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
Aug. 23, 2023
E10: Match Group’s Sam Yagan on Unexpectedly Becoming the CEO of the Public Company that Acquired You
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.
Aug. 16, 2023
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
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 with an M&A ending.
Aug. 9, 2023
E8: Oren Aks on Marketing the Fyre Fest, the Infamous Cheese Sandwich, and Why Our Culture Can’t Look Away from Colossal Failure
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, sharing new details about the debacle chronicled in two documentaries.
Aug. 2, 2023
E7: Ryan Caldbeck on “Terrifying Growth”, Managing Mental Heath, and Radical Sharing
Ryan Caldbeck is a tech founder, investor, and former CEO of CircleUp, which raised over $50M in venture capital during his tenure.
July 26, 2023
E6: Host Jesse Genet on Selling Her Startup While 8 months Pregnant
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 with the board, employees affected by layoffs, and acquirers.
July 19, 2023
E5: Martin Shkreli on Public Vilification, Leadership Lessons from Prison, and Getting Back in the Arena
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 unforeseen logistics that led to him serving time in prison, the lessons he took…
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