Peloton Co-Founder Tom Cortese: Building an $8.1B Brand & Knowing When to Walk Away | EP171
Show Notes
Tom Cortese helped turn an idea that investors rejected hundreds of times into Peloton—an $8.1 billion public company that completely changed the way millions of people exercise. But his story isn’t just about building Peloton. It’s also about knowing when to walk away from something that has become part of your identity and having the courage to start again.In this episode, Tom joins Ilana to share the real story behind Peloton—from starting the company with just $400,000 and getting rejected by investors to selling the first bikes, building an incredibly loyal community, and eventually taking the company public. Tom also opens up about the difficult decision to leave Peloton, why he realized he was the one who needed to go, and what it took to separate himself from a company that had been intertwined with nearly every part of his life. Now, he’s starting over—this time partnering with Chipotle founder Steve Ells to rethink fast food with Counter Service. Tom shares why leaving Peloton made this next chapter possible and what building something from scratch all over again has taught him about success, failure, identity, and reinvention. Chapters From 400+ No’s to an $8.1 Billion Company What Philosophy Taught Tom About Building Community Why Your Career Doesn't Need to Follow a Straight Line The Hidden Market: How Relationships Create Opportunities The Opportunity That Turned Tom Into a Product Manager Proust: Building a Great Product That Wasn’t a Great Business How Tom Handled His First Startup Failure The Night John Foley Pitched Him Peloton Turning Boutique Fitness Into a Subscription Business Starting Peloton With an Idea That Seemed Impossible What Exactly Is Peloton? Building Hardware, Software, Content & Community at Once Start With the Customer Experience When SoulCycle Banned the Peloton Founders How Peloton Started With Just $400,000 Raising $5 Million After Investors Said No How Tom Kept Going Through Rejection Turning the Vision Into Something Investors Could Believe In Building Peloton’s First Bike in Taiwan Selling the First Bikes Through Kickstarter How Peloton’s Community Took on a Life of Its Own From 5,000 Bikes to an $8.1 Billion IPO The Community That Changed Peloton The Hardest Decision: Knowing It Was Time to Leave “The Odd Man Out Was Me” Separating His Identity From Peloton Starting Over With Chipotle Founder Steve Ells Why Tom Jumped Into the Fast Food Industry The Problem Counter Service Is Trying to Solve Why Leaving Peloton Made This Next Chapter Possible What to Expect From Counter Service Success, Failure & How Other People Tell Your Story Dealing With the “Rise and Fall of Peloton” Narrative What Tom Would Tell His Younger Self What’s Next for Counter ServiceAbout Tom Cortese ABOUT TOM Tom Cortese is the co-founder of Peloton and CEO of Counter Service. Tom helped build Peloton from its earliest days, developing the product and experience that combined hardware, software, content, and community into a new category of connected fitness. The company grew from an initial $400,000 investment to a public company valued at more than $8 billion at its IPO. After stepping away from Peloton, Tom began exploring what his next chapter could look like. That journey ultimately connected him with Chipotle founder Steve Ells, and today the two are building Counter Service, a technology-driven restaurant concept focused on bringing better food, smarter operations, and a new approach to fast service. LEAP ACADEMY Ready to make the LEAP in your career? There is a NEW WAY for professionals to fast-track their careers and leap to bigger opportunities.Check out Ilana’s free Leap Academy training: leapacademy.com/training 📲 Connect with Ilana:
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