How I Built This with Guy Raz cover image

How I Built This with Guy Raz

Advice Line with Chris Ruder of Spikeball

Nov 21, 2024
48:54
Snipd AI
Chris Ruder, the Founder and CEO of Spikeball, joins forces with Jimmy Davidson, the visionary behind Freedom in Motion, and Nigel Lewis from Station Surf Shop. They tackle the challenges of finding passionate managers, expanding niche fitness brands, and reviving struggling businesses. Chris reveals strategic insights about his core customers that reshaped Spikeball. The trio emphasizes resilience and community support in entrepreneurship, inspiring listeners to innovate and build strong connections as they navigate their journeys.
Read more

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Chris Ruder highlights the importance of engaging directly with early customers to discover unexpected market opportunities and build community loyalty.
  • The podcast discusses the significance of innovation and product diversification, showcasing how Spikeball's new paddles cater to evolving customer interests and enhance user engagement.

Deep dives

Building a Community-Focused Brand

Spikeball was successfully established by identifying and honing in on niche markets, such as physical education teachers and youth groups, instead of relying solely on traditional sports markets. The founder, Chris Reuter, made a point to directly engage with early customers, asking for feedback on how they discovered Spikeball. This strategy allowed him to pivot the brand's focus toward communities that resonated well with the product, effectively turning unexpected groups into enthusiastic advocates. By fostering relationships with these customer bases, Spikeball evolved from a simple game to a community-centric brand that thrives on shared experiences.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode