, venues and sports recruiters. In the old days, teams could offer less money and more hours to dreamers looking to work for their favorite teams. During the pandemic, a record number of sports execs left the industry for more money and better balance elsewhere. They aren't returning. More importantly, the next generation is far less enamored with the career path. The jobs are open. And unlike the old days, where someone like me left a great gig at News Corp for a 4-month part time $10 an hour plus commission job selling tickets for the last place Dodgers, there aren't droves lining up.

What a next two years we're going to see. I'm betting on live. Always have. But maybe, just maybe, there's going to be the first correction in costs in 30+ years.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-cracks-in-the-live-events-a34b1f82988-d155-4ce6-9223-ff18743da6e9Mon, 15 Nov 2021 15:28:29 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned This Week In Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events: Major cracks are showing in the live events ticketing comeback narrative, as shared by Ben Fischer (SBJ) Jacob Feldman (Sportico) and Ethan Strauss. Three Things we learned from these pieces and what to watch going forward. 1. Show rates are way down, and it's not just companies. We've been seeing the low scan rates all year in company owned tickets (usually 70% of company tickets get scanned at the gate. It's been around 40% in 2021) but it's now clear it's not just companies. In talking to a number of teams this week, Show rate is hurting most everywhere. (There are some surprising exceptions). Per Caps are down for all but the outlier teams - meaning customers are no-showing which hurts parking, merchandise, food and beverage and discretionary spend. If it doesn't recover, these lower numbers would theoretically lead to lower guarantees from the providers in future deals. Covid is a big part, but there's a concern it's not the only part in an economy where fans have had everything delivered to their homes for 20+ months. 2. More supply is coming. Much more. There could be a tectonic shift in ticketing pricing, selling and distribution starting next year when we have the busiest live events market we've ever seen with 2x to 4x the number of concert tours on the market. Vivid Seats guesstimated $4.6 trillion saved during the pandemic would be spent and tickets would be a part of that spend. Let's hope. So far, it's not happening. Vivid's earnings report cited "pent up demand" in 2022….let's hope so. 3. Yields are down for too many. Season ticket holders aren't recouping their costs. Companies aren't seeing customers willing to attend or even employees willing to come back to city centers- as only 28% have returned to Manhattan and less than 50% anticipate doing so by Jan. Those impacts don't hit teams in the pocketbook directly until renewal season this coming summer ('22). Fans will be asked to renew season tickets while there are more events than ever going on simultaneously. The marketplaces/primaries aren't, and won't, feel any pain for quite awhile as volume will buoy their businesses. But they aren't insulated either, their conversations are just a little further out. 4. The next generation doesn't want to work in sports. Spent the week talking to a number of teams, leagues, venues and sports recruiters. In the old days, teams could offer less money and more hours to dreamers looking to work for their favorite teams. During the pandemic, a record number of sports execs left the industry for more money and better balance elsewhere. They aren't returning. More importantly, the next generation is far less enamored with the career path. The jobs are open. And unlike the old days, where someone like me left a great gig at News Corp for a 4-month part time $10 an hour plus commission job selling tickets for the last place Dodgers, there aren't droves lining up. What a next two years we're going to see. I'm betting on live. Always have. But maybe, just maybe, there's going to be the first correction in costs in 30+ years.No373<![CDATA[The 7 Lessons Learned Volunteering Over 23 Years]]>
The goal of the Three Things is to share what we've learned that's important to me along the way. And though I'm insecure and uncomfortable about sharing on this topic - it is really important to me and I hope it helps others. so....the 7 things:

1) Ask where we can be most helpful
2) Be willing to do what others aren’t
3) Accept our unique place in the world and give from there
4) Keep showing up – no matter what
5) Expect it to hurt
6) They need us, not our PR
7) It involves people. And that gets messy

Much, much more in the audio including stories and personal experiences.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/the-7-lessons-learned-volunteering-ba149b3129d-7b4f-43e7-a321-4380fa60074fFri, 05 Nov 2021 21:54:19 GMTTony KnoppA bit different one today. Sharing the 7 things I've learned about volunteering the past 23 years. The goal of the Three Things is to share what we've learned that's important to me along the way. And though I'm insecure and uncomfortable about sharing on this topic - it is really important to me and I hope it helps others. so....the 7 things: 1) Ask where we can be most helpful 2) Be willing to do what others aren’t 3) Accept our unique place in the world and give from there 4) Keep showing up – no matter what 5) Expect it to hurt 6) They need us, not our PR 7) It involves people. And that gets messy Much, much more in the audio including stories and personal experiences.No714<![CDATA[Three Things: Always Go! - Fun can't be mandatory - Stress during the boom times]]>
1. Go. Years ago I met a talent exec who was relentlessly persistent while being respectful. He'd say to new connects "what time do you eat breakfast? No added time for you. I'll be at your table at 6am for 10 min." or "I'll meet you when you get off the subway and walk with you to work He's still a friend I refer people to today. The world is re-starting and, in our current experience, people want to meet. Maybe not at the office, but nearby where they work. We signed one of our biggest deals when we simply showed up at the office after the CEO of the company cancelled. If they wouldn't see us, that would have been fine. Instead, the CSO did have time for us and respected the hustle. They're a close friend to this day.

2. Mandatory fun at work can actually do more harm than good when incorrectly applied per Katy Milkman in "How to Change." To copy a great idea, we have to study and understand the 5 w's of the original idea and all of the nuance. Otherwise, what looks like a great idea can ruin your business. Gladwell points out a similar scenario in Talking to Strangers which led to tragedy as police departments in Texas attempted to copy the Kansas City Preventative Patrol experiment without understanding all of the necessary nuance. We used to mandate group gatherings post company meetings and activities. Big mistake. It led to resentment and complaining. If they want to play the game, encourage it! But if they don't and they're performing, let em opt out.

3. The two most stressful times as an entrepreneur? 1) When you're close to zero and 2) When you're wildly successfully blowing out numbers. It's a strange feeling. As one of my co-founders reassured me often in the early years as things started to go well: "We're going to have problems all the time. I'd prefer the good ones." Me too. Just know it's normal and healthy to feel uneasy as things start to take off.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-always-go-fun-cant-be-d5b6ffc5aaa-2e2e-47be-ab56-19088d6655a1Fri, 29 Oct 2021 19:34:28 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned This Week In Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events: 1. Go. Years ago I met a talent exec who was relentlessly persistent while being respectful. He'd say to new connects "what time do you eat breakfast? No added time for you. I'll be at your table at 6am for 10 min." or "I'll meet you when you get off the subway and walk with you to work He's still a friend I refer people to today. The world is re-starting and, in our current experience, people want to meet. Maybe not at the office, but nearby where they work. We signed one of our biggest deals when we simply showed up at the office after the CEO of the company cancelled. If they wouldn't see us, that would have been fine. Instead, the CSO did have time for us and respected the hustle. They're a close friend to this day. 2. Mandatory fun at work can actually do more harm than good when incorrectly applied per Katy Milkman in "How to Change." To copy a great idea, we have to study and understand the 5 w's of the original idea and all of the nuance. Otherwise, what looks like a great idea can ruin your business. Gladwell points out a similar scenario in Talking to Strangers which led to tragedy as police departments in Texas attempted to copy the Kansas City Preventative Patrol experiment without understanding all of the necessary nuance. We used to mandate group gatherings post company meetings and activities. Big mistake. It led to resentment and complaining. If they want to play the game, encourage it! But if they don't and they're performing, let em opt out. 3. The two most stressful times as an entrepreneur? 1) When you're close to zero and 2) When you're wildly successfully blowing out numbers. It's a strange feeling. As one of my co-founders reassured me often in the early years as things started to go well: "We're going to have problems all the time. I'd prefer the good ones." Me too. Just know it's normal and healthy to feel uneasy as things start to take off.No217<![CDATA[Three Things: 5 Ways We Will Make Enemies No Matter What We Do - And How To Cope]]>
Three ways we learned we will make enemies in a leadership role, no matter what we do.

Most people want to be liked. When we're not, we'd like to mend the fence and clear up any misunderstandings. Unfortunately, in a leadership role, there's nothing we can do to avoid just having some people hate us even if they don't know us. Here are X ways we'll make enemies in our careers and how to minimize the impact on you and your family

1. Hiring. Unfortunately, we can't hire everyone. As we've discussed here, "hell hath no fury like a lover scorned." As your business grows, the pool of applicants who we don't hire grows with it - and that usually includes people in our personal communities. There will be people who don't like you simply because you don't give them a job they're not qualified for- or even just b/c you've never asked them - and they will be vocal about it.

2. Vendors. Same as #1. We can't choose every vendor. Many who aren't awarded the business will be, let's say, less than kind. Cognitive dissonance is powerful and, instead of understanding why they may not have won the business, it is much more common to turn us into the bad guys.

3. Staffing. Everyone is at a different point in their careers. That leads to different titles, responsibilities, and pay. You'll be in tough spots. Promotions, raises and terminations. All of them have fallout. We can't promote everyone. We can't pay everyone the same. We can't keep underperformers. And it is all our fault to everyone. It's easier to hate than to understand.

4. Competing. Most all of our competitors will hate us if we have any success. It's human nature and too easy to vilify "the other side." Tell the truth. Be nice. Some will still hate us.

5. Free Stuff! A bonus for those of us who work in an industry with desirable goods. Didn't get that person you barely know free tickets? A*****e. Didn't give a massive discount so I can buy little Johnny a new phone? Jerk. You'll be hated by many without even knowing it.

So what can we do about it:

1. Communicate clearly with our families and loved ones. Its "unfair" these things impact our families, but they do.
2. Don't try to fix it. There isn't enough time in the day to "explain" it all away. Those who need the explanation, they're not worth the time anyways
3. Set guidelines and make them public. We don't get free tickets for friends and extended family. We don't hire friends, family or people in our close community. No exceptions.
4. Find people who have "done this before" to talk to about this hatred. It helps. It really does.
5. Appreciate the good ones along the way! The ones who love us for us, who don't have expectations of us and who give us the benefit of the doubt.
Don't fall into the trap yourself. Let's give everyone the benefit they're doing their best and may be good. No matter what others say about em.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-5-ways-we-will-make-b45faf5baac-e842-48f4-abaf-8de0549e90c4Fri, 22 Oct 2021 07:00:00 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned This Week In Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events - Three ways we learned we will make enemies in a leadership role, no matter what we do. Most people want to be liked. When we're not, we'd like to mend the fence and clear up any misunderstandings. Unfortunately, in a leadership role, there's nothing we can do to avoid just having some people hate us even if they don't know us. Here are X ways we'll make enemies in our careers and how to minimize the impact on you and your family 1. Hiring. Unfortunately, we can't hire everyone. As we've discussed here, "hell hath no fury like a lover scorned." As your business grows, the pool of applicants who we don't hire grows with it - and that usually includes people in our personal communities. There will be people who don't like you simply because you don't give them a job they're not qualified for- or even just b/c you've never asked them - and they will be vocal about it. 2. Vendors. Same as #1. We can't choose every vendor. Many who aren't awarded the business will be, let's say, less than kind. Cognitive dissonance is powerful and, instead of understanding why they may not have won the business, it is much more common to turn us into the bad guys. 3. Staffing. Everyone is at a different point in their careers. That leads to different titles, responsibilities, and pay. You'll be in tough spots. Promotions, raises and terminations. All of them have fallout. We can't promote everyone. We can't pay everyone the same. We can't keep underperformers. And it is all our fault to everyone. It's easier to hate than to understand. 4. Competing. Most all of our competitors will hate us if we have any success. It's human nature and too easy to vilify "the other side." Tell the truth. Be nice. Some will still hate us. 5. Free Stuff! A bonus for those of us who work in an industry with desirable goods. Didn't get that person you barely know free tickets? A*****e. Didn't give a massive discount so I can buy little Johnny a new phone? Jerk. You'll be hated by many without even knowing it. So what can we do about it: 1. Communicate clearly with our families and loved ones. Its "unfair" these things impact our families, but they do. 2. Don't try to fix it. There isn't enough time in the day to "explain" it all away. Those who need the explanation, they're not worth the time anyways 3. Set guidelines and make them public. We don't get free tickets for friends and extended family. We don't hire friends, family or people in our close community. No exceptions. 4. Find people who have "done this before" to talk to about this hatred. It helps. It really does. 5. Appreciate the good ones along the way! The ones who love us for us, who don't have expectations of us and who give us the benefit of the doubt. Don't fall into the trap yourself. Let's give everyone the benefit they're doing their best and may be good. No matter what others say about em.No364<![CDATA[Three Things: Ticketing Explodes On The Scene Week]]>
1) Michael Rubin isn't "frightened by ticketing" - as he said at the SBJ World Congress this week. He sees it for what it is: clean data. Which is really expensive. Part of what made Apple and Google so valuable was direct access to the consumers using their products - think app store and PPC. With ticketing going fully digital, primary ticketing companies are privy to clean data. Customers have to go through their entrance points to attend the event. That data is invaluable in the gaming, NFT, Merch, collectibles and F&B world. Ticketing is going to get even more commoditized and won't surprise us if it eventually becomes a loss leader - think rooms and drinks to the casino gaming model. Rubin knows tickets. His last CCO was Cole Gahagan, who was CRO at Ticketmaster and now runs Learfield. They're coming. Soon. Either direct or through a massive strategic deal.

2) Seat Geek goes public- I met Jack and Russ back in 2009 at a ticket conference in NYC. Their ideas were data driven. More efficiency into an inefficient market. My goodness how that's evolved. They've followed the enterprise b2b2c blueprint - landing customers for validation, getting the big names as loss leaders, and are now hitting a market ripe for disruption (see #1 this week) with a scary team which includes Ryan Smith (Utah Jazz) who has about as good a reputation as one can have. They see vertical integration as something done through multiple vendors - interesting bet. Plenty of room. See #1.

3) MLB is making a nine figure push to move all baseball teams to TDC. This rumor has been out there for weeks now and we've heard it from a dozen people so it's no real secret. TDC tried this in the early 2000's and ran into some holdouts. With the StubHub deal up for renewal and all the new business opps tied to tickets (see #1), wouldn't surprise us if those rumors are true.

What a week. It's good to be back to normal with some news. Ticketing is not just tickets. It's access control and data at scale. And it's about to change everything.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-ticketing-explodes-on-57accc61053-d3fa-4182-8242-8ba1bd7ed35aFri, 15 Oct 2021 07:00:00 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned This Week In Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events - Ticketing Week 1) Michael Rubin isn't "frightened by ticketing" - as he said at the SBJ World Congress this week. He sees it for what it is: clean data. Which is really expensive. Part of what made Apple and Google so valuable was direct access to the consumers using their products - think app store and PPC. With ticketing going fully digital, primary ticketing companies are privy to clean data. Customers have to go through their entrance points to attend the event. That data is invaluable in the gaming, NFT, Merch, collectibles and F&B world. Ticketing is going to get even more commoditized and won't surprise us if it eventually becomes a loss leader - think rooms and drinks to the casino gaming model. Rubin knows tickets. His last CCO was Cole Gahagan, who was CRO at Ticketmaster and now runs Learfield. They're coming. Soon. Either direct or through a massive strategic deal. 2) Seat Geek goes public- I met Jack and Russ back in 2009 at a ticket conference in NYC. Their ideas were data driven. More efficiency into an inefficient market. My goodness how that's evolved. They've followed the enterprise b2b2c blueprint - landing customers for validation, getting the big names as loss leaders, and are now hitting a market ripe for disruption (see #1 this week) with a scary team which includes Ryan Smith (Utah Jazz) who has about as good a reputation as one can have. They see vertical integration as something done through multiple vendors - interesting bet. Plenty of room. See #1. 3) MLB is making a nine figure push to move all baseball teams to TDC. This rumor has been out there for weeks now and we've heard it from a dozen people so it's no real secret. TDC tried this in the early 2000's and ran into some holdouts. With the StubHub deal up for renewal and all the new business opps tied to tickets (see #1), wouldn't surprise us if those rumors are true. What a week. It's good to be back to normal with some news. Ticketing is not just tickets. It's access control and data at scale. And it's about to change everything.No253<![CDATA[Three Things: What do you do when you hit "Rock Bottom" for your company]]>
We've all had times in our careers or, for entrepreneurs, in our businesses, of intense doubt or bad news which can feel like rock bottom. Here's what not to do, both from experience and those we were saved from by mentors:

1) Never make decisions in an extreme state. In the end, we're human. We have emotions. Sometimes they swing one way or the other a bit extremely. Add stress or travel to a lack of sleep, a cold, and some crappy weather and we can find ourselves in some rough headspaces no matter how much meditating and mindfulness we practice. Every psych book out there will tell us - do not make important decisions when too far in the dumps or in the clouds. Recognize you're there and follow the playbook. Big decisions wait for more level days.

2) Map it out once then move on. It's easy to get into a forecasting hole where we stare at numbers. I did it for years. The amount of hours I spent laying out different scenarios just to stem nerves and find some certainty I'll never get back. Spend at most one hour a week. Then move on.

3) Keep moving forward. For the vast majority of us building something great takes a lot of time and a lot of ups and downs…..and dog days, and boredom, and fear, and and and. When you don't believe - and you won't often- keep moving. Set a date in the future, far enough out - at least six months, and just swim to there. At that point, we can evaluate and make decisions. You may surprise yourself.* I spent my first week at StubHub moping in my room. What a waste. Once I got to it….we had a lot of fun.

4) Know it's okay. It's okay for it to suck and for us to be down sometimes, especially in the tough times (2008 and early 2012 for us), for weeks at a time. Trying to avoid these common feelings only puts us in a worse place and wastes time.

5) Don't try to work harder. 10 hour work days are enough. We all think we're superhuman, especially at the beginning, and that we can work our way out of the darkness by pushing even harder. I've seen the end of that road. Trust me, you don't want to - not for yourself or your team. In the end, that extra work was usually ends up crappy anyways. Scared money don't make money.

6) Accept quitting may be a good option. When racing east looking for a sunset, the first person to turn around is the winner. Once you've done 1-5, if "this" isn't what you thought it was, go do something else. There's no shame in it. Nobody cares as much as we think they do and the ones who matter will be supportive. We only go around the carousel once - it's a tragedy to waste it on something we don't love.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-what-do-you-do-when-ac43d751d5f-3cda-482c-894a-25ce1117d33cFri, 08 Oct 2021 07:00:00 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned This Week In Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events - Rock Bottom Edition We've all had times in our careers or, for entrepreneurs, in our businesses, of intense doubt or bad news which can feel like rock bottom. Here's what not to do, both from experience and those we were saved from by mentors: 1) Never make decisions in an extreme state. In the end, we're human. We have emotions. Sometimes they swing one way or the other a bit extremely. Add stress or travel to a lack of sleep, a cold, and some crappy weather and we can find ourselves in some rough headspaces no matter how much meditating and mindfulness we practice. Every psych book out there will tell us - do not make important decisions when too far in the dumps or in the clouds. Recognize you're there and follow the playbook. Big decisions wait for more level days. 2) Map it out once then move on. It's easy to get into a forecasting hole where we stare at numbers. I did it for years. The amount of hours I spent laying out different scenarios just to stem nerves and find some certainty I'll never get back. Spend at most one hour a week. Then move on. 3) Keep moving forward. For the vast majority of us building something great takes a lot of time and a lot of ups and downs…..and dog days, and boredom, and fear, and and and. When you don't believe - and you won't often- keep moving. Set a date in the future, far enough out - at least six months, and just swim to there. At that point, we can evaluate and make decisions. You may surprise yourself.* I spent my first week at StubHub moping in my room. What a waste. Once I got to it….we had a lot of fun. 4) Know it's okay. It's okay for it to suck and for us to be down sometimes, especially in the tough times (2008 and early 2012 for us), for weeks at a time. Trying to avoid these common feelings only puts us in a worse place and wastes time. 5) Don't try to work harder. 10 hour work days are enough. We all think we're superhuman, especially at the beginning, and that we can work our way out of the darkness by pushing even harder. I've seen the end of that road. Trust me, you don't want to - not for yourself or your team. In the end, that extra work was usually ends up crappy anyways. Scared money don't make money. 6) Accept quitting may be a good option. When racing east looking for a sunset, the first person to turn around is the winner. Once you've done 1-5, if "this" isn't what you thought it was, go do something else. There's no shame in it. Nobody cares as much as we think they do and the ones who matter will be supportive. We only go around the carousel once - it's a tragedy to waste it on something we don't love.No313<![CDATA[Three Things: Conference Week at Saastr and SBJ Ticket Symposium]]>
1) TicketNetwork hired a banker and is going to market to sell. The live events industry will watch closely how they're valued. TN has a lot of data, but outsources quite a bit too. Personally, I think they find someone to overpay.

2) Teams don't see the softness those in the know are seeing in the secondary. Publicly, "everything's great." But in private, those at the controls are seeing some alarming signs of weakness. There was a saturation problem before Covid and it didn't magically go away overnight. Covid as "the great accelerator" is holding true - events which were doing well are doing great post covid. Those which were struggling….it's about to accelerate and get worse.

3. There is opportunity for the hustlers - Right Now. Talked to a friend who has raised more for their fund in the past 3 weeks hitting the road than the previous 10 months WFH. The SBJ conference was 1/5th the size it has been in years past. And what an opportunity it was for those in attendance. Meetings and facetime never easier to get with execs. And yet, so many stayed home and missed it. Hope that continues =)

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-conference-week-at-saastr-98bbce6ec00-6ef2-45f8-8100-e687f8b6c0bbFri, 01 Oct 2021 07:00:00 GMTTony KnoppThree Random Things I Learned This Week in Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events at the SBJ Ticketing Symposium 1) TicketNetwork hired a banker and is going to market to sell. The live events industry will watch closely how they're valued. TN has a lot of data, but outsources quite a bit too. Personally, I think they find someone to overpay. 2) Teams don't see the softness those in the know are seeing in the secondary. Publicly, "everything's great." But in private, those at the controls are seeing some alarming signs of weakness. There was a saturation problem before Covid and it didn't magically go away overnight. Covid as "the great accelerator" is holding true - events which were doing well are doing great post covid. Those which were struggling….it's about to accelerate and get worse. 3. There is opportunity for the hustlers - Right Now. Talked to a friend who has raised more for their fund in the past 3 weeks hitting the road than the previous 10 months WFH. The SBJ conference was 1/5th the size it has been in years past. And what an opportunity it was for those in attendance. Meetings and facetime never easier to get with execs. And yet, so many stayed home and missed it. Hope that continues =)No225<![CDATA[Three Things: Three phrases our mentors gave us which have changed our team and business.]]>
The best leadership advice we've gotten from mentors smarter than us. Each one we've used time and again and they almost always work:
1) "Help me understand." It takes managers a loooong time to learn the vast majority of mistakes and politics aren't actually nefarious by intent. Took me years. Most situations are fluid and complex yet managers tend to treat them as relatively black and white. "Why did you do X?" is offensive. It is similar to a bad coach barking "what are you doing?!" at a stunned kid. Try to understand intent first so we can spot these things in the future. I'm still surprised at what's uncovered. (Spoiler: I learn over and over my assumptions are very often wrong).

2) "As opposed to?" Complaining is a necessity in business and in life. We all need to dump our baggage on someone. Sometimes new founders are so personally hurt when they hear complaining. Don't be. It's normal. Work with your team to find solutions and teach them when and where it is okay to complain. An easy example: "Yes, we may not like X, but as opposed to what?" It often leads to the understanding and agreement the changes are necessary and, in some cases, they come up with better ideas.

3) "Say OK and extend the play." In most scenarios, more information is helpful. When in a tough spot, it's always easy to answer simply with "ok" and see what comes next. I'm shocked at how often this works and changes the conversation. It's a free timeout. Always worth a try.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-three-phrases-our-mentors-9ca2c4aa6fe-5aed-47f4-bbeb-37c373d10553Fri, 24 Sep 2021 07:00:00 GMTTony KnoppThree Random Things I Learned This Week in Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events The best leadership advice we've gotten from mentors smarter than us. Each one we've used time and again and they almost always work: 1) "Help me understand." It takes managers a loooong time to learn the vast majority of mistakes and politics aren't actually nefarious by intent. Took me years. Most situations are fluid and complex yet managers tend to treat them as relatively black and white. "Why did you do X?" is offensive. It is similar to a bad coach barking "what are you doing?!" at a stunned kid. Try to understand intent first so we can spot these things in the future. I'm still surprised at what's uncovered. (Spoiler: I learn over and over my assumptions are very often wrong). 2) "As opposed to?" Complaining is a necessity in business and in life. We all need to dump our baggage on someone. Sometimes new founders are so personally hurt when they hear complaining. Don't be. It's normal. Work with your team to find solutions and teach them when and where it is okay to complain. An easy example: "Yes, we may not like X, but as opposed to what?" It often leads to the understanding and agreement the changes are necessary and, in some cases, they come up with better ideas. 3) "Say OK and extend the play." In most scenarios, more information is helpful. When in a tough spot, it's always easy to answer simply with "ok" and see what comes next. I'm shocked at how often this works and changes the conversation. It's a free timeout. Always worth a try.No220<![CDATA[Three Things Sept 17, 2021: Coach, don't play, if we want to level up - Hiring in a tight job market - "who's (expletive) your wife?"]]>
2) Never lower your bar. Let others. Talent is hard to come by these days. It's not the first time we've seen it. Numbers are staring us in the face and the talent pool has more leverage than ever. We have to give in to the pleas and lower our bar right? Or we'll left behind? Do NOT. We did once, it went as Steve Jobs said it would (from a past three things) "The B's hire C's and then the bozo parade takes over." Letting others make bad decisions is a win. It's hard to see in the moment - but trust us.

3) "Who's (expletive) your wife? If you're not, who is?"- Frank "Ponch" Poncherello in CHiPs. Went through a recruiting process over the weekend for a family member. Incumbents lost some talent they didn't expect to lose. Why? It was simple: they didn't give enough love to the returnees vs what others were telling them while focusing too much on the new recruits. (*didn't apply to us). If you're not telling your great ones they're great and rewarding them….someone else is.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-sept-17-2021-coach-dont-9a538f2865a-4b96-4ef7-9dda-9794ba933906Fri, 17 Sep 2021 07:00:00 GMTTony Knopp1) Coach. Don't play. On top of my to-do list every morning, the first entry is bolded: "Coach. Don't play." For the vast majority of high achievers or entrepreneurs, letting go of what their great at is the biggest hurdle - especially when times get tough. When the code isn't done, the pipeline isn't full, or the CS metrics are dropping, we do what hall of fame boxing trainer Freddie Roach says everyone does "Once they get hit in the ring, they’re going to revert back to what they are." You, and your team, will do this often. If we can't level up and coach, we'll never grow to where we want to go. 2) Never lower your bar. Let others. Talent is hard to come by these days. It's not the first time we've seen it. Numbers are staring us in the face and the talent pool has more leverage than ever. We have to give in to the pleas and lower our bar right? Or we'll left behind? Do NOT. We did once, it went as Steve Jobs said it would (from a past three things) "The B's hire C's and then the bozo parade takes over." Letting others make bad decisions is a win. It's hard to see in the moment - but trust us. 3) "Who's (expletive) your wife? If you're not, who is?"- Frank "Ponch" Poncherello in CHiPs. Went through a recruiting process over the weekend for a family member. Incumbents lost some talent they didn't expect to lose. Why? It was simple: they didn't give enough love to the returnees vs what others were telling them while focusing too much on the new recruits. (*didn't apply to us). If you're not telling your great ones they're great and rewarding them….someone else is.No214<![CDATA[Three Things Sept 10, 2021: How stubborn can be a positive, Who owns the little things and why it matters most, Everyone has "best tech stack"....then what?]]>
1. "If nobody is taking ownership, nothing is going to get solved." Jocko Willink shared this nugget of simplicity when discussing failed operations in the middle east. Easy is easy, simple is hard. Everything requires an owner. Everything. From who is responsible for the coffee machine to who is running the most important projects. I know, I know, it's obvious. And obviously overlooked often.

2. "The best players are "7's" on the scale of 1 being most coachable and 10 being most stubborn." A high profile juniors tennis coach shared with me a year ago and it changed everything about how we see our team and prospective talent. In Isaacson's "Innovators" the author suggests "being stubborn and focused creates the best innovations." The coach elaborated further: "Overcoaching saps the kids talent and they don't learn themselves. They get stiff and don't explore what they're capable of" - sounds like exactly what happens in businesses. Be stubborn to who you are, and who your team is, while picking up what's valuable along the way. Too much emulating others and you'll lose the authenticity that makes people great.

3. In enterprise tech, everyone has the best stack. I haven't met a vendor or company who believes otherwise. Let's start by assuming the tech is stable/scalable - as it is easy to diligence - and focus on the core differentiators. Once we reach scale in the wild, we can all start espousing the best tech. Until then, focus on differentiators around the tech - as most tech breakthroughs are copied pretty quick. And much easier than we'd like to believe. And budget to refresh your tech often - many don't.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-sept-10-2021-how-stubborn-dabd2fde936-a69c-4b27-ad50-049300e3d731Fri, 10 Sep 2021 07:00:00 GMTTony KnoppThree Random Things I Learned in Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events 1. "If nobody is taking ownership, nothing is going to get solved." Jocko Willink shared this nugget of simplicity when discussing failed operations in the middle east. Easy is easy, simple is hard. Everything requires an owner. Everything. From who is responsible for the coffee machine to who is running the most important projects. I know, I know, it's obvious. And obviously overlooked often. 2. "The best players are "7's" on the scale of 1 being most coachable and 10 being most stubborn." A high profile juniors tennis coach shared with me a year ago and it changed everything about how we see our team and prospective talent. In Isaacson's "Innovators" the author suggests "being stubborn and focused creates the best innovations." The coach elaborated further: "Overcoaching saps the kids talent and they don't learn themselves. They get stiff and don't explore what they're capable of" - sounds like exactly what happens in businesses. Be stubborn to who you are, and who your team is, while picking up what's valuable along the way. Too much emulating others and you'll lose the authenticity that makes people great. 3. In enterprise tech, everyone has the best stack. I haven't met a vendor or company who believes otherwise. Let's start by assuming the tech is stable/scalable - as it is easy to diligence - and focus on the core differentiators. Once we reach scale in the wild, we can all start espousing the best tech. Until then, focus on differentiators around the tech - as most tech breakthroughs are copied pretty quick. And much easier than we'd like to believe. And budget to refresh your tech often - many don't.No214<![CDATA[Three Things: A hack to manage change, the allure of chasing silver bullets, David took a rock to a sword fight]]>
1. Change is always resisted internally and externally. Our job, when building a new business, is change. Our team's careers, our customer's processes, our partners status quo. Those who implement change are well-rewarded. A quick tip: Set a check point and commit your word to it. 'This will be and feel like a lot of change, however at month six, we're going to celebrate our biggest concern of the moment wasn't even on the list today.' Then execute. If we can, we build loyalty with our teams, our partners and our investors.

2. Silver bullets are so enticing, but we can get lost chasing them. We often hear stories about the outlier growth stories and how they found a silver bullet. Most businesses, including the wild successes, are built by a lot of tiny wins. Projects, programs, incentives and campaigns which sometimes get overlooked b/c they don't "move the ball enough." Add up all those yards, however, and you may just end up sitting on a eight or nine figure business.

3. "David took a rock to a sword fight." I love this song lyric for so many reasons. I have a meeting every two weeks or so with someone considering starting their own business and walking away from their security blanket. A common piece of advice: When you take a rock to a sword fight, you get mocked. And that doesn't sound so bad until it impacts your family and your friends. Trust me, it's awful what people will say (and still do)…and we hear and feel all of it.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-a-hack-to-manage-change-38c55bc6ff3-59dc-4de2-9cce-8916a57f039fFri, 03 Sep 2021 07:00:00 GMTTony KnoppThree Random Things I Learned in Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events 1. Change is always resisted internally and externally. Our job, when building a new business, is change. Our team's careers, our customer's processes, our partners status quo. Those who implement change are well-rewarded. A quick tip: Set a check point and commit your word to it. 'This will be and feel like a lot of change, however at month six, we're going to celebrate our biggest concern of the moment wasn't even on the list today.' Then execute. If we can, we build loyalty with our teams, our partners and our investors. 2. Silver bullets are so enticing, but we can get lost chasing them. We often hear stories about the outlier growth stories and how they found a silver bullet. Most businesses, including the wild successes, are built by a lot of tiny wins. Projects, programs, incentives and campaigns which sometimes get overlooked b/c they don't "move the ball enough." Add up all those yards, however, and you may just end up sitting on a eight or nine figure business. 3. "David took a rock to a sword fight." I love this song lyric for so many reasons. I have a meeting every two weeks or so with someone considering starting their own business and walking away from their security blanket. A common piece of advice: When you take a rock to a sword fight, you get mocked. And that doesn't sound so bad until it impacts your family and your friends. Trust me, it's awful what people will say (and still do)…and we hear and feel all of it.No158<![CDATA[Three Things: Lying in job interviews, Tom Brady on winning today, Make the best of the inevitable bad choices]]>
2. What happens outside our walls impacts what happens inside our walls. And we must be aware of how we can use it. Great quote by Tom Brady: “Life,” Brady said, “is about always changing and adapting to different things. Today, the world wants to blame, and shame, and guilt, and fear everything all the time. We would never teach our kids that, you know? We would never say, ‘This is how you’re gonna get through life the best—you’re gonna blame everyone when things don’t go right.’ Or, ‘I always get it my way but you should never get it your way.’ It’s not how to live a joyful life." Interview is worth all of our time- linked in the comments

3. Make the best of bad choices. Six months ago I heard screaming from upstairs. Preparing for the worst I ran in to find our youngest daughter had cut her own hair. The morning after the madness, I asked her why. "I wanted to put it on my unicorns to make them beautiful." Mom, understandably, threw the hair away the night prior. I fished it out, found some tape and here we are 6 months later. Bad judgement happens at your company. Embrace the good in it while using the bad to grow together.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-lying-in-job-interviews-4486b70c0c4-69ce-46d1-b034-a706f2c3eb46Fri, 27 Aug 2021 07:00:00 GMTTony Knopp1. Don't lie in an interview. Ever. Like volunteering when it's been 4 years, saying you played football at a local college, you were "top 3" on the sales standings or that you currently have a VP of sales gig and live in the city when you were terminated 8 months prior for getting trashed on a company booze cruise and have been living on mom's couch in jersey (none of those things are bad or disqualifying. Lying though? That is). So how to spot the liars? You can't call their current employer. But you CAN once they start with you. And it's worth it. Can't have dishonesty on the team. It's a killer. 2. What happens outside our walls impacts what happens inside our walls. And we must be aware of how we can use it. Great quote by Tom Brady: “Life,” Brady said, “is about always changing and adapting to different things. Today, the world wants to blame, and shame, and guilt, and fear everything all the time. We would never teach our kids that, you know? We would never say, ‘This is how you’re gonna get through life the best—you’re gonna blame everyone when things don’t go right.’ Or, ‘I always get it my way but you should never get it your way.’ It’s not how to live a joyful life." Interview is worth all of our time- linked in the comments 3. Make the best of bad choices. Six months ago I heard screaming from upstairs. Preparing for the worst I ran in to find our youngest daughter had cut her own hair. The morning after the madness, I asked her why. "I wanted to put it on my unicorns to make them beautiful." Mom, understandably, threw the hair away the night prior. I fished it out, found some tape and here we are 6 months later. Bad judgement happens at your company. Embrace the good in it while using the bad to grow together.No238<![CDATA[Media Training! Tips on working with press and media to help your business]]>
Press week.

If you're going to lead a growing company, you're likely going to work with the media. Here are a few tips on how to work with the media to help your business.

1) Be as helpful to them as possible. Even if you're not quoted or don't get what you want, become someone they know can help them. Make introductions. Even (gasp) give up your coverage to someone better suited to opine. Play the long game.

2) Ask for questions in advance. Type out your quotes. Read them during the conversation and send them when done.

3) You're getting a one line quote. Maybe two if you're lucky. Even though you may talk for 20 minutes. Remember, it's their story, not yours. Newbies are always shocked when they do a 15 minute interview in front of the camera and 30 seconds gets used.

4) Do. Not. Babble. From the 48 Laws of Power: when uncomfortable, people say what they shouldn't. Stick to the notes.

5) Never ever bend the truth, lie or leave anything out. Journalists work hard to earn their customers trust. If you cost them that, you're blackballed (and rightfully so).

6) Don't schill the company line. Many do. It's makes for a boring story and you're, again, off the list.

7) Don’t rush. Sometimes they're on a deadline and you can't confirm what you need to in time. I know, it's free exposure! Unfortunately, sometimes the timing just doesn't work out

8) Respect the relationship. If someone calls asking about a story and you're a source for them then you get another call from another journalist on the same story, disclose you've already been a source.

9) In a new relationship, don't say anything you wouldn't feel comfortable being public, no matter how much reassurance you get. Save those for the journalists you build a relationship with and trust.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/media-training-tips-on-working-with-d4d84b38fb9-f864-40c1-bd36-c4ddfe43e376Fri, 20 Aug 2021 04:58:58 GMTTony KnoppThree Random Things I Learned in Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events Press week. If you're going to lead a growing company, you're likely going to work with the media. Here are a few tips on how to work with the media to help your business. 1) Be as helpful to them as possible. Even if you're not quoted or don't get what you want, become someone they know can help them. Make introductions. Even (gasp) give up your coverage to someone better suited to opine. Play the long game. 2) Ask for questions in advance. Type out your quotes. Read them during the conversation and send them when done. 3) You're getting a one line quote. Maybe two if you're lucky. Even though you may talk for 20 minutes. Remember, it's their story, not yours. Newbies are always shocked when they do a 15 minute interview in front of the camera and 30 seconds gets used. 4) Do. Not. Babble. From the 48 Laws of Power: when uncomfortable, people say what they shouldn't. Stick to the notes. 5) Never ever bend the truth, lie or leave anything out. Journalists work hard to earn their customers trust. If you cost them that, you're blackballed (and rightfully so). 6) Don't schill the company line. Many do. It's makes for a boring story and you're, again, off the list. 7) Don’t rush. Sometimes they're on a deadline and you can't confirm what you need to in time. I know, it's free exposure! Unfortunately, sometimes the timing just doesn't work out 8) Respect the relationship. If someone calls asking about a story and you're a source for them then you get another call from another journalist on the same story, disclose you've already been a source. 9) In a new relationship, don't say anything you wouldn't feel comfortable being public, no matter how much reassurance you get. Save those for the journalists you build a relationship with and trust.No281<![CDATA[Three Things: How to get the most out of your advisors]]>
Advisors Week

Advisors are either exponentially additive or they are empty calories with very little between. Three things we'd advise given our many mistakes and wins with advisors

1) All equity requires an investment- even if very small. Even advisors who are getting paid. It's a controversial take but anyone who is working with you without skin in the game is a vendor, not an advisor. There is plenty of room to bring on vendors who can help you. Keep your advisory positions for those who will dedicate the time and brainpower your company needs to be successful.

2) Start right away. Reach out to 5 potential advisors every week until you have 5 good ones who will give you at least one uninterrupted hour a month minimum.

3) Define what they are doing to advise. Are they operational, business development/introductions, vanity/influencers or personal care advisors? Make sure you have a balance of each. 5 sexy advisors looks great to the outside but won't help your business get where it needs to go.

4) Take total responsibility for communication. They are part of the team. They get all company updates, invites to team meetings and even the informal meet-ups. Too often entrepreneurs think it is on the advisor to be proactive b/c they have shares or are getting paid. That's backwards. Keep them involved and they'll offer more value. Remember, great advisors are usually very busy.

5) Listen. We chose them for a reason. Even if, in the moment, we disagree, it is important and honest feedback. I've had a number of those calls over the years.

To date, our advisors have saved us more money and heartache than we could measure. Some made north of $500k for an hour a month over a few years and it was worth every penny. Nail your advisors right away and you will reap the benefits.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-how-to-get-the-most-8ec8685cb89-8200-4f5a-803a-d480433d13f4Fri, 06 Aug 2021 07:00:00 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned in Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events Advisors Week Advisors are either exponentially additive or they are empty calories with very little between. Three things we'd advise given our many mistakes and wins with advisors 1) All equity requires an investment- even if very small. Even advisors who are getting paid. It's a controversial take but anyone who is working with you without skin in the game is a vendor, not an advisor. There is plenty of room to bring on vendors who can help you. Keep your advisory positions for those who will dedicate the time and brainpower your company needs to be successful. 2) Start right away. Reach out to 5 potential advisors every week until you have 5 good ones who will give you at least one uninterrupted hour a month minimum. 3) Define what they are doing to advise. Are they operational, business development/introductions, vanity/influencers or personal care advisors? Make sure you have a balance of each. 5 sexy advisors looks great to the outside but won't help your business get where it needs to go. 4) Take total responsibility for communication. They are part of the team. They get all company updates, invites to team meetings and even the informal meet-ups. Too often entrepreneurs think it is on the advisor to be proactive b/c they have shares or are getting paid. That's backwards. Keep them involved and they'll offer more value. Remember, great advisors are usually very busy. 5) Listen. We chose them for a reason. Even if, in the moment, we disagree, it is important and honest feedback. I've had a number of those calls over the years. To date, our advisors have saved us more money and heartache than we could measure. Some made north of $500k for an hour a month over a few years and it was worth every penny. Nail your advisors right away and you will reap the benefits.No240<![CDATA[Three Things: It's all fake! And yet we fall for it anyways - How to approach the Build or Buy list - Stars and confidence, how a star changed my life with one sentence]]>
1) It's all fake! And it works. When we were growing, PR companies called us to "pump up our Glassdoor or Yelp reviews." Yet it is cited by all our new hires. Getting onto the NYT Bestseller list costs ~$250k. In a bet with a friend, I pumped views on a past three things by 1000 in ten minutes - for 4 dollars. As Kahneman points out in "Noise" - it doesn't matter. We like what others like, even when totally manipulated

2) If successful, your business will end up on a "build or buy" list. Every step we take from day one, in all departments, impacts the outcome. Work backwards from that day for clues to make it so valuable it ain't worth copying. We get those calls, and threats, almost weekly now.

3) After years on the bench, I finally made it into a big match in May 1997. I had to go all in. Shouting. Demanding the ball. Taking chances. I hadn't in a big match, ever, but this was my chance. I was uncomfortable but playing well. Out of timeout, an a-hole teammate commented to our all-world player behind my back chuckling "who is this guy." I froze in self doubt. Until he answered "I don’t care if he plays like this. I like him." I heard it. Validation. I didn't sit again. If you're a star, one sentence can change a life. What a terrific gift. I saw this story repeated on a much bigger stage in 2016 when Portugal megastar Cristiano Ronaldo encouraged a very nervous Joao Moutinho to participate in the penalty shootout. Fantastic theater and a glimpse at a winner's mindset out in the open.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-its-all-fake-and-yet-2a6da4f5325-04d6-4442-b9f8-c29f8d9762f8Fri, 30 Jul 2021 07:00:00 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned In Saas, Sports, Tech and Live Events 1) It's all fake! And it works. When we were growing, PR companies called us to "pump up our Glassdoor or Yelp reviews." Yet it is cited by all our new hires. Getting onto the NYT Bestseller list costs ~$250k. In a bet with a friend, I pumped views on a past three things by 1000 in ten minutes - for 4 dollars. As Kahneman points out in "Noise" - it doesn't matter. We like what others like, even when totally manipulated 2) If successful, your business will end up on a "build or buy" list. Every step we take from day one, in all departments, impacts the outcome. Work backwards from that day for clues to make it so valuable it ain't worth copying. We get those calls, and threats, almost weekly now. 3) After years on the bench, I finally made it into a big match in May 1997. I had to go all in. Shouting. Demanding the ball. Taking chances. I hadn't in a big match, ever, but this was my chance. I was uncomfortable but playing well. Out of timeout, an a-hole teammate commented to our all-world player behind my back chuckling "who is this guy." I froze in self doubt. Until he answered "I don’t care if he plays like this. I like him." I heard it. Validation. I didn't sit again. If you're a star, one sentence can change a life. What a terrific gift. I saw this story repeated on a much bigger stage in 2016 when Portugal megastar Cristiano Ronaldo encouraged a very nervous Joao Moutinho to participate in the penalty shootout. Fantastic theater and a glimpse at a winner's mindset out in the open.No208<![CDATA[Three Things: Anxiety, Panic Attacks and Your Business]]>
Starting a growth business is high pressure. You or someone on your team will be hit with life changing anxiety the way I was in 08. It feasts on high performers using their drive against them.

Six things I learned through recovery and how it can help your business.

1. Get the right help. I got the wrong help. 3x. The wrong people lean on drugs first, quick fixes and unproven theories. They don't work. Find an expert in ACT and trust nobody offering a quick fix

2. Stop thinking we're unique or different. We are but not nearly as much as we think. Recovery and a normal life is very doable, no matter how far away they can seem.

3. Be patient. It takes time to understand and move forward.

4. Drugs are a last and final resort. The vast majority of us can recover successfully without them. They were pressed on my by everyone first thing. It wasn't till I chucked them that i got a lot better.

5. Know it isn't permanent. The hardest part, for me, was finding stories of those whose lives panic and anxiety didn't change. We exist.

6. Talk about it openly. Life altering anxiety is so much more common than most think. I can't count how many staff, peers and friends have come to me feeling defeated by it. And it's often the high performers. If you don't have any experience with it personally but you are a leader, learn about it. It will help your business and save you money.


During my incessant drive to find a "cure," a common mistake by many, I read just about every book out there. Seriously, I read like 50 books on anxiety and panic attacks.

The top three I would recommend:

1. The Panic Attacks Workbook by Dave Carbonell. This book changed my life more than anything short of the Bible. He has a lot of content on his website www.anxietycoach.com

2. The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris. His videos, found here, are simple and do a terrific job of helping explain why people are wired the way they are

3. Emotional Agility by Susan David, PhD

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-anxiety-panic-attacks-9743a5ca485-5f91-42d9-b688-d979639c7533Fri, 23 Jul 2021 07:00:00 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned In Saas, Sports, Tech and Live Events Starting a growth business is high pressure. You or someone on your team will be hit with life changing anxiety the way I was in 08. It feasts on high performers using their drive against them. Six things I learned through recovery and how it can help your business. 1. Get the right help. I got the wrong help. 3x. The wrong people lean on drugs first, quick fixes and unproven theories. They don't work. Find an expert in ACT and trust nobody offering a quick fix 2. Stop thinking we're unique or different. We are but not nearly as much as we think. Recovery and a normal life is very doable, no matter how far away they can seem. 3. Be patient. It takes time to understand and move forward. 4. Drugs are a last and final resort. The vast majority of us can recover successfully without them. They were pressed on my by everyone first thing. It wasn't till I chucked them that i got a lot better. 5. Know it isn't permanent. The hardest part, for me, was finding stories of those whose lives panic and anxiety didn't change. We exist. 6. Talk about it openly. Life altering anxiety is so much more common than most think. I can't count how many staff, peers and friends have come to me feeling defeated by it. And it's often the high performers. If you don't have any experience with it personally but you are a leader, learn about it. It will help your business and save you money. During my incessant drive to find a "cure," a common mistake by many, I read just about every book out there. Seriously, I read like 50 books on anxiety and panic attacks. The top three I would recommend: 1. The Panic Attacks Workbook by Dave Carbonell. This book changed my life more than anything short of the Bible. He has a lot of content on his website www.anxietycoach.com 2. The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris. His videos, found here, are simple and do a terrific job of helping explain why people are wired the way they are 3. Emotional Agility by Susan David, PhDNo331<![CDATA[Three Things: How Playing To Not Lose Cost Us Money]]>
Playing not to lose is one of the most common mistakes in starting a business (and, recently, in Euro 2020).

Three ways playing to not lose crushes our business (and career) from our own mistakes

1. Hiring. We take the safe hires. The candidates from the big names who'd "done it before" over the most talented bc they're the most impressive to banks and investors.

2. Customers. When playing not to lose, we let customers dictate terms where we all lose. Churn is expensive. Customers failing to achieve goals with our products is worse than losing the sale. "We fix $5 haircuts."

3. Careers. We give up too much upside to guarantee unneeded downside protection. Nobody gets rich on salary, but it's the most over-negotiated point. It costs us money and happens way too often. If not betting on oneself, why should anyone else?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-how-playing-to-not-lose-a84ac5d78bc-da10-4643-98b2-974fba734457Thu, 15 Jul 2021 22:03:56 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned In Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events Playing not to lose is one of the most common mistakes in starting a business (and, recently, in Euro 2020). Three ways playing to not lose crushes our business (and career) from our own mistakes 1. Hiring. We take the safe hires. The candidates from the big names who'd "done it before" over the most talented bc they're the most impressive to banks and investors. 2. Customers. When playing not to lose, we let customers dictate terms where we all lose. Churn is expensive. Customers failing to achieve goals with our products is worse than losing the sale. "We fix $5 haircuts." 3. Careers. We give up too much upside to guarantee unneeded downside protection. Nobody gets rich on salary, but it's the most over-negotiated point. It costs us money and happens way too often. If not betting on oneself, why should anyone else?No222<![CDATA[The Three Most Common Mistakes New Entrepreneurs Make]]>
Mentor edition

We've seen hundreds of funded companies in the past decade. Here are the three most common mistakes start-up entrepreneurs make:

1) Being overly defensive. It's our baby. I get it. I was the same way. But being defensive will cost you money. Mentors don't bother giving advice to know-it-alls and the overly defensive. They just placate you and move on.

2) Advice from the wrong people. In the past decade, being an angel investor or mentor has gotten very sexy. So everyone wants to do it, actual tangible experience be damned! An easy way to pick the flame outs is to see who they're taking advice from and who they're throwing options at.

3) They partner with their friends. I did it too. It's nice and can work. But do you know what works better? Partnering with the most qualified person at that discipline. It was the #1 piece of feedback we got in our seed raise, on which we had a number of strong offers. They were all right. We were wrong.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/the-three-most-common-mistakes-new-de70ac40ba6-417e-42b7-9ff6-66409d50be55Fri, 09 Jul 2021 07:00:00 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned In Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events Mentor edition We've seen hundreds of funded companies in the past decade. Here are the three most common mistakes start-up entrepreneurs make: 1) Being overly defensive. It's our baby. I get it. I was the same way. But being defensive will cost you money. Mentors don't bother giving advice to know-it-alls and the overly defensive. They just placate you and move on. 2) Advice from the wrong people. In the past decade, being an angel investor or mentor has gotten very sexy. So everyone wants to do it, actual tangible experience be damned! An easy way to pick the flame outs is to see who they're taking advice from and who they're throwing options at. 3) They partner with their friends. I did it too. It's nice and can work. But do you know what works better? Partnering with the most qualified person at that discipline. It was the #1 piece of feedback we got in our seed raise, on which we had a number of strong offers. They were all right. We were wrong.No225<![CDATA[Three Things: The Headcount Trap - Get you a Hype Man - Nobody is their own boss]]>
1) Headcount comes last. When things start to go well, your team will have a new kind of fear - "how do we keep up?" Often, the first reaction is headcount. And that's okay. Just be careful. Headcount is the most expensive, most permanent, and often least efficient answer.

2) Get you a hype man! A good friend went through a job change at the worst possible time- during a live events pandemic shut down. Like all of us, as the time piled up, they started to doubt. We spoke a few times as they were considering jobs which, imo, were way below their talent. Got a call last week about their new gig - which is the right gig. We all need ambassadors of Quan, especially when it seems dark.

3) We're a number too! The other day a close friend/vendor stated they wished they had the certainty we have as a founder/CEO. Had to remind them, as I do the team often, everyone has superiors. Entrepreneurs, once they raise capital or rely on a bank, are easily ousted and often have many who can enact the process. Get used to the lack of certainty- it's the only certainty in life.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-the-headcount-trap-get-1226b9c8eee-e4bd-414a-8787-2f4e6d369902Thu, 01 Jul 2021 21:20:21 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned In Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events 1) Headcount comes last. When things start to go well, your team will have a new kind of fear - "how do we keep up?" Often, the first reaction is headcount. And that's okay. Just be careful. Headcount is the most expensive, most permanent, and often least efficient answer. 2) Get you a hype man! A good friend went through a job change at the worst possible time- during a live events pandemic shut down. Like all of us, as the time piled up, they started to doubt. We spoke a few times as they were considering jobs which, imo, were way below their talent. Got a call last week about their new gig - which is the right gig. We all need ambassadors of Quan, especially when it seems dark. 3) We're a number too! The other day a close friend/vendor stated they wished they had the certainty we have as a founder/CEO. Had to remind them, as I do the team often, everyone has superiors. Entrepreneurs, once they raise capital or rely on a bank, are easily ousted and often have many who can enact the process. Get used to the lack of certainty- it's the only certainty in life.No161<![CDATA[Three Things: The first place Giants secret - Nick Saban on building teams - Accountability as fuel]]>
1) The SF Giants are in first place thanks to cast of pitchers having career years. How? How can we do this in our business? Get everyone doing what they're best at and clear off the rest of their plate. Very similar to what Jobs did when he returned to Apple with the iMac. Find what we're best at - a simple hack

2) "We're not looking for a team full of exceptions" - Kirby Smart in the early days of the Alabama dynasty. The Tide were getting pressure for not recruiting some media darling recruits. That pressure grows in the early days. Exceptions and exceptional are different things. That pressure was very real for us.

3) Nobody likes accountability but everyone likes winning. Can't win without accountability, no matter how many surveys tell us we all, and our staffs, don't want it. When leading a bible study for 10 years, that weekly stake in ground made me do the work when I didn't want to. Next thing you know, you'll have years of three things to share with your loved ones.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-the-first-place-giants-4613eba5db8-878f-4444-b82a-880985e522a3Fri, 25 Jun 2021 07:00:00 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned In Saas, Sports Tech and Live Events: 1) The SF Giants are in first place thanks to cast of pitchers having career years. How? How can we do this in our business? Get everyone doing what they're best at and clear off the rest of their plate. Very similar to what Jobs did when he returned to Apple with the iMac. Find what we're best at - a simple hack 2) "We're not looking for a team full of exceptions" - Kirby Smart in the early days of the Alabama dynasty. The Tide were getting pressure for not recruiting some media darling recruits. That pressure grows in the early days. Exceptions and exceptional are different things. That pressure was very real for us. 3) Nobody likes accountability but everyone likes winning. Can't win without accountability, no matter how many surveys tell us we all, and our staffs, don't want it. When leading a bible study for 10 years, that weekly stake in ground made me do the work when I didn't want to. Next thing you know, you'll have years of three things to share with your loved ones.No170<![CDATA[The Roaring 20's and our savings - How to treat job hunters - What to do when others fool your people]]>
1. The dramatic increase in the consumer savings rate - from $2.7T to $4.6T- is leading live events companies into a new "Roaring 20s," at least that's what they're pitching to investors and financiers as seen in the below linked Vivid Seats pipe deck. The plan calls for 2x-3x as many live shows in the coming 18 months which, if bought, would normalize the savings rate. It's a spring for market share we're all about to watch.

2. Live events are rushing back and staffing up quick. It's a stampede. Hiring managers, remember the experience from the other side. When they didn’t call us. When we couldn't get a chance. When we didn't have a way in and tried our best with a cold outreach. Return calls. Return notes. Have the courage to give feedback. Don’t leave people waiting by the phone - good news or bad. Help. If even for self interest - you never know where they end up.

3. "It's easier to fool people than to convince them they've been fooled" - Mark Twain. If around long enough, you'll lose an employee, a prospect, a deal or a partner to dishonesty. It's best to take time working to "unfool" them as nobody likes to admit they've fallen for a deception….at least not right away.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/the-roaring-20s-and-our-savings-how-b0036e1f63a-9df9-4f16-b4eb-575981043e92Fri, 18 Jun 2021 15:34:31 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned In Saas, Sports Tech and Live Events: 1. The dramatic increase in the consumer savings rate - from $2.7T to $4.6T- is leading live events companies into a new "Roaring 20s," at least that's what they're pitching to investors and financiers as seen in the below linked Vivid Seats pipe deck. The plan calls for 2x-3x as many live shows in the coming 18 months which, if bought, would normalize the savings rate. It's a spring for market share we're all about to watch. 2. Live events are rushing back and staffing up quick. It's a stampede. Hiring managers, remember the experience from the other side. When they didn’t call us. When we couldn't get a chance. When we didn't have a way in and tried our best with a cold outreach. Return calls. Return notes. Have the courage to give feedback. Don’t leave people waiting by the phone - good news or bad. Help. If even for self interest - you never know where they end up. 3. "It's easier to fool people than to convince them they've been fooled" - Mark Twain. If around long enough, you'll lose an employee, a prospect, a deal or a partner to dishonesty. It's best to take time working to "unfool" them as nobody likes to admit they've fallen for a deception….at least not right away.No156<![CDATA[The best advice I ever ignored and why it cost us money - Each early hire is the equivalent of 20 people - Building a rolodex's biggest mistak]]>
2. Early hires matter so much more than I knew. We're in a hurry and we need to staff up to meet demand. Slow down. Treat every early teammate like twenty teammates - because that is a conservative number of how many a good hire will impact as you grow. Take your time and never ever settle- especially in the first hires after each round.

3. Keep in touch. A huge regret. Along the way, through all the raises, shows, and conferences, I met a lot of people who I did a poor job of keeping up with. Again, too focused on the here and now. Costly. Our company really could have benefited by me doing a better job of staying in touch with all the panelists and stars I met in the early days.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/the-best-advice-i-ever-ignored-and-d1de69edaf0-8e50-4c22-a409-c90ba254a782Fri, 11 Jun 2021 05:21:08 GMTTony Knopp1. The best advice seems so obvious it is easy to miss. I blew off so much good advice as too simple in the early days. Youthful ignorance which cost us money. It isn't nefarious - I was focused on the trains leaving on time and "grinding." In reality, I thought I was the exception, like we all do. There is so much nuance to the obvious. If we don't pay attention, we may miss it. 2. Early hires matter so much more than I knew. We're in a hurry and we need to staff up to meet demand. Slow down. Treat every early teammate like twenty teammates - because that is a conservative number of how many a good hire will impact as you grow. Take your time and never ever settle- especially in the first hires after each round. 3. Keep in touch. A huge regret. Along the way, through all the raises, shows, and conferences, I met a lot of people who I did a poor job of keeping up with. Again, too focused on the here and now. Costly. Our company really could have benefited by me doing a better job of staying in touch with all the panelists and stars I met in the early days.No147<![CDATA[Three Things: No Show as a No-No - Paying up for the IOC Olympics - Shoot the ball grannie Ben Simmons]]>
1. No showing, or cancelling last minute, is the biggest networking mistake anyone can make. When I was 22 I no-showed an interview with the Clippers.* I paid for it years later. A decade ago a team exec no showed me. He met with our team last month and asked why we don't work with his firm. It's common, I get stood up often. It ain't worth it though.

2. Endeavor went big on their bid for Olympics hospitality. So did Facebook when buying Instagram, Google buying YouTube and Apple buying Next. Even Ballmer buying the Clippers for $2b doesn't seem so crazy already. Markets are efficient but they often miss transcendent value. Know your worth.

3. Pride loses. Ben Simmons can't shoot a free-throw. It changes the game. Shaq couldn't either- but he was over 80% shooting grannie style, as Gladwell points out here. My Senior year in HS club a new coach arrived wanting to introduce the back slide to our offense. Only girls hit slides. It was worse than grannies. Buried on the bench, I was the only MB to swallow my pride and try it. Changed the game, our offense, and my prospects completely. We won silver**. Pride is in the win column. Have the courage to change the game.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-no-show-as-a-no-no-paying-f3cb66aae15-5384-4246-b22f-ccaa038cc3f7Fri, 04 Jun 2021 07:00:00 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned in Saas, Sports Tech and Live Events 1. No showing, or cancelling last minute, is the biggest networking mistake anyone can make. When I was 22 I no-showed an interview with the Clippers.* I paid for it years later. A decade ago a team exec no showed me. He met with our team last month and asked why we don't work with his firm. It's common, I get stood up often. It ain't worth it though. 2. Endeavor went big on their bid for Olympics hospitality. So did Facebook when buying Instagram, Google buying YouTube and Apple buying Next. Even Ballmer buying the Clippers for $2b doesn't seem so crazy already. Markets are efficient but they often miss transcendent value. Know your worth. 3. Pride loses. Ben Simmons can't shoot a free-throw. It changes the game. Shaq couldn't either- but he was over 80% shooting grannie style, as Gladwell points out here. My Senior year in HS club a new coach arrived wanting to introduce the back slide to our offense. Only girls hit slides. It was worse than grannies. Buried on the bench, I was the only MB to swallow my pride and try it. Changed the game, our offense, and my prospects completely. We won silver**. Pride is in the win column. Have the courage to change the game.No180<![CDATA[Five ways we screwed up our SDR program for over a decade]]>
How we screwed up our SDR program for over a decade (and counting)

In today's blog post and video commentary we share, in depth, the mistakes we've made in building an SDR program

The five ways - with much more in the blog and vlog:
1. Make room for everyone to succeed - or don't hire them
2. Stop the fight
3. No first impressions
4. Zero turnover from 120 to 730
5. Kill the manager

Hope ya'll enjoy learning from our mistakes….

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/five-ways-we-screwed-up-our-sdr-program-1cd39379b76-344f-4e4f-9646-b024eb1b6ea4Fri, 28 May 2021 07:00:00 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned In Saas, Sports, Tech & Live Events How we screwed up our SDR program for over a decade (and counting) In today's blog post and video commentary we share, in depth, the mistakes we've made in building an SDR program The five ways - with much more in the blog and vlog: 1. Make room for everyone to succeed - or don't hire them 2. Stop the fight 3. No first impressions 4. Zero turnover from 120 to 730 5. Kill the manager Hope ya'll enjoy learning from our mistakes….No390<![CDATA[How to be the #1 SDR]]>
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/how-to-be-the-1-sdr-9abe37e6b94-a9e3-497d-8f54-4e18aba256e1Fri, 21 May 2021 07:00:00 GMTTony KnoppNo552<![CDATA[Three Things: Why price is a trade secret - Stay in your lane - Never go into tough convos without a lawyer]]>
1. Margin is directly tied to value and pricing is a trade secret. Learfield IMG College made news when Sportico released their net profit on a number of deals. Learfield fought the release of the info citing trade secrets. They're right. The ability to provide value to partners and run a growing business is as difficult as it sounds. Protect your financials to protect your customers.

2. Stay in your lane. Chasing the shiny thing, when outside your core competency, slowly kills companies. An example: After years of misplaced application of the blockchain to live events*, it has found a home. Specific collectibles which have a high counterfeit rate benefit greatly from blockchain. There's $ to be made in the NFT 1.0 world, just don't take your eye off the ball to chase the gold rush.

3. Never have any important interactions without a lawyer. Ever. Finished Cialdini's follow-up to his best seller Influence (Pre-Suasion). The amount of false admissions of guilt is stunning. Never enter any combative situation without a lawyer in your business. Terminations, high stakes negotiations with customers/partners, or M&A talks. You think Learfield's expensive? Try these convos without counsel....

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-why-price-is-a-trade-068ba38e8b3-4de4-4e85-98c7-46edf7627ee0Fri, 14 May 2021 07:00:00 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned in Saas, Sports Tech & Live Events 1. Margin is directly tied to value and pricing is a trade secret. Learfield IMG College made news when Sportico released their net profit on a number of deals. Learfield fought the release of the info citing trade secrets. They're right. The ability to provide value to partners and run a growing business is as difficult as it sounds. Protect your financials to protect your customers. 2. Stay in your lane. Chasing the shiny thing, when outside your core competency, slowly kills companies. An example: After years of misplaced application of the blockchain to live events*, it has found a home. Specific collectibles which have a high counterfeit rate benefit greatly from blockchain. There's $ to be made in the NFT 1.0 world, just don't take your eye off the ball to chase the gold rush. 3. Never have any important interactions without a lawyer. Ever. Finished Cialdini's follow-up to his best seller Influence (Pre-Suasion). The amount of false admissions of guilt is stunning. Never enter any combative situation without a lawyer in your business. Terminations, high stakes negotiations with customers/partners, or M&A talks. You think Learfield's expensive? Try these convos without counsel....No164<![CDATA[Three Things: Do you want to be rich or king? - Terminating is always our fault - Filling the leadership void]]>
2. Nearly everyone wants to lead- but they don’t want to do what's needed to BE a great leader. Expand your leadership reach. Read. Volunteer to coach. Get exposure to leaders outside of our direct boss, teacher, coach, parents. And make absolutely certain our leaders are doing the same. Otherwise, bad habits compound and spread like a virus. If we're not looking outside our experience, we'll never be great leaders.

3. "When should we let go of someone we have questions about? A) The moment the question is first asked." The biggest problem entrepreneurs have is terminating people. It's hard. It sucks. And it is always our fault. However, the most common feedback after making the hard choice: "We should have made the move sooner." The only thing worse than making a bad hiring decision (and by bad, we mean bad for everyone), is letting it continue. Nobody benefits.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-do-you-want-to-be-rich-bd851e4059a-5fde-43dd-934c-a0fbc3df9f66Fri, 07 May 2021 07:00:00 GMTTony Knopp1. "Do you want to be rich or do you want to be king"- was reminded of this great line from "The Founder's Dilemma." Scale requires help. Great help. Great help will want to share in the bounty. Keeping it too tight to the vest has the potential to really hurt growth. Giving out too much?....well that hurts too- trust me, I learned that one the hard way early. 2. Nearly everyone wants to lead- but they don’t want to do what's needed to BE a great leader. Expand your leadership reach. Read. Volunteer to coach. Get exposure to leaders outside of our direct boss, teacher, coach, parents. And make absolutely certain our leaders are doing the same. Otherwise, bad habits compound and spread like a virus. If we're not looking outside our experience, we'll never be great leaders. 3. "When should we let go of someone we have questions about? A) The moment the question is first asked." The biggest problem entrepreneurs have is terminating people. It's hard. It sucks. And it is always our fault. However, the most common feedback after making the hard choice: "We should have made the move sooner." The only thing worse than making a bad hiring decision (and by bad, we mean bad for everyone), is letting it continue. Nobody benefits.No1<![CDATA[Three Things: Four times NOT to reach out to execs to sell or network]]>
1. After a big announcement or achievement - When a professional buys or sells a company, announces a big win or raises money, it can be the busiest time for them. Add to the work the avalanche of congratulations, job requests, long lost friends and sales pitches, and our message is easily lost.

2. After an appearance. People do press or conferences for a few reasons: To promote their business/selves, to help a cause they care about or as a favor to a friend. Some conferences do a terrific job of allowing to 'meet the speaker' but even then, it isn't the time for a pitch

3. Upon a career change. When an exec takes a new job, think about the amount of work they have in front of them. Every other sales person has the same triggers, read the same trades, and call them at the same time. We get lost.

4. After a partnership announcement with a competitor. A company goes through a process choosing a vendor/partner, gets approval for that partner, and is now on the hook for their success. Think about the optics being displayed here. Are we rooting for them to fail? B/c that's what it sounds like

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-four-times-not-to-reach-05bc5089e2e-a6f5-4ad7-8d60-aa9c3ddfc5ebSat, 01 May 2021 01:10:48 GMTTony KnoppGetting in front of executives is very hard. Four times not to try: 1. After a big announcement or achievement - When a professional buys or sells a company, announces a big win or raises money, it can be the busiest time for them. Add to the work the avalanche of congratulations, job requests, long lost friends and sales pitches, and our message is easily lost. 2. After an appearance. People do press or conferences for a few reasons: To promote their business/selves, to help a cause they care about or as a favor to a friend. Some conferences do a terrific job of allowing to 'meet the speaker' but even then, it isn't the time for a pitch 3. Upon a career change. When an exec takes a new job, think about the amount of work they have in front of them. Every other sales person has the same triggers, read the same trades, and call them at the same time. We get lost. 4. After a partnership announcement with a competitor. A company goes through a process choosing a vendor/partner, gets approval for that partner, and is now on the hook for their success. Think about the optics being displayed here. Are we rooting for them to fail? B/c that's what it sounds likeNo3<![CDATA[The First RFP: When it got really real...]]>
The first RFP win...when it got really real.

In 2008, when business was tough, we got our first RFP....and won! It changed our lives.

Here's what we learned in winning our first SaaS RFP

1. Authenticity is your only differentiator. I told the truth. That simple. These other companies are bigger, more powerful and your team will find them the safe choice. But you're all I've got. Here's my cell phone. Call it anytime. Still goes today for all our customers. And she does still call our mobile phones, which is welcomed with a smile.

2. Pick the right customers to take a chance on. In enterprise SaaS, everything you do at the beginning matters tenfold. This customer had the right vision. They had similar ideas and we honestly aligned. The wrong first customer will destroy your roadmap and cost you millions. First customers set the future. Pick wisely.

3. Welcome the hate. Once you win, the incumbents will ratchet up their vitriol. Some won't, but most will. They will denounce you. Recruit your people. Threaten you with lawsuits. Try to undercut every customer. This is good. You've got their attention. The more they focus on you, the less they're focusing on the customer.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/the-first-rfp-when-it-got-really-9c2e5b8db52-ada2-4e82-b55d-7bc720128fb1Sat, 24 Apr 2021 00:31:08 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned in Saas, Sports Tech & Live Events The first RFP win...when it got really real. In 2008, when business was tough, we got our first RFP....and won! It changed our lives. Here's what we learned in winning our first SaaS RFP 1. Authenticity is your only differentiator. I told the truth. That simple. These other companies are bigger, more powerful and your team will find them the safe choice. But you're all I've got. Here's my cell phone. Call it anytime. Still goes today for all our customers. And she does still call our mobile phones, which is welcomed with a smile. 2. Pick the right customers to take a chance on. In enterprise SaaS, everything you do at the beginning matters tenfold. This customer had the right vision. They had similar ideas and we honestly aligned. The wrong first customer will destroy your roadmap and cost you millions. First customers set the future. Pick wisely. 3. Welcome the hate. Once you win, the incumbents will ratchet up their vitriol. Some won't, but most will. They will denounce you. Recruit your people. Threaten you with lawsuits. Try to undercut every customer. This is good. You've got their attention. The more they focus on you, the less they're focusing on the customer.No324<![CDATA[Three Things: Why we take sides - How to exaggerate when doing deals - Great leaders repeat themselves]]>
1. Take some time…in the middle. The human brain can only process so much. When we're overloaded, as we all are now, we default to binary decision making. The either/or logical fallacy. It leads to Red/Blue, Vaccine/Never, With/Against us thinking. We are all guilty of it. Had a friend compliment another for "being able to change their mind." What a sad place we've found ourselves in.

2. Getting fast and loose with ARR doesn't fool anyone. It's usually just a soft bullet point to match a narrative. We all feel pressure to exaggerate, usually b/c others are doing so. Just know diligence finds everything and being dishonest loses credibility which can't be earned back

3. It takes 8 to 16 touches to get a person's attention. The same goes when leading a team. The most common mistake new leaders make is to assume everyone is hanging on their every word. They're not. Saying to do something 3 to 5 times isn't enough. Repeating isn't disrespectful, it's great leadership done right.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-why-we-take-sides-how-53310c495db-ebef-4f5e-bfe6-493b6aabc54aFri, 16 Apr 2021 04:54:12 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned in Saas, Sports Tech & Live Events 1. Take some time…in the middle. The human brain can only process so much. When we're overloaded, as we all are now, we default to binary decision making. The either/or logical fallacy. It leads to Red/Blue, Vaccine/Never, With/Against us thinking. We are all guilty of it. Had a friend compliment another for "being able to change their mind." What a sad place we've found ourselves in. 2. Getting fast and loose with ARR doesn't fool anyone. It's usually just a soft bullet point to match a narrative. We all feel pressure to exaggerate, usually b/c others are doing so. Just know diligence finds everything and being dishonest loses credibility which can't be earned back 3. It takes 8 to 16 touches to get a person's attention. The same goes when leading a team. The most common mistake new leaders make is to assume everyone is hanging on their every word. They're not. Saying to do something 3 to 5 times isn't enough. Repeating isn't disrespectful, it's great leadership done right.No188<![CDATA[Three Things: The new force majeure - Hospitality at the Olympics - Performance based sponsorships]]>
  • Companies have found a way to get a form of force majure into their contracts - and it is genius. Knowing a pandemic clause is too ambiguous, they are adding tiers of spend based on the allowed attendance. Fall below 25% allowed in the event, pay nothing. Over 50%? Pay the rate. We believe it will become the norm, as it already is in most tech contracts 
  • Have heard from multiple sources Endeavor is the winner of the Paris '24, Milan '26, LA '28 hospitality provider shoot-out, which included CAA, Comcast, Legends and Quint. With Tokyo fan-less and Beijing a recent history repeat (2008) mired in political controversy, big upfronts needed for three marquee games in destination cities
  • Performance based sponsorship contracts are the rage but be very careful. They go both ways. One of the biggest benefits of live events deals is the uncapped upside. Buy into a crummy team, they turn it around, and the loyal buyer reaps rewards for years. One of my biggest mistakes: in 2013 we sponsored three teams. The fourth and last one out: the Golden State Warriors. Yes, the team who went on to win the title the next year and play in five straight finals. It was a three year deal at only $70k annually. That deal would be $400k today. Swing and a miss.


    • This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-the-new-force-majeure-8aae29e08f5-0ffc-4572-95a9-67610c87b4abFri, 09 Apr 2021 14:46:01 GMTTony KnoppNo256    <![CDATA[Three Things: Be careful what we answer to - Why success is obvious while failure is unique - No rental cars on Maui? What does that mean?]]>
    2. "All happy families resemble one another but each unhappy family fails in its own way." Business advice seems so obvious when offered by the successful. But when put together as "ands" not "ors", it is anything but. Check all the boxes or.....

    3. There are no rental cars anywhere on Maui this week. Nor dinner reservations. Two months ago, we paid $16/day for a car and the island was empty. Walk-in anywhere even only at 30% capacity. Package sales are through the roof for future events and it isn't corporate - it's consumers paying super premiums for 2's and 4s. Everything our customers post is selling for over face- even the crappy games and parking passes. The faucet is turning on and gaining speed. If it continues - look out.

    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-be-careful-what-we-answer-faf1a724630-9f1f-432f-b31c-87cd0b13b511Fri, 02 Apr 2021 15:55:18 GMTTony Knopp1. It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to. WC Fields. We all have labels. I was a jock but I answered to good student - which we addressed last week. At AEG they called us ticket salesman. We answered to entrepreneurial sales professional. At Stubhub they called us brokers. We answered to tech disruptors. At TicketManager they've called us niche. We answer to market creators. I get called a lot of names. I answer to one. What we answer to defines the chances we take, what we think we can do, and where we end up. It sounds easier than it is. There are difficult moments where we have almost no leverage and we have to stand up for ourselves- I'll share one in the future from my experience at the Dodgers and again at AEG - but it is more important than we think. 2. "All happy families resemble one another but each unhappy family fails in its own way." Business advice seems so obvious when offered by the successful. But when put together as "ands" not "ors", it is anything but. Check all the boxes or..... 3. There are no rental cars anywhere on Maui this week. Nor dinner reservations. Two months ago, we paid $16/day for a car and the island was empty. Walk-in anywhere even only at 30% capacity. Package sales are through the roof for future events and it isn't corporate - it's consumers paying super premiums for 2's and 4s. Everything our customers post is selling for over face- even the crappy games and parking passes. The faucet is turning on and gaining speed. If it continues - look out.No199    <![CDATA[Three Things: What I learned from selling a boxing sponsorship to a gentleman's club]]>Three Things I Learned in Saas, Sports Tech & Live Events

     

    What I learned selling a boxing sponsorship to a gentleman's club*

     

    In 2004, STAPLES Center hosted an HBO fight and we were contracted to sell sponsorship packages.

     

    I was assigned the inbound phone lines.. 

     

    A call came in from Stars Planet, Inc which owned clubs in DTLA. David, the caller, asked what we would sell to his business

     

    After consulting with my boss, we sent over a list of what was available. Traditional packages including signage, tickets, and sought after inventory.

     

    We were wrong in all of our assumptions.

     

    David called a few days later and ordered the following assets:

    * 10 tickets ringside on the TV side 

    * 6 signage placements in the concourse 

    * 10 bus parking passes 

    * 3 signage placements outside the building 

     

    It was all undesirable inventory we didn't even know how to price. Eventually, the whole sponsorship was ~$110k, with the tickets being 90% of the cost. 

     

    What did he do?

    * He sent his talent to the fight draped in gear promoting his club near each sign

    * The signage was all arrows pointing to his parking spots where... 

    * He had 10 shuttle busses taking guests to his club after the fight

     

    Here are the three things I learned from the time I sold a sponsorship to a strip club: 

    David called me on Monday to inform me it was the biggest night they'd had in ten years - and to invite me to the club "for a VIP experience you'll never forget" (I didn't go). 

     

    Here are the three things I learned from the time I sold a sponsorship to a strip club: 

    1. The customer knows their business far better than we ever will. We have to ask what they want before we build packages. Everything we suggested was wrong for his use case. What got the sale for us was that we gave him all the information and he knew what he wanted. If this were a competitive situation, we would have lost. (I have no doubt he was being coy for a reason given the circumstances) 
    2. Pricing is very difficult and too often  overlooked. To most, including the 12 core sponsors and the standard categories we sold to, what Stars Planet bought wasn't worth much. For his use case, they were the best assets and we underpriced them. We've learned that lesson over and over at TicketManager as well. 
    3. Experience is underrated - and getting more so. He knew his customers and what would work. Analytics, elimination of bias and innovation are necessary. But nearly all of the famous innovators stories had someone with extensive experience involved to help Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook grow in their markets. Whether investors or mentors, they are very public, just not as public as the founders. 

     

    * The three things intent is to share stories of what we've learned along the way. It is not to judge others, preach our beliefs and ethics, or discuss those decisions in the moment. If put in the situation today, I would ask off the deal and wouldn't put our team in that position. But that was a decision made from much higher up nearly 20 years ago. I'm not one to promote gentleman's clubs and am a financial supporter of the International Justice Mission. Please check them out and give if you can. It is a wonderful group changing lives every day. Becoming a Freedom Partner is only $24 a month. 



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-what-i-learned-from-c9d3ddd98d3-50ce-4fcf-aa87-7c59f4fbb031Fri, 26 Mar 2021 15:57:41 GMTTony KnoppWe discuss the business lessons I learned when I sold a boxing sponsorship to a gentleman's club.No353    <![CDATA[We are not our jobs and how identity can wreck havoc on founders - Respect the customer's process in sales - Never root for a candidate]]>1. Our job is not our identity. I played volleyball at a very high level growing up- for Nike, then USC and the U20 US National team. So did my sisters. The whole time, my dad would tell us "You are not a volleyball player. That is not your identity, it is something you do." His wisdom was lost on me but I listened. And it made my transition so much smoother than my teammates. I fell into that trap again the early years of TicketManager - thinking failure would define me b/c TicketManager was my identity. Avoid my mistake. And drop "what do you do" as an early question =) 

    2. The generic inbox is not a waste of time. For a salesperson, hearing "please email 'suppliers@acme.com' or the 'supplier portal' is a blow off…most of the time. Two of our earliest customers, both Fortune 50 companies, came from the generic inbox. One of which I had forgotten I filled out two years earlier. They signed on to become our biggest customer at the time. 

    3. Many great teammates genuinely care about others. It can expose a dangerous hiring flaw: They root for candidates. They're optimistic and want others to be successful. Unfortunately, great people can't save everyone. They have to focus on what drives the best results. A simple rule: if you find yourself rooting for a candidate, time to take a step back and ask: am I confident with the ball in their hands?



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/we-are-not-our-jobs-and-how-identity-6b2657753c0-3481-48d3-9c06-bb2c20872610Fri, 19 Mar 2021 07:00:00 GMTTony KnoppWe explore why it is so important we define our identity and make certain it is not our jobs. We talk about some surprising early wins we got in selling which many are missing And we explore a very common hiring mistake - Rooting for candidatesNo210    <![CDATA[What would you do? The time we were broke and got a miracle $350k check in the mail....by mistake]]>Would You Keep The Money? In early 2009, we were bootstrapping and close to the edge. We had ~$60k in the business. Total Then one day, a customer (a Fortune 100 company) sent us a check, by mistake, for $356k. It was double paying the business done in 2008. Pure profit. A lifesaver. I called the customer to alert them we were sending the check back. They said not to. Too much of an accounting issue. So we suggested keeping on file as a pre-payment. Again, they said not to. It would trigger a major audit which would cost the company far more than the check itself. They said to keep the money. They liked us. They knew we were small. And they didn't want to go through the hassle of getting the check returned. It was a mistake, but one we could benefit from. They were insistent. Here are the three things I learned from the time we got a miracle check in the mail - and what we did with the money. 

    1. How you handle every situation at the beginning of your company/career will shape your decisions in the future. $350k was a ton of money for a company of six people, three of which were not taking any paycheck. The numbers get bigger, but the stakes, and pressures, not get any higher. 

    2. Nothing is ever black and white. That's too easy. Satan dances in the gray area. This was the first time, but definitely not the last we had a very murky situation. 

    3. There are not kudos for doing the right thing. This ain't the movies. Usually those who do the right thing are mocked, fired or left behind. The game is a lot harder when you play it with the 'handicap' of telling the truth and having integrity. And it's worth it. We returned the check. I've proposed this scenario to many entrepreneur meetings, fireside chats and even to an ethics class at Pepperdine over the years. Although it seems like many would return the check when first hearing the story, the majority usually vote to keep it. Remember, he was insistent and sending it back, his company dealt in billions so this was a rounding error, and doing so could cost us his business - he was our second largest customer at the time. There were three of us running the company at the time and the vote was 2 to 1. It came down to a simple thought: He was being entrusted with the public shareholder's money and we didn't feel comfortable taking it.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/what-would-you-do-the-time-we-were-4879f372df7-3c38-44a6-b5f5-5ca49504ab92Fri, 12 Mar 2021 08:00:00 GMTTony KnoppIn 2009 we were broke. We had eight employees, most of which weren't getting paid, and we were struggling. Then, a miracle occurred. A $350k check arrived from one of our biggest customers. By mistake. And they told us to keep it. We explore what we did with the money and what we learned.No232    <![CDATA[What I learned about business in 15 years with my best friend - our puppy, Hula]]>Tough week as we said goodbye to my best friend of 15 years, our puppy Hula. Who was with us for the entire thirteen year plus run of our business. 

    1. Ignore the odds. Hula was born a runt who became a giant. She had a heart murmur, life threatening allergies, and her knees went bad when she was 3. Didn't slow her at all. All businesses are told what our limitations are. Forget them. Heart is all that matters - and she had enough for us all.

     2. Just be there. In our earliest years, I struggled terribly with panic and anxiety which made it so I couldn't sleep. Every night, every single one, Hula would sit by my head and wait for me to fall, and stay, asleep. No advice, no answers- just making it clear I am loved and not alone. It changed (saved) my life and how we all interact together. It wasn't the experts I sought out who helped me, it was Her. 

    3. You can't do it alone. TicketManager has been a success story for so many. People have met here and gotten married. Others have made lifelong friends. And still others have made a lot of money. None of it happens without Her. We don’t get through '08-'10. She carried more weight than anyone will know. Your team isn't just your team - it is the loved ones around them who help them carry their cross. 

    I will miss You terribly 'My Dog My Love.' And am so thankful for our time together



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/what-i-learned-about-business-in-fdd7f8109f2-cb62-4727-8d0c-6b264ddf8d27Fri, 05 Mar 2021 08:00:00 GMTTony KnoppThis past week we lost our family dog, and my best friend, Hula. We discuss what we learned from her in our 15 years together.No347    <![CDATA[Piss soaked fight in the men's room week! What happens when the fight comes to you in business]]>1) Don’t pick fights. Better yet, avoid them at all costs. You never know what the other side has in them and the winner never wins without a cost. In business, too many big companies underestimate start-ups and smaller firms. Some of them have serious fight in them and won't take to bullying. 

    2) Better to be a Warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war. With #1 in mind, know companies will pick fights with you. Big firms will pick on you, talk down about you, and try to flex their size against you. Building your defense is no different than real life: prepare. Stress test your contracts, partnerships and culture. And know that being kind and being a killer when needed for your team are not mutually exclusive. 

    3) Have an impartial system for your internal sales fights. People fight over customers, commissions, queue time et al. We suggest a third party council which can be called on anytime there is an unclear disagreement. Giving your team a fair voice goes further than you think.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/piss-soaked-fight-in-the-mens-room-7fadf05f6c7-2337-4eca-8872-67287ede9521Fri, 26 Feb 2021 08:00:00 GMTTony KnoppWhat happens when the fight comes to you in business?No224    <![CDATA[Mistakes we made while building what became an award winning culture]]>Here are four things we learned in building a team who wins culture awards over and over* 

    1. We learned to stop focusing on how people *should* think and started understanding how they *do* think. Instead of trying to find or create perfect people, we tried to create the best environment for imperfect people to succeed. 

    2. We learned "If you want to be loved, you have to give up trying to being liked" and it changed our leadership style. We stopped trying to be liked by many and started focusing on being loved by our community - for all of our faults and positives alike. It sounds nice, but it ain't for the faint of heart.

     3. We stopped caring if our team 'liked' each other - but demanded they respect one another. Friendships are nice but they are not necessary for success. There are people at our company who I'm not friends with - and I'm quite certain they don't 'like' me - but we respect one another and I trust them. We made it known success is quitting and working backwards from there. How are we helping them get to the place where they will quit successfully for us all and measure ourselves against that goal every single week.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/mistakes-we-made-while-building-what-3884c29544e-78c8-47e9-abf0-ced0e1f3f2f6Fri, 19 Feb 2021 08:00:00 GMTTony KnoppWe discuss all the speedbumps and wrong turns we made on the way to building what would become an award winning culture.No257    <![CDATA[What our feeds are doing to our ability to think and act - The laws of power state winners win while losers lose - When analytics goes wrong]]>Three Things I Learned In SaaS, Sports, Tech and Live Events 1) The algorithm isn't helping young entrepreneurs. There are many influencers offering soundbites tailored to get attention or get you to like them. They are promoted in all our timelines - not just yours - creating a noise, bias and most dangerously- groupthink - while burying useful media. We've found the most applicable advice is a bit controversial and harder to find. Another poll on which WFH model we like is empty carbs. 

    2) When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure. It took us years to engrain this foundation culturally as people today need gamification and instant successes - so they chase measures and not outcomes - and use those measures as justification for lack of performance. Bad companies chase KPI's of the day. Salespeople chase activity numbers. Marketers - vanity metrics. My to do list killed me until it became a progress list. 

    3) Winners Win and Losers lose. In The 48 Laws of Power, #10 is to "avoid the unhappy and the unlucky." Or, as he says more clearly - losers lose for reasons we sometimes don’t see. Avoid them. I've found the converse to be true as well, both in experience and in study. When you find winners, get near them. Overpay them. Know there's more than we're seeing as to why they keep winning. See: Tom Brady



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/what-our-feeds-are-doing-to-our-ability-b4a3e6aea1d-73ee-4137-b2e2-562a50373bdfFri, 12 Feb 2021 08:00:00 GMTTony KnoppWe explore why social feeds like LinkedIn are creating dangerous group think. Talk about Robert Green's 48 Laws Of Power stating losers lose and winners win What happens when the measure becomes the goal and why it doesn't workNo219    <![CDATA[People Vote With Their Feet - Brands Have Incredible Power in Live - Tell Your Loved Ones You Love Their Scars]]>
    1. People vote with their feet. When evaluating a company, supervisor, customer or partner, forget the awards, the posts, the review sites and the trade mag features. Most awards are bought. Most features are in exchange for advertising/favors (we get offered them all the time). Review sites are fake/gamed. Pay attention to the team. Are they moving vertically when leaving? Are they staying? If not, you may have your answer.

    2. Brands are partners, not customers, and the numbers from the NFL enforce it. Too often, live events 'sell to' brands as if they're consumers. They're not. They're using the live event to sell their own products - that's what sponsorship really is - and we just got a ten month stress test on live sports as a marketing tool. Just wait until you see the #'s on engagement and growth these brands get from being there.

    3. Tell them you love their scars. We have people in our lives, personally and professionally, who carry their mistakes and insecurities like weights. They try to hide them. Make sure to let them know those scars aren't liabilities, they're usually why we appreciate them most. I knew I was with the one when she told me what she loved most about me was something I thought a blemish.

    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/people-vote-with-their-feet-brands-91318e29674-973d-4e61-9cb2-3012dbb5e8a7Fri, 05 Feb 2021 08:00:00 GMTTony KnoppThree Things I Learned In SaaS, Sports, Tech and Live Events 1. People vote with their feet. When evaluating a company, supervisor, customer or partner, forget the awards, the posts, the review sites and the trade mag features. Most awards are bought. Most features are in exchange for advertising/favors (we get offered them all the time). Review sites are fake/gamed. Pay attention to the team. Are they moving vertically when leaving? Are they staying? If not, you may have your answer. 2. Brands are partners, not customers, and the numbers from the NFL enforce it. Too often, live events 'sell to' brands as if they're consumers. They're not. They're using the live event to sell their own products - that's what sponsorship really is - and we just got a ten month stress test on live sports as a marketing tool. Just wait until you see the #'s on engagement and growth these brands get from being there. 3. Tell them you love their scars. We have people in our lives, personally and professionally, who carry their mistakes and insecurities like weights. They try to hide them. Make sure to let them know those scars aren't liabilities, they're usually why we appreciate them most. I knew I was with the one when she told me what she loved most about me was something I thought a blemish.No187    <![CDATA[Three Things: GameStop, Wall St Bets & Super Bowl Tickets- We've Seen This Short Game Before...So What Next?]]>Chaos broke out this week when a group of retail investors took to a reddit message board to play a massive short squeeze on Wall St hedge funds using options on highly shorted companies GameStop, AMC, Blackberry, and others. 

     

    Everyone chimed in from Elizabeth Warren to Elon Musk. 

     

    We've seen this kind of short action before in sports business at the 2015 Super Bowl. A summary of what happened with a number of links can be found here: 

     

    That squeeze got so out of control sellers who had sold Super Bowl tickets for $5k each were breaking their orders, paying the marketplaces the money back, then reselling to the speculators who had to cover their losses for $15k+. It  left the original buyers stranded in Arizona without tickets and a flimsy "money back guarantee." 

     

    The marketplaces found themselves where Robinhood is today - having to decide between ethics, survival and what was best for their customers. 

     

    The three things we learned from the infamous speculator squeeze of 2015 and how it forecasts the future for Robinhood, Wall St Bets and Gamestop. 

     

    Much, much more in the video this week with many citations. 

     

    1. The consumer forgets quickly. There are a lot of pundits and competitors out there piling on Robinhood saying they cannot recover trust. Maybe. Maybe not. Robinhood sold out their customers so they could survive. It is that simple. The stakes are much higher than back then, but SeatGeek, TicketNetwork and Vivid Seats did the same- choosing to refund buyers instead of honor their obligations. StubHub and Ticketmaster famously took the losses. Six years later, nobody remembers and the StubHub CEO who did the right thing was out just 24 months later. http://www.espn.com/nfl/playoffs/2014/story/_/id/12255886/hundreds-super-bowl-tickets-fall-through
    2. "Money distorts the truth like a fat hippo in a thong." Robinhood is doing everything they can not to tell the real truth - they couldn't cover the upcoming action and had a liquidity problem. They had little choice. They either went down with the ship or lived to fight another day. Outlier events tank companies like the 2010 World Cup tanked Razor Gator. They did what they had to do. Just know that's what many people do in hard times and plan accordingly. https://www.cnbc.com/id/38428197" 
    3. Behold I send you out as sheep amidst the wolves." In every market there are many who believe the ends justify the means. Their word means nothing. " We all like to believe we'd run into the burning building, but until we feel that heat, we can never know" - Tenet. Every market has a majority who do what they do for money and power at all costs - morality and ethics be damned. Know they're out there. Hedge Funds. Bad guy brokers. Don’t budge. "Better is a little righteousness, than vast revenues without justice." - Proverbs 16:8. The sheep will win in the end. Stick together.  


    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/three-things-gamestop-wall-st-bets-3b1dc2b4b54-5a63-4c28-b7e4-7718a9b03c69Fri, 29 Jan 2021 20:26:34 GMTTony KnoppWe discuss the events in the stock market of the past week and how they apply to the Super Bowl ticket market of 2015. We've seen this before. People got hurt. Brands had to make very difficult decisions choosing between their well-being and their customers well-being. And there wasn't much fallout.No417    <![CDATA[The arms race heats up in sports property consulting - Private equity impact on sports and Super Bowl tickets - Don't sell out. Ever.]]>How private equity money has changed the Super Bowl Ticket market in only 5 years
    and why we won't sell out - and those who suggest as much are worth of ignoring

    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/the-arms-race-heats-up-in-sports-c3ce97b01bc-444c-4c37-bcb8-c880b6ee429aFri, 22 Jan 2021 08:00:00 GMTTony KnoppWe discuss the upcoming arms race in sports property consulting How private equity money has changed the Super Bowl Ticket market in only 5 years and why we won't sell out - and those who suggest as much are worth of ignoringNo163    <![CDATA[Why everything a leader says is scrutinized - Why teams take the credit (and is a good thing) - and how flossing applies to your remote work strategy]]>Three Things I Learned In SaaS, Sports, Tech and Live Events

     

    1) "The only thing I could ever give him credit for is hiring me." Many give little credit to those who enabled their success. I was the same way It's not personal. Just know that's likely how your team sees it and that's a good thing.  (And don't be that person….) 

    2) Only 30% of the population flosses. "So many come in here and, by the looks of their gums, they just started flossing this week to try and trick us." Flossing is cheap, easy, and has painful consequences if not done. How do you think people view that job they don't love? We tried the "trust your people" for a long time. It works, for a few. What's better for us? Clear and measurable metrics to keep us all moving! 

    3) Chekhov's gun is a dramatic principle that every element in a story must be necessary. Your business conversations are no different. Have a purpose in all you do. If we don't, we fall into Hemingway's trap. Ernest mocked Chekhov's gun by introducing unnecessary characters into "The Art of the Short Story" then didn't reference them again. It led to unbridled conjecture. The audience will read into everything you say - even if you don't mean them to. Your team…no different. 



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/why-everything-a-leader-says-is-scrutinized-2f2671bdf25-ca38-44c6-8091-35fc17522b2cFri, 15 Jan 2021 08:00:00 GMTTony KnoppIn today's episode we discuss how Chekhov's gun applies to your business and leadership - hint: everything you say matters We discuss how only 30% of people floss every day and what that has to do with a work-from-home or trust-your-employees strategy And we learn why a great leader makes their team think they did it all themselves. (Lao Tzu)No184    <![CDATA[10 Years to $10mm ARR - How to negotiate with channel partners - Why internal competition is necessary]]>Three Things I Learned In SaaS, Sports, Tech and Live Events 

    1. "10 years to 10m ARR." The social media gurus talk often about the growth rate needed for your saas to be a unicorn. Don't get too roped in by black-and-white approaches to business. We've had a number of successful private equity firms looking for "10 years to 10m in ARR." Many more friends who took that path and eventually became massive success - some unicorns. 

    2. Don't ever pay for meetings. Pay for outcomes. There so many vendors, channel partners, value-added resellers, consultants and the like out there who will want to "help" you sell. Many of them are compensated by meetings or introductions. It's a trap. Say no and offer much more for outcomes. If they won't agree to the terms your sales team does - run. 

    3. Internal competition, denounced and disliked by many in the moment, is necessary and must be encouraged. I lamented constantly fighting for the starting job in my prep and college career in the moment. Looking back now, what a blessing it was. That chip on Tom Brady's shoulder? Google Drew Henson's high school recruitment. Competition internally is good for everyone, even when they don't like it in the moment.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/10-years-to-10mm-arr-how-to-negotiate-b54af7604c9-1629-477b-a74f-ad9bcd781171Sat, 09 Jan 2021 06:54:00 GMTTony KnoppWe discuss very successful exits which don't meet the VC prognosticators social media pressure How to negotiate with channel partners, referral partners, agencies, and executives who promise to sell your product for you (they won't) And we dive into how internal competition has impacted me in my career and how it has created greats like Hall of Famers and Super Bowl champions.No227    <![CDATA[How to cope with the urge to quit. How to assure we don't miss the next big thing. The best snippet I saw in 2020]]>
  • Everybody wants to quit sometimes, especially in the very early days or hard days which many experienced for the first time in 2020. And that's normal. If handled poorly, however, it can be terminal to your business. It happens to every leader no matter the position on the org chart at some point - Check out Numbers 11:10 where Moses quits. I get calls from friends at "the top" regularly. It's imperative to find a safe outlet who isn't involved in the business. Many use YPO, Vista, small groups, therapists or friends
  • Big industry changes happen in bunches. 2021 will bring lots of new ideas, new companies, and ideas as there is such a major societal change. Network with up and coming buisnesses equally with incumbents. It's a critical mistake many made with us. Our incumbent competitors ignored, threatened and mocked us. Many partners did too. We benefited from a similar situation coming out of the '08 meltdown. 
  • My favorite for the year: "You're on a rock going 65,000 mph around the sun. Your entire existence is a miracle. Don’t be afraid." - Jon Gordon. So many layers in business and personally. This was the first full year of the three things. I hope some enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed doing it. Happy New Year! 


    • This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/how-to-cope-with-the-urge-to-quit-7f8ee9d7500-39cc-4bcf-97a3-ab084f4ed25bFri, 01 Jan 2021 19:31:42 GMTTony KnoppWe explore how to cope with the urge to quit when times get tough- especially in the early days of your start-up or career. We discuss our experience in 2008 and 2009 with incumbents as they addressed up and coming new companies and themes. And finally, we start the new year with the best snippet I read in 2020.No178    <![CDATA[How to handle stress and decision making during chaos]]>
    1) If you want to make GOD laugh, tell HIM about your plans. When the world fell apart, we did what we always do - plan for everything. We laid out eight models. Then we got to work. Nine months later? None of those scenarios were close to what happened. That preparation helped a lot. But being flexible was much more useful.

    2) "Life will decide for you." Great advice for nearly every situation. When leading a company, there are never ending decisions - and none of them are easy (as covered earlier-https://www.linkedin.com/posts/anthonyknopp_three-random-things-i-learnedheard-this-activity-6618944043286167553-Ai-d). It is always a good idea to buy time and, often, life will show a clear path.

    3) Make time to set down your cross. In March, our world was falling apart. Every night was sleepless. Loved ones dying and companies disappearing. Having been through 2008, I put a calendar invite to "have a drink and thank the LORD." for December 21st. We made it. Many didn't. Smile. Take a drink, or a smoke, or a deep breath, or whatever it is you do. Then…onward knowing we'll never be tested with what we can't handle (1 Cor 10:13)

    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/how-to-handle-stress-and-decision-6ace590db8a-fe25-4ef6-9bb7-6852b32f48d1Fri, 25 Dec 2020 18:23:28 GMTTony KnoppHow do we handle stress and hard decisions during chaotic events? What helps us center ourselves to make better decisions and stay focused on our long-term life goals? 1) If you want to make GOD laugh, tell HIM about your plans. When the world fell apart, we did what we always do - plan for everything. We laid out eight models. Then we got to work. Nine months later? None of those scenarios were close to what happened. That preparation helped a lot. But being flexible was much more useful. 2) "Life will decide for you." Great advice for nearly every situation. When leading a company, there are never ending decisions - and none of them are easy (as covered earlier-https://www.linkedin.com/posts/anthonyknopp_three-random-things-i-learnedheard-this-activity-6618944043286167553-Ai-d). It is always a good idea to buy time and, often, life will show a clear path. 3) Make time to set down your cross. In March, our world was falling apart. Every night was sleepless. Loved ones dying and companies disappearing. Having been through 2008, I put a calendar invite to "have a drink and thank the LORD." for December 21st. We made it. Many didn't. Smile. Take a drink, or a smoke, or a deep breath, or whatever it is you do. Then…onward knowing we'll never be tested with what we can't handle (1 Cor 10:13)No177    <![CDATA[How Did You Know When To Start Your Own Business?]]>We explore what led us to start our own company including

    1. The most common question asked is "how did you do this." Truth is, I dont know. The answer I keep coming back to: we were willing to make a lot of mistakes and, once we jumped, the economy collapsed and we didn't have any choice but to continue
    2. The driving force was fear of regret. We talked about it often. We were more afraid of ending our careers working for somebody else and wondering 'what if.' It trumped all else, good and bad. If we ended up there, at least we tried. 
    3. It can't be a side hustle. We did a few of those and there are a lot of successes that way. We would have failed. Put aside six months of untouchable cash in case you fail (we didn't- stupid mistake) and then remove the safety net. Your will to survive will surprise you. 


    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/how-did-you-know-when-to-start-your-83e5dd0fbbb-339a-4c3a-a933-078b2496ad3aFri, 18 Dec 2020 08:00:00 GMTTony KnoppWe explore what led us to finally start our own business and tips we'd give a new entrepreneurNo226    <![CDATA[Should I Take a Ticket Sales Job? Should I Take an SDR Job In Tech?]]>Should I take a Ticket Sales or SDR job edition.

     

    A common piece of advice when starting your career is to find what you love and get your foot in the door. There are a lot of examples - Jack Welch at GE, Erik Spoelstra of the HEAT, Bill Belichick of the Patriots, Barry Diller etc. Businesses and teams use these inspirational anomalies to recruit. 

     

    I started in a Ticket Sales job and I've managed SDR's for 15 years. Three things I learned about taking a ticket sales/tech SDR job

     

    1. If you don't want to sell for your career - not IN your career- FOR your career, do not take an SDR job. The most common mistake made. It is a sure fire way to failure. It's okay to not love sales or even to be good at it. 

     

    2. Stay away from the Hunger Games. A common, and lazy, approach is to hire a large class of underpaid kids and promise the top few will get promoted. Add in the gossip, favoritism and nepotism, and it makes them death traps for careers.

     

    3. Nothing matters more than reputation - both company and department. At many firms, SDRs are viewed as second rater citizens. They'll never tell you this in the interview, but it limits upward mobility



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/should-i-take-a-ticket-sales-job-4e0973013b2-df12-44e4-ad18-c65485b89863Fri, 11 Dec 2020 16:28:29 GMTTony KnoppWe discuss what we've learned about taking entry level ticket sales jobs, what an SDR should look for in a technology sales opportunity and how these decisions impact our careers.No368    <![CDATA[How To Deliver Bad News To A Team - The Infamous "Promotion, Promotion, Promotion....Cinnamon Rolls" Meeting]]>Promotion, promotion, promotion, cinnamon roll edition.  

     

    How Not To Deliver Bad News  

     

    In spring 2004 it was clear an NHL work stoppage was coming. Our team of 20+ salespeople sold full-time through the summer. Then we hoped for a season. As the games were cancelled, we "lost" the commission we would have earned. Finally, the season was cancelled and a meeting called the next morning for an hour earlier than our start time.  

     

    Finally there would be answers. How would commission be handled? Were we being furloughed? Laid-off? When?

     

    The room was set up with 6 managers in the front, the rest in a U around the room and plates of cinnamon rolls in the middle. It was the single most tone deaf experience in my career as management announced promotions for one another  giving them new revenue streams to manage and raises while we'd all just lost tens of thousands.  

     

    It concluded with management smiling and  encouraging us to "enjoy the cinnamon rolls!"  

     

    That meeting shaped my career. Three things I learned- all applicable today:  

     

    1) Never announce your own good fortune to a team getting no benefit from it. It ruins morale and serves no benefit. That includes the self-aggrandizing individual achievement press releases and posts.  

     

    2) If you get a "cinnamon roll," it's time to go find somewhere you're appreciated elsewhere.  

     

    3) Always be learning. As Matthew McConaughey says: To find out who you are you can first decide who you are not. Nobody on any team I serve will ever feel like that. Ever.  

     

    The story has a happy ending. Three of us did leave- two are CEOs of $100mm+ businesses and another is a multi-millionaire.  

     

    Oh….and I didn't eat any cinnamon rolls. (And if you know me, you know I LOVE cinnamon rolls).



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/how-to-deliver-bad-news-to-a-team-83402e56f0d-fb59-441b-9d39-535fe32664b6Fri, 04 Dec 2020 12:43:00 GMTTony KnoppWe recall the worst run meeting we've ever been and what we learned about delivering bad news to your team. The three things we learned from the 2004-05 NHL Hockey lock-out.No135    <![CDATA[Why Optimists Grow Your Career While Pessimists Kill It - Find The Resilient & Stay Near Them - Always Play The Long Game]]>2020 Thanksgiving Thankful For Edition 1. Optimists. Cycles happen and that's when the tough get going. It's also when the paralyzed, the pessimists and the naysayers get loud. I'm thankful for those who don't accept what's "supposed to be." I've learned they will lift your career to the highest highs. There aren't many of them as it's always easier to be a pessimist. Pessimism isn't fun, even when you win. 2. The resilient. We work in live events. And here we are, still standing on Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for our team and investors. When we went through our hiring and capital raise processes, we had mentors who demanded discipline which seemed overdone- even moving us away from some flashy VCs and hires. Character matters and is too often overlooked for price 3. Patience. Cycles, in the moment, feel like forever. In the grand scheme of things, they're not. Ten months without pay in 2004 felt like a lifetime. 14 months in 2008/09 broke me. I shouldn't have let it. This is a long cycle, but in the course of a 45 year career, it's a blip. I learned to play the long game years ago. I hope you do too. Ignore all those out there looking for a quick Covid buck. Play the long game.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/why-optimists-grow-your-career-while-f7c04cbb7dd-2801-4541-8a81-2a9d9b6ce461Fri, 27 Nov 2020 12:44:00 GMTTony KnoppIn our Thanksgiving 2020 episode, we share what we are thankful for during this crazy pandemic year and how these blessings have helped our career and our business.No144    <![CDATA[Avoid Hiring Other Company's Bad Habits - How To Hire Loyalty]]>Three random things I learned/heard this week in saas, sports, tech, and live events: 1) "Don't hire other company's bad habits." Erika Nardini of Barstool caused a stir when putting an SDR on blast for a poorly written solicitation email*. Where you learn your craft matters. It is not the SDR's fault her company is teaching crappy habits. But it is hurting her development and stalling her ability to grow her career. Worse, the experience SDRs gain is what they 'sell' to their next employer. Make it worthwhile 

    2) In 2001, I got my first job in July. 9/11 hit sixty days in. In 2004, My pay got cut 75% for ten months due to the hockey lockout. In 2008, we were only one year into our new co. when it all fell down and our investor jumped ship. We didn't make any money personally for 14 months. In 2020, well we all know that story. And our generation has had it easiest of all. Find the resilient - especially now 

    3) "Hearts and minds. You can buy a person's hands. You can buy a person's back. But hearts and minds are only given voluntarily." With all the layoffs, furloughs and pay cuts, this saying has never been more important. The live events industry is gonna see who was buying culture awards and who was actually winning em when the lights come back on.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/avoid-hiring-other-companys-bad-habits-62e2be06541-7d7b-40c0-97c7-36c8e97c539cFri, 20 Nov 2020 12:50:00 GMTTony KnoppWe dive into Barstool Sports CEO Erika Nardini's "Rachelgate" - where she put a Sales Development Rep (SDR) on blast for a bad email - and why bad habits cost years of development. We talk about hard times in careers, what we learn from them, and how to hire loyal and resilient team mates. And we share a great piece of advice from a multiple time CEO which may expose some companies who have been buying "best places to work" awards instead of winning them.No180    <![CDATA[How to treat competitors - One person off script can kill a deal - Some life advice from Mama Knopp about fitting in]]>
    We explore how just one person off script can kill a deal and how that happened to Nike with the future two-time MVP Steph Curry (and us with FedEx)

    Finally we share a story about trying to fit in during middle school and some life advice which changed how we viewed friendship and business.

    1) Treat competition with respect. It's not unlikely you'll end up teammates down the road
    2) It just takes one person off script to kill a deal. Ask "Steve" Curry
    3) Surround yourself with those who fill your cup. Especially when looking at what's next

    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/how-to-treat-competitors-one-person-8b22ee777b3-95d7-4584-a778-41e1d741010eFri, 06 Nov 2020 17:56:00 GMTTony KnoppIn this week's episode, we discuss how to view your competition, and how they likely view view. We explore how just one person off script can kill a deal and how that happened to Nike with the future two-time MVP Steph Curry (and us with FedEx) Finally we share a story about trying to fit in during middle school and some life advice which changed how we viewed friendship and business. 1) Treat competition with respect. It's not unlikely you'll end up teammates down the road 2) It just takes one person off script to kill a deal. Ask "Steve" Curry 3) Surround yourself with those who fill your cup. Especially when looking at what's nextNo170    <![CDATA[The difference between networking & selling - What to do with tough feedback - Hard convos coming in the NBA]]>
    We get tough feedback from our teams. We discuss how to handle it and what to do with it.

    And finally, the NBA is coming back December 22nd and there are some hard convos on the way if fans are to return

    1) Hard conversations on the way in the NBA
    2) Consider the source of feedback before making decisions - especially in the job search
    3) Networking vs Selling

    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/the-difference-between-networking-291fcc2454a-7a48-402d-b1d4-676767a15338Fri, 30 Oct 2020 14:07:00 GMTTony KnoppWe explore the often misunderstood difference between networking and selling and why it separates great salespeople from good ones. We get tough feedback from our teams. We discuss how to handle it and what to do with it. And finally, the NBA is coming back December 22nd and there are some hard convos on the way if fans are to return 1) Hard conversations on the way in the NBA 2) Consider the source of feedback before making decisions - especially in the job search 3) Networking vs SellingNo175    <![CDATA[How and why to do due diligence - Only hire who you can work for - Pressure is a privilege]]>
    We discuss what our role is as a leader when hiring a team.

    And we learn that pressure is a privilege for only a select few.

    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/how-and-why-to-do-due-diligence-only-6ab9f9455c2-ed1b-42e1-ab79-2d809c11909eFri, 23 Oct 2020 14:24:00 GMTTony KnoppWe explore how and why due diligence is so important to all we do and what that's meant in our journey. We discuss what our role is as a leader when hiring a team. And we learn that pressure is a privilege for only a select few.No191    <![CDATA[How to view SPACs in sports - How to get real information on companies selling - Why to be authentic with your team no matter what]]>Three Random Things I Learned In SaaS, Sports, Tech & Live Events for the week of October 15th, 2020. The three things is a collection of weekly ideas, notes and experiences we have while building businesses in enterprise software as a service, the sports industry, technology, and live events. Real advice from real entrepreneurs we hope can help others along the way. 

    1. SPACs and sports 

    2. The Spin Zone 

    3. Authenticity, Hypocrisy and Culture



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/how-to-view-spacs-in-sports-how-to-486f0c08a14-a9bf-4528-9559-da58a5b7bb31Fri, 16 Oct 2020 15:10:00 GMTTony KnoppWe explore how the recent explosion in SPACs will impact sports and sports technology over the coming years How you can get real information on company sales despite the many misleading headlines where mediocre deals and returns are represented as huge wins or mutual partings of ways And why we've chosen to be authentic with our team no matter what. There is too much hypocrisy out there and it is a major differentiator for your team.No212    <![CDATA[NBA Finals Sagging Ratings - How To Approach Intellectual Property - China's Live Events Resurgence]]>
    Why China's post-Covid tourism resurgence doesn't signal the same for the North American live events industry.

    And thoughts and advice on your new groundbreaking idea and how to 'protect' it.

    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/nba-finals-sagging-ratings-how-to-f21d656a6f0-1aa0-45b4-b1e4-05f5d58016a4Fri, 09 Oct 2020 16:52:00 GMTTony KnoppIn this episode we discuss the NBA's sagging finals ratings. Why China's post-Covid tourism resurgence doesn't signal the same for the North American live events industry. And thoughts and advice on your new groundbreaking idea and how to 'protect' it.No245    <![CDATA[Everyone In Business Has Imposter Syndrome - What's You & What's Your Brand - Why To Keep A Journal]]>
    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/everyone-in-business-has-imposter-7fb207e646b-5b08-4840-bcef-272865a6a263Fri, 02 Oct 2020 17:11:00 GMTTony KnoppWe discuss Imposter Syndrome, how to understand whether you're getting the attention or if the brand is opening doors for you (hint: it's often the brand) and why keeping a journal has been great for us.No211    <![CDATA[How To Handle The Haters - What To Expect In Court - How Live Events Pros Should Handle The Shutdown]]>2. "Do you really want to leave this decision to a politician in a costume" - some of the best advice I've gotten on lawsuits
    3. If you build something beautiful others only have two choices 1) build their own or 2) tear it down. How do we handle the haters.

    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/how-to-handle-the-haters-what-to-ab97103c46a-aae6-486b-b80d-60422f7b7a68Fri, 25 Sep 2020 15:22:00 GMTTony Knopp1. Live events professionals cannot stall out. We need to move while events are on pause 2. "Do you really want to leave this decision to a politician in a costume" - some of the best advice I've gotten on lawsuits 3. If you build something beautiful others only have two choices 1) build their own or 2) tear it down. How do we handle the haters.No101    <![CDATA[Why Time Is A Salesperson's Most Costly Asset - How Distraction Ruins A Company - Seek Out The No's]]>1. Time is all that matters to great salespeople. They don't "have to make 500 calls," they know they only "have" ~500 calls before time expires. They don't even look at activity stats. Once they see the world through the time lense, they prioritize what closes deals. They don't waste time on people who can't say yes. They get to No quickly. They ruthlessly eliminate busywork. Like Bill Walsh says - "The score will take care of itself" 

    2. Why use destruction when distraction works better. "If I were Satan, I wouldn't destroy the church with big bombs. I would distract them with the two to three things they disagree on so they didn't pay attention to the hundreds they do agree on. Little bombs over and over. Then, they'll destroy themselves." Yikes. We've seen dynasty's crumble over the little bombs. Teams, countries and businesses. Covid is hurting us all so badly but we have to keep our attention on the little bombs. 

    3. Find someone close to you who cares about you enough to tell you No. We're so blessed as entrepreneurs to have done this for so long. As such, we get contacted about ideas- many of which won't work. It's so hard to say no for two reasons: 1) it hurts feelings and 2) even if you're right, many will dislike you for it.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/why-time-is-a-salespersons-most-costly-87405c64083-1b59-4a2e-99f3-971892ad789bFri, 18 Sep 2020 15:36:00 GMTTony KnoppIn this episode we discuss how a number one salesperson views time and their calendar. Why small differences, not the big ones, tear our companies, and our communities, apart And who we must surround ourselves with so we can hear the word No when we need to.No345    <![CDATA[We All Pay the Sins Of The Past - Why Equity Is Common In Partnerships - Use Bad Incentives To Win]]>
    We talk about how partnerships are no longer only about the money with incumbents taking equity stakes in their new business partners

    And we share how the bad sales and marketing incentives of your competition are your best advantage

    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/we-all-pay-the-sins-of-the-past-why-24e898e3b18-caee-43b6-a7a2-df68a6c4e758Fri, 04 Sep 2020 07:00:00 GMTTony KnoppIn this episode we discuss how our business will always pay for the sins of others in the past, and how we can adapt We talk about how partnerships are no longer only about the money with incumbents taking equity stakes in their new business partners And we share how the bad sales and marketing incentives of your competition are your best advantageNo309    <![CDATA[How To Handle Business Mortality - Wisdom Learned Through Young Heartbreak - What Your Team Is Saying About You When You're Not Around]]>
    We share some lifelong, and simple, wisdom learned through young heartbreak

    And finally, we discuss what your team is saying about you when you're not around - and an exercise to make us all better

    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/how-to-handle-business-mortality-22a319938ac-79af-44d1-84ba-99ad3e352de8Fri, 28 Aug 2020 07:00:00 GMTTony KnoppWe discuss how to cope with the fear of zero when starting and growing a business. We share some lifelong, and simple, wisdom learned through young heartbreak And finally, we discuss what your team is saying about you when you're not around - and an exercise to make us all betterNo254    <![CDATA[How "Ladder Leapers" Hurt Business - How to Lose Business - Never Fear Executives, Sell to Them]]>
    We share our experiences losing bids and how the many times we won their business later

    and we help sales people understand why selling to executives is what differentiates big time salespeople from the also-rans.

    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/how-ladder-leapers-hurt-business-aadf3629883-aac5-497c-9640-de6147509cceFri, 31 Jul 2020 07:00:00 GMTTony KnoppIn this episode we discuss how to handle "Ladder Leapers" when selling into big companies. We share our experiences losing bids and how the many times we won their business later and we help sales people understand why selling to executives is what differentiates big time salespeople from the also-rans.No206    <![CDATA[Welcome To The Three Things I Learned In SaaS, Sports, Tech & Live Events]]>
    The Three Things is a journal of our experiences building a sports technology SaaS from a three man garage band with our own money to a $100 million dollar industry leader.

    In the welcome podcast we discuss why we do the Three Things, what we hope to share and who we are.

    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tonyknopp.substack.com]]>    https://tonyknopp.substack.com/p/welcome-to-the-three-things-i-learned-da9f8e7afd6-2752-4e89-ab51-320588949fdbFri, 24 Jul 2020 07:00:00 GMTTony KnoppWelcome to the Three Things I Learned In SaaS, Sports, Tech & Live Events! The Three Things is a journal of our experiences building a sports technology SaaS from a three man garage band with our own money to a $100 million dollar industry leader. In the welcome podcast we discuss why we do the Three Things, what we hope to share and who we are.No338