Shows
All Things NegotiationSam Yagan: Why Negotiation Was CriticalIn this episode of All Things Negotiation, Stan Christensen interviews Sam Yagan, a serial entrepreneur known for co-founding SparkNotes and OKCupid. The discussion explores the ubiquitous nature of negotiation in entrepreneurship, covering topics such as raising capital, managing co-founder relationships, negotiating acquisitions, dealing with unexpected legal challenges, and strategic decision-making within large organizations. Yagan shares personal stories and lessons learned from his journey, including a high-stakes negotiation during SparkNotes, the complex dynamics in running Match.com, and the significant decisions around the development of Tinder. Key insights include the importance of having credible alternatives, aligning interests with investors, and...
2024-11-1254 min
Love! Serve! Care!#1414 - The Gift of Feedback Pt. 2Send us a text"There has to be a willingness to constantly accept critical feedback and rapidly iterate to make things better."- Sam YaganToday's episode explores an additional insight I gained from some helpful feedback.Stay Blessed!ADSupport the showThank you for listening to this episode, I'd love to hear what was valuable for you, please send your insights and takeaways to alex@speakeralexdumas.com. If 3 minutes wasn't enough for you, then you can have my FREE audio chapter from the...
2024-09-2503 min
Tech Scenes with Jeff James MartinThrowback Tech Scenes Chicago with Sam YaganThis is a Tech Scenes throwback from 2019 - Welcome to Tech Scenes by Collective Genius where we meet up with ceos, founders and investors to learn what makes cities in the startup tech ecosystem thrive.
On this episode we meet up with Sam Yagan CEO of ShopRunner and take a spin through the former ShopRunner offices and head out for pizza at Lou Malnati's (because we are in Chicago).
Along the way we talk about moving ShopRunner to Chicago, the combination of capital + labor + culture, diversity, recruiting and pursuing vision and passion against all odds.
Learn more...
2024-05-1715 min
30 Years in 30 MinutesFounder of Sparknotes & OkCupid Sam Yagan: What Traits HE Looks For in Successful Founders (and More!)What do venture capitalists look for in entrepreneurs? What should you do to make your company most appealing to venture capital firms? In this episode, Sam Yagan dives into it. In this episode, Michael Oved sits down with Sam Yagan, the founder of Sparknotes (the famed online study guide service), founder of OkCupid (the internationally renowned data site), and the former CEO of Match Group (the $10 billion holding company that owns Tinder, Match.com, OkCupid, Hinge, Plenty of Fish, and OurTime). Don't forget to like and subscribe. Follow us on Instagram, X, and LinkedIn: @30in30po...
2024-05-1341 min
Smart Venture Podcast#145 OkCupid's Co-Founder, ex-The Match Group's CEO, Corazon Capital's Managing Director, Sam YaganSam Yagan is the co-founder and Managing Director of Corazon Capital, a leading Chicago-based Seed and Series A venture fund. Their portfolio includes companies like SpotHero, Songfinch and Stellar, among others. Prior to Corazon, he served as CEO of ShopRunner and led its 2020 acquisition by FedEx Corp. Previously, as CEO of Match Group, he spearheaded the launch of Tinder in 2012 and oversaw the company's IPO in 2015. His previous ventures also include founding SparkNotes in 1999 and co-founding OkCupid in 2004. You can learn more about: How to start and run multiple successful startups How to run the best da...
2023-11-1044 min
"In The Arena"E10: Match Group’s Sam Yagan on Unexpectedly Becoming the CEO of the Public Company that Acquired YouToday we are thrilled to have Sam Yagan, co-founder of OKCupid and ultimately the CEO of Match Group through its rapid growth and IPO. Sam takes us behind the scenes of OKCupid’s gripping acquisition process (including phone calls from the delivery room). He also dives into his unlikely journey of being selected successor to his acquirer -- becoming the CEO of publicly traded Match Group. Jesse is joined again by special co-host Ryan Caldbeck: a startup founder and CEO himself, who is also well known on tech Twitter for discussing founder mental health. Don't forget to catch up on...
2023-08-231h 23
Tank Talks By Ripple VenturesThe Importance of Being Open to New Ideas with Sam Yagan of Corazon CapitalIt’s not surprising that one of the pioneers of online dating believes that being open to options and new ideas will help your life and career. Sam Yagan is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Corazon Capital, an early-stage firm based in Chicago with a MidWest focus. But Sam is most known for Co-Founding OKCupid! and moving up to become the CEO of Match Group, where he helped launch Tinder.This was a wonderful and sometimes introspective conversation on the challenges of being a founder, the power of being open to new possibilities, and where we are wi...
2023-05-111h 09
Brydge Club by Ruffin MitchenerStanford Behavioral Biologist, Love App Founder, & TikTok Creator: Meet Ali Maggioncalda of LovewickWhy are there so many dating apps to help us find love, but so little to help us keep it?
At Stanford, Ali Maggioncalda studied Human Behavioral Biology and researched how to improve relationships.
During grad school, Ali launched Lovewick: Relationship App: a new couples app that helps you learn about each other and share new experiences.
To celebrate Valentine's day, I'm sharing my conversation with Ali, founder of Lovewick: Relationship App...and here's a sneak peak!
💜 The common needs of couples + the Triangular Theory of Love
🔥 Boot-strapping to over 300K re...
2023-02-1437 min
People Business w/ O'Brien McMahonBuilding a Better Business w/ Sam Yagan & Lindsay VerstegenSam Yagan and Lindsay Verstegan worked together as the CEO and CHRO of ShopRunner from 2016 until it sold to Fedex in early 2021. These two leaders worked closely from day one, setting a purposeful people strategy that led to 300% growth during their four years together. This conversation was recorded as part of Chicago SHRM's "HR Strategy Series". Chicago SHRM is a regional chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, a global organization dedicated to furthering the HR function and building better businesses. Time Codes:(2:28) - What is Shoprunner?(4:33) - How...
2021-08-101h 17
CEO Campfire ChatData Versus Intuition in Business and...Love?When it comes to making smart growth moves for your company, should you follow your head or your heart? Sam Yagan, Co-Founder of OkCupid and SparkNotes and current CEO of ShopRunner, knows the answer isn’t always cut and dry. Hear how he’s learned to strike the right balance.
2021-02-0941 min
The Mike Harding Folk ShowMike Harding Folk Show 279PODCAST: 29 Mar 202001 Séamuisin - Jiggy - Hypernova02 A Call For The North Country - Jez Lowe - Bede Weeps03 Lord Ullin's Daughter - Salt House - Huam04 Coal Black Wine - Bird In The Belly - Neighbours And Sisters05 The Dolly Vardan (Barn Dance/Slip Jig) - Niamh Ni Charra - Irish Ways- [Disc 2]06 Spencer The Rover - Sam Lee - Old Wow07 Jimmy Newman - Tom Paxton - #608 Lesson Too Late - Jonny Sil...
2020-03-292h 18
Wharton Business Radio Guest AudioSam Yagan on "Love and Money" SpecialSam Yagan, CEO of Shoprunner, speaks to Dan Loney on Business Radio’s “Love and Money” Special See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
2020-02-2711 min
The NewsWorthyLegal Experts Testify, Once-a-Month Birth Control & ‘Favorite’ Uber Drivers (+ 2019 Holiday Shopping Trends) - Thursday, December 5th, 2019The news to know for Thursday, December 5th, 2019! What to know today about the constitutional law experts who testified about President Trump and impeachment, and the new rule impacting people on food stamps. Plus: we're talking about once-a-month birth control, McDonald's coffee in car parts, and Uber's new feature to choose your 'favorite' drivers. Those stories and many more in less than 10 minutes! Then, hang out after the news for Thing to Know Thursday's bonus interview about holiday shopping trends in 2019 - from what's changing to Amazon's impact. Our guest today...
2019-12-0515 minWharton Business Radio Guest AudioSam Yagan on Marketing MattersSam Yagan, CEO of ShopRunner, joins host Americus Reed on Marketing Matters. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
2019-09-2025 min
Marketing with Wharton's Hip Hop ProfChallenging The Beast: Competing with AmazonAmericus and Sam Yagan talk about his company ShopRunner and their experience with keeping up with Amazon with their online retail shop.Sam Yagan is CEO of ShopRunner, and the former Vice-Chairman of Match Group (Nasdaq: MTCH), a position he assumed after serving as the company’s Chief Executive Officer and leading it through a period of explosive growth that culminated in its IPO. He has co-founded several companies, including SparkNotes, eDonkey, OkCupid, Techstars Chicago, and, Firestarter Fund, & Corazon Capital. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy fo...
2019-08-2911 min
This Is SuccessOkCupid founder Sam YaganSam Yagan knows he’s been lucky. He tells us that one of the luckiest moments of his life was meeting his college roommates. Together, they built a study guide website called SparkNotes. Then, they built an online dating empire. They started the site OKCupid while Yagan was getting his MBA at Stanford. Yagan is now the CEO of ShopRunner, but he’s best known for his 7-year tenure as the head of the Match Group, which includes OkCupid, Match.com, and Tinder. He says it was his Syrian immigrant parents who inspired his drive to be an entrepreneur....
2018-05-1828 min
Chicago Founders TV: Insights from Top FoundersThe Only Thing That Matters: Episode 9: Sam Yagan of OkCupid, SparkNotes, EDonkey, Excelerate LabsThere's the killer idea. The dynamic team. The seed round. Great founders today -- the ones who create high-growth, scalable businesses -- understand that these and other elements are indispensable in transforming a startup into today’s unicorn company.
But before any of that has an impact, there is one thing that every successful business must find: perfect product-market fit.
In "The Only Thing That Matters: Getting Your Startup to Product-Market Fit," we sit down with hall of fame-level entrepreneurs who discussing the insights that allowed them to achieve product-market fit.
In Episode 9, host Pat Ryan talks with serial entrepreneur Sa...
2017-11-0716 min
The Mentor Files04 Sam Yagan - CEO of ShopRunner and Co-Founder of OKCupid on How to Hire the Right People and Scale Your BusinessSam Yagan holds quite the entrepreneurial resume. During his college years, he co-founded SparkNotes, which sold for $30 million to Barnes & Noble just one year later. He then co-founded a little dating site called OKCupid and from there went on to run Match.com. He’s currently the CEO of ShopRunner, a members only online shopping site with more than 4 million members, and runs the venture capital firm, Corazon Capital. As a regular advisor to Monica, Sam is never short on game-changing advice. Listen in today as he reveals insider tips on how to pick the right investor an...
2017-11-0141 min
ACMEScienceRelatively Prime: f(θ)=1-sin(θ)f(θ)=1-sin(θ)
If you ever want to conduct a quick social experiment on the status of mathematics in the world just get yourself a dating profile and mention on it that you are a mathematician. The messages you get will be quite illuminating:
“I hate to break it to you, but while I appreciate math for its logic and beauty, I don’t think I’ll ever like it. lol TOO many formulas.”
“I got up to AP Calc during my senior year of high school, cheated off my best friend on all the tests and still got 70s in the class, a...
2016-02-171h 03
Collective Wisdom For Tech Startups#8 Clip: How Tinder Changed The Dating GameTinder has changed the way people date, but Match's CEO Sam Yagan (https://twitter.com/samyagan) explains what makes the site work—and it's more than the right swipe. Yagan explains how Facebook and instant messaging are the real game changers.
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2015-11-3000 minCollective Wisdom For Tech Startups#8 Clip: The Birth Of The OkCupid BlogIn the early days of OKCupid, co-founder Sam Yagan tried to get reporters to write about his company. When they balked, he cut out the middleman, and developed a data-driven content marketing strategy that had the company regularly featured on national news media.
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2015-11-3000 minCollective Wisdom For Tech Startups#8 Clip: Your Board Is Your BossAn important thing for founders to remember when they take investment, and add people to their board, is that they're in effect hiring their own boss. Match.com CEO Sam Yagan shares some advice on how not to get fired from your own company.
Follow Founder Collective on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fcollective
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2015-11-3000 minCollective Wisdom For Tech Startups#8 Clip: If You Have Distributed Offices, Invest Heavily in VideoMatch.com CEO Sam Yagan manages workers in offices in Dallas, Vancouver, and Paris—the secret? Video. High quality video, along with a fair amount of flying, are the keys to success.
Follow Founder Collective on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fcollective
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2015-11-3000 minCollective Wisdom For Tech Startups#8: Inside Match, Tinder, & OKCupid with CEO Sam Yagan [Full Episode]Today we’re going to talk to Sam Yagan, the CEO of the newly-public Match Group. Match is a dating conglomerate that combines Match, OkCupid, Tinder, and Plenty of Fish under one banner.
The company just went public raising over $400 Million dollars on the back of over a billion Tinder swipes.
In this episode we’ll learn how to handle negative PR better than a bad breakup, how to learn to love churn, and why founding a dating startup is harder than dating itself.
Follow Founder Collective on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fcollective
Subscribe to our Newsletter: http://bit.ly/cwit...
2015-11-3000 min
2015-02-1319 min
Strongly Connected ComponentsEpisode 14: Sam Yagan of OK CupidOn today’s episode Samuel Hansen has a conversation with CEO and Co-Founder of the surprisingly mathematical dating website OK Cupid. They discuss how OK Cupid mathematically translates real world dating to the online realm, the perfect length of a message, and why your online grammar is the equivalent of brushing your teeth in the real world. Sam …
2010-03-2019 min