Michael Rubin

Like when I think someone can make a difference to our company, I'll fly anywhere in the world to recruit them. The amount of people have said to me like, Hey, Michael, like, Hey, you know, I made so much money. I'm not into doing this. I don't want to do this. I'm like, Watch this. I'll get on a plane. I'll go see them. I'll convince them why this is a great idea.

Like when I think someone can make a difference to our company, I'll fly anywhere in the world to recruit them. The amount of people have said to me like, Hey, Michael, like, Hey, you know, I made so much money. I'm not into doing this. I don't want to do this. I'm like, Watch this. I'll get on a plane. I'll go see them. I'll convince them why this is a great idea.

And before you know it, we're building together. So, you know, unfortunately, a lot of the people that are my senior leaders, they've been really successful in their business career and financially before they joined me. They didn't need to do this. They bought into the vision, the idea of what they want to do together with us.

And before you know it, we're building together. So, you know, unfortunately, a lot of the people that are my senior leaders, they've been really successful in their business career and financially before they joined me. They didn't need to do this. They bought into the vision, the idea of what they want to do together with us.

And so I think being able to sell that vision, be able to get somebody on board is so important. But if you don't get the right people at the top, you have no shot. So when you look at your team... If you don't have, you know, your direct reports, your key people that are really A's, then you're dead. Because A's don't go to work for B's. Okay? Never going to happen.

And so I think being able to sell that vision, be able to get somebody on board is so important. But if you don't get the right people at the top, you have no shot. So when you look at your team... If you don't have, you know, your direct reports, your key people that are really A's, then you're dead. Because A's don't go to work for B's. Okay? Never going to happen.

An A person is never going to go to work for B. And if A person goes to work for B, they're going to move on. Okay? Pretty quickly. So you need A's in the top. I think... When shit's not working, I know how to rip the bandaid off. Like, I'm not scared about that. Are you quick with that?

An A person is never going to go to work for B. And if A person goes to work for B, they're going to move on. Okay? Pretty quickly. So you need A's in the top. I think... When shit's not working, I know how to rip the bandaid off. Like, I'm not scared about that. Are you quick with that?

You're like... Yeah, like, I will throw shit against the wall, but when it doesn't work, like, fuck it, move on. Like, I don't care at all. And so, I think part of being, you know, having had so many failures in my life, having learned from so many of those failures...

You're like... Yeah, like, I will throw shit against the wall, but when it doesn't work, like, fuck it, move on. Like, I don't care at all. And so, I think part of being, you know, having had so many failures in my life, having learned from so many of those failures...

It gives me great confidence to go for things and, you know, not have any fear about if it doesn't work, we're just going to rip the bandaid off. I mean, think about what we've done in the past four years. We were only in the, you know, Fangir business, which now is, you know, this year it's about a $7 billion business. And we started the collectibles business. We started the gaming business.

It gives me great confidence to go for things and, you know, not have any fear about if it doesn't work, we're just going to rip the bandaid off. I mean, think about what we've done in the past four years. We were only in the, you know, Fangir business, which now is, you know, this year it's about a $7 billion business. And we started the collectibles business. We started the gaming business.

Within the collectibles business, we started a live commerce platform, a marketplace. We started a fanatics events business. We started, but by the way, I started an NFT business. Four months into that, I was like, this isn't a real business. It's a bullshit business. And I knew, okay, we're getting out of it. I got the investors the money back. I'm like, I'm moving on.

Within the collectibles business, we started a live commerce platform, a marketplace. We started a fanatics events business. We started, but by the way, I started an NFT business. Four months into that, I was like, this isn't a real business. It's a bullshit business. And I knew, okay, we're getting out of it. I got the investors the money back. I'm like, I'm moving on.

I've seen death in its eyes.

I've seen death in its eyes.

So many times. I'm sorry. I got to tell you something, that's fun. Oh, stop it. It's fun.

So many times. I'm sorry. I got to tell you something, that's fun. Oh, stop it. It's fun.

It's fun. It's fun. It's like, because I remember even recently, the last time that I really thought I was done was 2009. We're in the middle of the financial crisis. My stock and my company had been worth $250 million. It went down by 90%. Okay.

It's fun. It's fun. It's like, because I remember even recently, the last time that I really thought I was done was 2009. We're in the middle of the financial crisis. My stock and my company had been worth $250 million. It went down by 90%. Okay.