The Community Flywheel Behind Spikeball’s Massive Growth | Chris Ruder

The Community Flywheel Behind Spikeball’s Massive Growth | Chris Ruder

Chris Ruder didn't invent Spikeball. He resurrected it. After discovering that the game had disappeared from store shelves, Chris and a group of friends set out to bring it back as a side project. Eighteen years later, Spikeball has grown into a global brand, a thriving community, and a sport played everywhere from college campuses to ESPN tournaments. In this episode of What to Do Next, host David Segal talks with Chris about the decision to bootstrap the company, the challenges of navigating Spikeball's post-COVID inventory crisis, and what he's learned from nearly two decades of building the business. They discuss the psychology of entrepreneurship, what Shark Tank was really like behind the scenes, why community matters more than competition, and why Chris ultimately chose to separate the sport of roundnet from the Spikeball brand. — Brought to you by: Highbeam—Grow your brand with Highbeam’s cash management platform: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.highbeam.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.highbeam.com/] — Where to find Chris Ruder: • X: https://x.com/spikeballchris [https://x.com/spikeballchris] • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisruder [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisruder]  • Website: https://www.spikeball.com [https://www.spikeball.com] Where to find David Segal:  • Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.highbeam.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.highbeam.com/]  • YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@wtdn.podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@wtdn.podcast]  • LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-segal-80b6079⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-segal-80b6079] — Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (01:13) How Chris resurrected Spikeball after it disappeared for 17 years (04:07) Why Chris chose slow, bootstrapped growth over outside capital (05:56) From record growth to excess inventory: Spikeball's post-COVID reckoning (11:20) Why Spikeball rewards community builders instead of winners (14:07) Why casual players are critical to growing the sport (15:46) From side hustle to going all in on Spikeball (20:03) Managing the highs and lows of entrepreneurship (25:29) Spikeball on Shark Tank (29:58) Lessons from managing inventory (32:40) The debate over discounting and brand value (35:38) How to build community by facilitating, not controlling it (43:48) Why Chris separated the sport from the Spikeball brand (49:57) Lightning round  — Referenced: • Spikeball: https://www.spikeball.com [https://www.spikeball.com] • Warren Buffett on X: https://x.com/WarrenBuffett [https://x.com/WarrenBuffett] • Live Nation: https://www.livenation.com [https://www.livenation.com] • Graham Weaver’s website: https://www.grahamweaver.com [https://www.grahamweaver.com] • Shark Tank: https://abc.com/show/535e2b07-18a9-4d94-9803-9ed8257b9d23 [https://abc.com/show/535e2b07-18a9-4d94-9803-9ed8257b9d23] • Mark Cuban on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mark-cuban-06a0755b [http://linkedin.com/in/mark-cuban-06a0755b]  • Daymond John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daymondjohn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/daymondjohn] • Shark Tank Season 6 Finale: Spikeball, Shark Wheel & More: https://www.sharktankblog.com/shark-tank/shark-tank-episodes/shark-tank-season-6-episodes/episode-623-season-6-finale [https://www.sharktankblog.com/shark-tank/shark-tank-episodes/shark-tank-season-6-episodes/episode-623-season-6-finale] • NYC Roundnet on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nycroundnet [https://www.instagram.com/nycroundnet] • SD Roundnet: https://sandiegosocialleagues.org/spikeball [https://sandiegosocialleagues.org/spikeball] • Titan set: https://www.spikeball.com/products/titan-set [https://www.spikeball.com/products/titan-set] • Paris Saint-Germain: https://www.psg.fr [https://www.psg.fr] • CrossFit: https://www.crossfit.com [https://www.crossfit.com]  • Rollerblade: https://www.rollerblade.com [https://www.rollerblade.com] • Mary Horwath’s website: https://www.maryhorwath.com [https://www.maryhorwath.com]  • James Naismith: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Naismith [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Naismith]  • Yeti: https://www.yeti.com [https://www.yeti.com]

Fired for Being "Too Disruptive"—Then Built America's Fastest-Selling Backpack | Marcus Harvey

Marcus Harvey got fired from his first job out of college for being too disruptive. Instead of looking for another job, he decided to build something of his own. Before launching Portland Gear, Marcus bought the @Portland Instagram account and began building a community around the city he loved. What started as an Instagram page eventually became one of the Pacific Northwest's most recognizable lifestyle brands, growing from apparel and pop-ups into retail stores, travel gear, and a devoted customer base. In this episode of What to Do Next, host David Segal talks with Marcus about building a community before building a business, bootstrapping one step at a time, buying out his first investor, and expanding beyond Portland without losing the brand's identity. They also discuss Marcus's approach to evaluating opportunities, why he embraces disruption, why he has no regrets about the mistakes he's made, and the financial discipline that has helped Portland Gear grow on its own terms. — Brought to you by: Highbeam—Grow your brand with Highbeam’s cash management platform: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.highbeam.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.highbeam.com/] — Where to find Marcus Harvey: • X: https://x.com/marcusharvey [https://x.com/marcusharvey]  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcusharveypdx [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcusharveypdx] • Book: Product of the People: How Portland Gear Harnessed the Pride of Rose City: https://www.amazon.com/Product-People-Portland-Harnessed-Pride/dp/1544536119 [https://www.amazon.com/Product-People-Portland-Harnessed-Pride/dp/1544536119] Where to find David Segal:  • Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.highbeam.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.highbeam.com/]  • YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@wtdn.podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@wtdn.podcast]  • LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-segal-80b6079⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-segal-80b6079] — Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (01:06) Portland Gear’s origin story (04:51) Why Marcus started with an audience before a product (08:31) Why Marcus paid for the @Portland Instagram account  (10:38) Turning @Portland into a business (13:01) Buying out his first investor and rethinking fundraising (16:36) Finding support as a founder  (20:16) Why Marcus plays the long game  (21:46) Why Marcus embraces disruption (23:08) Why Marcus chose to open a retail store  (25:50) Why Portland Gear doesn’t manufacture in Portland  (27:20) Growing beyond Portland while staying true to the brand (29:22) How Portland Gear approaches growth opportunities (31:32) The pros and cons of working with a close friend (33:04) Why he has no regrets  (34:48) Minimizing losses from flawed inventory (38:33) Marcus's approach to financial discipline (42:17) Lightning round  — Referenced: • Portland Gear: https://portlandgear.com [https://portlandgear.com] • Nike: https://www.nike.com [https://www.nike.com] • Wieden + Kennedy: https://www.wk.com [https://www.wk.com] • Columbia: https://www.columbia.com [https://www.columbia.com] • Shark Tank: https://abc.com/show/535e2b07-18a9-4d94-9803-9ed8257b9d23 [https://abc.com/show/535e2b07-18a9-4d94-9803-9ed8257b9d23] • WeWork: https://www.wework.com [https://www.wework.com] • Vistage: https://www.vistage.com [https://www.vistage.com] • YPO: https://www.ypo.org [https://www.ypo.org] • Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike: https://www.amazon.com/Shoe-Dog-Memoir-Creator-Nike/dp/1501135910 [https://www.amazon.com/Shoe-Dog-Memoir-Creator-Nike/dp/1501135910] • How Cuts Clothing Hit $400M by Mastering the One Thing Most Founders Ignore: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v97Y_0lcMLk [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v97Y_0lcMLk]

The Playbook Behind Original Grain’s 8-Figure Growth: Kickstarter, Facebook Ads, and Brand Storytelling | Ryan Beltran

Ryan Beltran moved to China to learn how products get made, immersing himself in the manufacturing world long before he had a clear business idea. That experience became the foundation for Original Grain, the watch brand he co-founded that went on to become one of Kickstarter’s largest fashion campaigns at the time. In this episode of What to Do Next, host David Segal talks with Ryan Beltran about his decision to move to China and learn manufacturing from the ground up, the moment he discovered the idea that became Original Grain, and the lessons he’s learned building the business. They discuss early pricing and marketing decisions, what Ryan would do differently if he were starting today, how he approaches supplier and licensing relationships, and how he is thinking about testing new categories and influencer partnerships. — Brought to you by: Highbeam—Grow your brand with Highbeam’s cash management platform: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.highbeam.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.highbeam.com/] — Where to find Ryan Beltran: • X: https://x.com/ryanbeltran [https://x.com/ryanbeltran] • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-beltran [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-beltran] • Website: https://www.originalgrain.com [https://www.originalgrain.com] Where to find David Segal:  • Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.highbeam.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.highbeam.com/]  • YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@wtdn.podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@wtdn.podcast]  • LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-segal-80b6079⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-segal-80b6079] — Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (00:52) An overview of Original Grain (01:55) Why Ryan moved to China to learn manufacturing (05:47) Meeting “China Mike” and building connections in China (08:18) Ryan’s early ideation process (10:58) Discovering the sample that sparked Original Grain (13:12) Selling at the Canton Fair and launching on Kickstarter (16:55) Why Original Grain initially sold product bundles (18:38) Early pricing and marketing strategies (20:36) What Ryan would do differently today, and what held him back early on (24:46) Building relationships with suppliers (26:20) Original Grain’s brand partnerships and how licensing works (32:02) How Original Grain got into reclaimed materials  (35:20) The challenges of licensing the Golden State Warriors (37:50) How licensing deals work (38:53) An early mistake with leather watch bands (40:11) Balancing expansion into new categories with doubling down on the core business (42:00) The typical sales cycle of a generational watch brand (43:42) Ryan’s new approach to influencer partnerships using Trybe (46:25) Lightning round — Referenced: • Original Grain: https://www.originalgrain.com [https://www.originalgrain.com] • The Portland Trail Blazers: https://www.nba.com/blazers [https://www.nba.com/blazers] • The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich: https://www.amazon.com/4-Hour-Workweek-Escape-Live-Anywhere/dp/0307465357 [https://www.amazon.com/4-Hour-Workweek-Escape-Live-Anywhere/dp/0307465357] • Alibaba: https://www.alibaba.com [https://www.alibaba.com] • Canton Fair: https://www.cantonfair.org.cn [https://www.cantonfair.org.cn] • CES: https://www.ces.tech [https://www.ces.tech] • Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com [https://www.kickstarter.com] • Andrew Beltran on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-beltran-15344597 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-beltran-15344597] • Original Grain Kickstarter Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA-qOuU40dc [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA-qOuU40dc] • Fossil: https://www.fossil.com [https://www.fossil.com] • Seiko: https://www.seikowatches.com [https://www.seikowatches.com] • Casio: https://www.casio.com [https://www.casio.com] • Timex: https://timex.com [https://timex.com] • Swatch: https://www.swatch.com [https://www.swatch.com] • Shopify: https://www.shopify.com [https://www.shopify.com] • Jelly Roll’s website: https://jellyroll615.com [https://jellyroll615.com] • Jelly Roll joins OG: https://www.tiktok.com/@original_grain/video/7484373355844652334 [https://www.tiktok.com/@original_grain/video/7484373355844652334] • Bob Marley Exodus watch: https://www.originalgrain.com/products/bob-marley-exodus [https://www.originalgrain.com/products/bob-marley-exodus] • Rolex on Acquired: https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/rolex [https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/rolex] • Trybe: https://jointrybe.com [https://jointrybe.com] • Lukas Pakter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukas-pakter-402117204 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukas-pakter-402117204] • Ridge Wallet: https://ridge.com [https://ridge.com] • Real Tree: https://realtree.com [https://realtree.com] • Seth Godin’s website: https://www.sethgodin.com [https://www.sethgodin.com]

I Quit a $500K Salary to Sell Supplements — Here's What No One Tells You About Starting Over

Novisa Petrusich, CFO and co-founder of Graymatter, left a high-paying career in finance to help build Graymatter, a plant-based cognitive supplement company offering a natural alternative to traditional stimulants for improved focus and mental clarity. In this episode of What to Do Next, Novisa joins host David Segal to talk about the operational realities of building a modern consumer brand. He shares how Graymatter navigated a manufacturer's bankruptcy shortly after the founders went all in on the business, how the company approaches forecasting and inventory risk, and why customer segmentation became central to its growth strategy. Novisa also reflects on applying his finance background to the realities of operating a consumer business, what he has learned while scaling Graymatter, and how the company thinks about brand, positioning, and long-term growth. — Brought to you by: Highbeam—Grow your brand with Highbeam’s cash management platform: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.highbeam.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.highbeam.com/] — Where to find Novisa Petrusich: • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/novi_p [https://www.instagram.com/novi_p]  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/novisa-m-petrusich-ba5358118 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/novisa-m-petrusich-ba5358118] Where to find David Segal:  • Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.highbeam.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.highbeam.com/]  • YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@wtdn.podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@wtdn.podcast]  • LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-segal-80b6079⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-segal-80b6079] — Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (01:15) An overview of Graymatter (02:25) Novisa’s background (03:30) How Novisa met Jim and cofounded Graymatter (07:58) Quitting their jobs to go all in on Graymatter (14:38) Saving their manufacturer after a bankruptcy crisis (18:54) Graymatter’s contingency plans (20:47) How Graymatter’s forecasting limits inventory risk (23:20) Maintaining safety stock with the supplier (25:20) How Novisa and Jim complement each other across product, finance, and go-to-market (27:15) How Graymatter identified its three ICPs (34:49) Turning customer data into insights  (35:38) How Novisa learned to think like a CFO (39:24) The value of a beginner’s mindset (41:19) What’s next for Graymatter (43:00) Graymatter’s backup plans if channels fail (45:02) Leveraging AI to scale  (47:04) Novisa’s strengths, and what he’s still learning (50:56) Lightning round — Referenced: • Graymatter: https://trygraymatter.com [https://trygraymatter.com] • PwC: https://www.pwc.com [https://www.pwc.com] • Shopify: https://www.shopify.com [https://www.shopify.com] • Klaviyo: https://www.klaviyo.com [https://www.klaviyo.com] • Jim Phillips on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-phillips-5978827 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-phillips-5978827] • Charm: https://info.charm.io [https://info.charm.io] • Jimmy Hugill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-hugill [https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-hugill] • Driver: https://www.driver.ai [https://www.driver.ai] • The Way: https://www.thewayapp.com [https://www.thewayapp.com] • Athletic Greens: https://drinkag1.com [https://drinkag1.com] • Nik Sharma’s website: https://www.nik.co [https://www.nik.co]

From Navy SEAL to $100M Founder: The Craziest Double Life in Business | Bear Handlon (Founder, Born Primitive)

For eight years, Bear Handlon [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bear-handlon-699688152/] was running a fast-growing apparel company while serving as an active-duty Navy SEAL, taking supplier calls at 2 a.m. and wiring seven-figure payments between missions. In this episode of What to Do Next, I sit down with Bear, cofounder and CEO of Born Primitive [https://bornprimitive.com], to talk about what it actually took to build the business in those early years, from going six years without paying himself to nearly breaking the company with a single inventory mistake. We get into how he learned to hire and delegate after early missteps, why brand identity became a forcing function as the company scaled, and how Born Primitive expanded from a single product into multiple categories across fitness, tactical, and outdoor. — Brought to you by: Highbeam—Grow your brand with Highbeam’s cash management platform: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.highbeam.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.highbeam.com/] — Where to find Bear Handlon: • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bearhandlon [https://www.instagram.com/bearhandlon] • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bear-handlon-699688152 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bear-handlon-699688152] • Website: https://bornprimitive.com [https://bornprimitive.com] Where to find David Segal:  • Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.highbeam.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.highbeam.com/]  • YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@wtdn.podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@wtdn.podcast]  • LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-segal-80b6079⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-segal-80b6079] — Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (01:00) What Born Primitive is and how it started (02:53) How Bear balanced building a company with serving as an active duty Navy SEAL (09:13) Bear’s advice for aspiring entrepreneurs (11:53) Difficult points in the journey of Born Primitive (16:08) How they turned things around after a major inventory mistake (20:10) What Bear learned about hiring, delegating, and scaling (22:44) Born Primitive’s hiring philosophy: hire slow, fire fast (24:04) From sports bras to expanding into new categories (36:11) How Bear adjusted to civilian life (38:00) Brand identity and culture at Born Primitive (40:39) What Bear learned at Red Bull about building a brand identity (42:39) What Bear learned about sticking to an identity, even when it means losing customers (45:53) Born Primitive’s philanthropy (50:15) How Bear and Mallory’s personalities shaped Born Primitive’s brand (52:18) Applying principles of land warfare to business (56:37) Which SEAL habits Bear had to let go of (58:26) Lightning round — Referenced: • CrossFit: https://www.crossfit.com [https://www.crossfit.com] • Mallory Riley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallory-riley-a02832105 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallory-riley-a02832105] • American Eagle: https://www.ae.com [https://www.ae.com] • Red Bull: https://www.redbull.com [https://www.redbull.com] • Thin Blue Line apparel: https://bornprimitive.com/collections/first-responder-blue [https://bornprimitive.com/collections/first-responder-blue] • Black Rifle Coffee Company: https://www.blackriflecoffee.com [https://www.blackriflecoffee.com] • Leadership and Decision-Making Under Pressure: https://www.masterclass.com/certificates/leadership-and-decision-making-under-pressure [https://www.masterclass.com/certificates/leadership-and-decision-making-under-pressure]