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Peloton went from a $50 billion valuation to fighting for survival. George and Alicia break down how the pandemic darling made critical mistakes: mistaking temporary demand for permanent growth, overinvesting in manufacturing, and failing to adapt when gyms reopened. From PR disasters (remember that Christmas commercial?) to deadly treadmill recalls, this episode reveals what happens when you bet the farm on a wave that was never meant to last.

In This Episode:

• How Peloton exploded from a $400K Kickstarter to a $50B company
• The fatal assumption that pandemic demand would last forever
• Why spending $400M on manufacturing and PreCore backfired spectacularly
• Three PR nightmares: the Christmas ad, Mr. Big's death, and the treadmill tragedy
• The shift from luxury brand to bargain subscriptions—and why it's nearly impossible to recover
• What Nordic Track, Schwinn, and Apple Fitness mean for Peloton's future
• 5,000+ jobs lost, $48 billion in market cap evaporated
• Lessons for founders: Is your growth sustainable or are you riding a wave?

The Peloton Checklist for 2025: ✅ Is your growth sustainable or are you riding a wave? ✅ How deep is the moat around your business? ✅ What's your fallback plan if demand drops 50%? ✅ Are you still the right CEO for where your company is headed?

Perfect for: Founders navigating rapid growth, entrepreneurs learning from other's mistakes, anyone interested in the intersection of fitness, tech, and startup culture.

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Barry McCarthy (former Spotify & Netflix CFO, Peloton CEO)
• John Foley (Peloton Founder & former CEO)
• Precor acquisition
• "And Just Like That" & the Mr. Big controversy
• Nordic Track, Schwinn, Apple Fitness, Hydrow Rower

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