In The Arena
In The Arena is where entrepreneurs and leaders share stories of the biggest crises of their careers and lives – and how they made it through. Host (and founder herself) Jesse Genet goes beyond the headlines to interview leaders about the most challenging moments they've ever faced. Most importantly, leaders share how they bounced back from the brink, offering advice, mental frameworks, and earned wisdom for any aspiring leader.
Recent Episodes
E10: Match Group’s Sam Yagan on Unexpectedly Becoming the CEO of the Public Company that Acquired You
Aug. 23, 2023
Today we are thrilled to have Sam Yagan, co-founder of OKCupid and ultimately the CEO of Match Group through its rapid growth and IPO.
E9: Ryan Hudson of Honey on Being Targeted by a Tech Giant, Getting Acquired for $4B, and the Great Personal Struggles Founding a Company No One Will Fund
Aug. 16, 2023
Ryan Hudson, the co-founder of Honey (which sold to PayPal for $4B in 2019) sits down with Jesse Genet and Ryan Caldbeck for a rare interview about his rollercoaster trajectory, so emblematic of the startup struggle - but wi…
E8: Oren Aks on Marketing the Fyre Fest, the Infamous Cheese Sandwich, and Why Our Culture Can’t Look Away from Colossal Failure
Aug. 9, 2023
Oren Aks was a designer at Fuck Jerry Media, the agency behind the signature marketing of the now-infamous Fyre Festival of 2016. In this episode, Oren recounts his ground-level realization that the festival was a fraud, sha…
E7: Ryan Caldbeck on “Terrifying Growth”, Managing Mental Heath, and Radical Sharing
Aug. 2, 2023
Ryan Caldbeck is a tech founder, investor, and former CEO of CircleUp, which raised over $50M in venture capital during his tenure.
E6: Host Jesse Genet on Selling Her Startup While 8 months Pregnant
July 26, 2023
On today’s episode, In The Arena's very own Jesse Genet is in the hotseat. Jesse dives into her biggest crucible moment as the CEO of Lumi: deciding to halt a Series B fundraise and navigating the subsequent conversations wi…
E5: Martin Shkreli on Public Vilification, Leadership Lessons from Prison, and Getting Back in the Arena
July 19, 2023
Biotech founder and investor Martin Shkreli joins Jesse Genet and Erik Torenberg on In The Arena to dissect his controversies and crises through the lens of leadership. Martin goes deep into the decisions, mindset, and unfor…
