#17: Dan Fleyshman - Record-Breaking IPO Founder, Master Networker, and Philanthropist

In this episode of the Founder Podcast, host Chris Lee interviews Dan Fleyshman, the youngest founder of a publicly traded company in history. Dan shares his entrepreneurial journey, starting from his early success in the apparel industry to launching an energy drink brand and later an online poker site. He discusses the challenges and opportunities he encountered along the way, including going public and dealing with the legalities of online gambling. Dan emphasizes the importance of networking and building meaningful relationships. He advises entrepreneurs to go beyond superficial interactions and find common ground with people to create an emotional connection. He also stresses the need to maintain communication with contacts before making any business asks. The conversation delves into Dan's experiences in the online poker industry, particularly during the time when the FBI shut down several major poker sites in the United States. Dan shares how he had to manually pay back thousands of players and ultimately decided to close his own site due to the uncertain legal landscape. Despite the setbacks, Dan went on to become a consultant for Morgan Stanley and land consulting gigs with land-based casinos in Las Vegas. He shares his strategies for success, highlighting the importance of learning from others who have already achieved what you aspire to do. HIGHLIGHTS "I started researching everything about poker sites, like I was playing every site, asking every question, talking to executives, talking to the licensing people." "If you notice, people always ask, Where are you from? That's to find something relatable." "So once I had the 1500 bucks, I was like, That's it. I'm going to retire. It's over. I already know what I'm gonna do for the rest of my life." TIMESTAMPS 00:00: Introduction 03:07: A Young Entrepreneurial Spirit 07:54: Going Public 10:47: Stepping Away 18:03: Partners 24:02: Payback Time 27:11: Gaming 33:25: Creating Genuine Connections 41:35: Giving Back 53:01: What Motivates You Today

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