This Week in Startups E1064: News Roundtable! Sam Parr & Zach Coelius on Barstool Sports vs. Call Her Daddy, SoftBank’s $17B loss, TikTok poaches former Disney exec as CEO, Facebook launches Shops & more!
May 21, 2020
Zach Coelius, managing partner at Colias Capital, and Sam Parr, founder of The Hustle newsletter, dive into the drama of Barstool Sports vs. Call Her Daddy, highlighting the financial maneuvers behind the scenes. They unpack SoftBank's staggering $17B loss and discuss how founder focus affects investments. The conversation shifts to TikTok's new strategic hire from Disney, raising questions about its rapid growth. Lastly, they explore Facebook's move into e-commerce with Shops and speculate on Amazon's potential acquisition of AMC Theatres.
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Portnoy's Transparency
- Dave Portnoy publicly revealed contract negotiations with Call Her Daddy hosts.
- This transparency, combined with his market wins and Barstool's success, positioned him favorably.
Focus is Key
- SoftBank's over-investment in startups like Uber and WeWork led to a loss of focus.
- Founders, flush with cash, pursued too many projects, ultimately hindering growth.
Facebook's 'Clone and Kill'
- Zach Coelius shared his experience with Facebook copying his company's dynamic creative engine.
- Facebook offered inferior APIs, slowly throttled traffic, and eventually killed his business.