Today we are talking to Patrick Lee, one of the founders of Rotten Tomatoes, a review website for film and television. Eager to become an entrepreneur, Patrick didn’t finish college, but instead jumped right into the startup game. It took a few tries before he helped to found a successful company. Patrick and his colleagues rode the wave through a market collapse before ultimately selling for above their valuation
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Amazon Music
Episode 79
Having Connections with Patrick Lee
YOUR HOST
Steve McGarry
An entrepreneur, content creator, and investor based in sunny Tampa, Florida. In 2015, while living in San Francisco, Steve sold his first fintech startup LendLayer to Max Levchin’s (founder of PayPal) consumer finance company Affirm.
You May Also Like
Episode 234
The Exit
Mike Oleksak, Executive Director at Exit Planning Exchange, shares insights from his extensive experience helping business owners prepare for successful exits.
After starting his career in finance and management consulting, Mike co-founded the first chapter of Exit Planning Exchange in 2007, creating a network that now spans 22 chapters nationwide.
Episode 233
The Exit
Dawn Andrews, CEO of Free Range Thinking, shares valuable insights on building systems that increase business value at exit. Drawing from her background in an entrepreneurial family, Dawn discusses how proper processes and documentation are critical for attracting buyers and commanding higher valuations.
Dawn also addresses specific challenges female founders face during exits, highlighting the need to overcome both external underestimation and internal self-doubt through meticulous preparation and confident storytelling.
She advises founders to decide on their exit timeline years in advance to shape current operations and stresses the importance of maintaining clear communication with all stakeholders during the process.
Episode 232
The Exit
Ben Zogby, head of Flippa University, shares his journey from chemical engineer to successful entrepreneur, highlighting how he launched HighStrike, a trading education community that he sold on Flippa for $1.8M, after starting eight failed ventures.
Ben discusses how he grew HighStrike through Instagram marketing, evolving from manual engagement to working with influencer networks, before selling through Flippa in 2022.
After being told by a competitor in 2020 that his business wasn’t sellable, Ben spent two years systematizing operations, ultimately attracting three competing offers that increased the sale price by $300,000.