Secret Leaders with Dan Murray-Serter & Chris Donnelly

MasterClass: how to get over a stutter and attract A-listers like Anna Wintour and Martin Scorsese, with Founder & CEO David Rogier

Apr 12, 2022

David Rogier, CEO of MasterClass, shares his journey of starting the platform which attracts A-list celebrities like Anna Wintour and Martin Scorsese as teachers. Topics include getting over his stutter, starting MasterClass, the art of storytelling, and the hardest things he's ever done.

57:42

Episode guests

Martin Scorsese

Anna Wintour

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

David Rogier overcame his stutter and created MasterClass, a platform with a stellar lineup of teachers.

MasterClass aims to provide high-quality, engaging classes for lifelong learning and plans for continued growth and innovation.

Deep dives

MasterClass: Learning from the Best in the World

MasterClass is a popular learning platform that offers classes taught by experts in various fields. The platform provides access to top instructors such as Gordon Ramsay, Christina Aguilera, and Hans Zimmer. The company's mission is to be the go-to source for lifelong learning, providing high-quality, engaging classes that cover a wide range of topics. They have raised approximately $500 million and are focused on expanding their core offering, international growth, and developing new products for new audiences. Despite the challenges and stress involved in running a startup, the founder finds fulfillment in having a positive impact on people's lives and working with talented individuals. With plans for continued growth and innovation, MasterClass is poised to remain a leader in online education.

Introduction

2min

The Power of Labels and Overcoming Stigmas

5min

From Retail to Entrepreneurship: The Journey Begins

9min

Early Funding, Business Model, and Milestones

5min

The Power of Storytelling for Entrepreneurs

16min

The Importance of People and Mistakes Made in Building a Business

3min

Obsessed with Improvement and Honest Feedback

5min

Favorite Classes and Filming Process

10min

When you’re first dreaming up a business idea, you imagine it at its best - as if your execution was perfect and your resources unlimited. When your friends ask at a dinner party, you say you’ll have Gordon Ramsey teaching cooking and Christina Aguilera teaching singing. Your friends laugh, you cheers each other - and carry on with your meal. But in the case of today’s guest, David Rogier, he’s turned that dream into a reality.

Everyone thought he was mad, and pointed it out to him at various stages, but here we are with MasterClass, valued at $2.75b last year according to CNBC - and with the craziest line up of teachers you’ll ever see in one place.

How has David pulled it off?

And all this from a man who was bullied as a child over his stutter.

We talk about:

His grandparents meeting in Auschwitz
Getting over his stutter
How to choose which business to launch
How he started Masterclass
The real art of storytelling
The hardest things he’s ever done
Why he kept going when everybody told him to stop

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