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Why SeatGeek walked away from going public with Jack Groetzinger

SeatGeek didn’t become one of the biggest names in ticketing by following the playbook. It started as a simple ticket search engine on the TechCrunch 50 stage () (now known as TechCrunch Battlefield) and took on the industry’s massive incumbents by expanding its vision, surviving industry-defining challenges, and convincing investors that even a monopoly could…

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SeatGeek didn’t become one of the biggest names in ticketing by following the playbook. It started as a simple ticket search engine on the TechCrunch 50 stage () (now known as TechCrunch Battlefield) and took on the industry’s massive incumbents by expanding its vision, surviving industry-defining challenges, and convincing investors that even a monopoly could be disrupted.

In this episode of Build Mode () , host and Startup Battlefield lead Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Jack Groetzinger, co-founder and CEO of SeatGeek, to unpack the company’s 17-year journey from startup to industry leader. Jack shares how SeatGeek raised nearly $400 million in venture capital, why he believes founders should think about expanding rather than pivoting, what it was like fundraising during the COVID-19 shutdown of live events, and why the company ultimately walked away from its planned SPAC. () He also explains how founders can convince investors to back them against an entrenched incumbent, why your first hires define your company’s future, and how AI is reshaping the future of live entertainment and ticketing.

They get into:

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Why SeatGeek chose to compete with Ticketmaster and how investors evaluated that opportunity

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How SeatGeek survived COVID and closed its hardest fundraising round during the pandemic

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Why passionate customers can become your best fundraising asset

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The hiring mistakes Jack wishes he could undo and why your first employees shape company culture

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How AI is transforming ticketing, live entertainment, and the fan experience

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Jack Groetzinger’s advice for founders building companies that challenge established incumbents

Subscribe to Build Mode on⁠ () Apple Podcasts⁠ () , ⁠Spotify⁠ () , or⁠ () wherever you like to listen⁠ () . And watch the full videos on⁠ () YouTube⁠ () . New episodes of ⁠Build Mode⁠ () drop every Thursday. 

Chapters:

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00:00 – Intro: How SeatGeek Took on Ticketmaster

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01:09 – From Startup Battlefield to Building SeatGeek

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04:03 – Finding Product-Market Fit in a Broken Ticketing Industry

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05:54 – Why SeatGeek Expanded Instead of Pivoting

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07:14 – Raising Nearly $400M and Surviving the Hardest Fundraise During COVID

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10:46 – Why SeatGeek Walked Away from Its SPAC IPO

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13:57 – How to Raise Money Against a Monopoly Like Ticketmaster

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17:02 – The Hiring Mistakes That Nearly Hurt SeatGeek’s Culture

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19:08 – How AI Will Transform Live Entertainment and Ticketing

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22:19 – Regulation, Competition, and Jack Groetzinger’s Advice for Founders

Hosted by Isabelle Johannessen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams. 

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CNET

OpenAI Dev Day 2026: Everything Announced in 15 Minutes

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September 29, 2026

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OpenAI’s annual Dev Day 2026 introduced dots, which are AI agents within ChatGPT that can execute tasks on your behalf and even answer phone calls and text messages. CEO Sam Altman also introduced a faster and more powerful model called GPT-6.1 Sol for professional coding and work applications.

Read more about OpenAI on CNET.com:
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13:51 OpenAI Marketplace Launch & Wrap-up

Video Credits:
Host: OpenAI
Scripted by: OpenAI
Producer: OpenAI & Jonathan Gomez
Camera: OpenAI
Video Editor: Jonathan Gomez
Thumbnail Designer: Tharon Green

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CNET

AI Romance Scams: How to Tell If Someone Is Scamming You Online

Online scams hit us from every angle: financial fraud, phishing, and fake shopping sites. But the most devastating scams are the ones that hit the heart. This is the truth about romance scams—and how to avoid them. Read more about AI romance scams on CNET.com Look for These Red Flags to Avoid Falling Prey to…

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September 29, 2026

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Online scams hit us from every angle: financial fraud, phishing, and fake shopping sites. But the most devastating scams are the ones that hit the heart. This is the truth about romance scams—and how to avoid them.

Read more about AI romance scams on CNET.com
Look for These Red Flags to Avoid Falling Prey to AI Scams

Timecode Chapters:
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Video Credits:
Host: Kara Tsuboi
Scripted by: Kara Tsuboi
Producer: Celso Bulgatti
Camera: Celso Bulgatti
Video Editor: Chris Monroe
Thumbnail Designer: Zooey Liao

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#ai #scam #airomance #romance #scammer #scammers #scammerscall

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CNET

Unboxing the $399 Nothing Headphone (1) Pro

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September 28, 2026

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At $399, Nothing’s new Headphone (1) Pro are its most expensive headphones to date, and its most advanced.

Not only do the over-ear headphones feature new transducers with triple-driver configuration, but improved noise-cancelling and a more premium design with upgraded machined metal, as well as shatter- and scratch-resistant Panda glass on both earcups instead of translucent plastic.

Unbox it with us in white. #unboxing #nothing #headphone1pro #nothingheadphone #headphones #allthingsmobile

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