Katie Leatherman’s Post

What’s possible with persistence? It took 6 weeks of persistance and patience. Six weeks ago I was on my computer, at 7am trying to register for a Peloton Interactive live class in NYC. It filled up before I could finish my credit card details. I signed up for every class waitlist I could. I left my one day I could take Peloton class in NYC open, figuring I’d line up for hours to try and get in. The second my plane landed, I got the notification to register. I’ve got quite a few Peloton fanatics on this feed, honestly, a totally worth it surreal experience. Getting into this 45-minute Peloton class with Selena Samuela was a lot like what I experience being a founder…you just have to keep pushing. Sometimes it’s not something tangible you need to push, but a mindset change. In the earlier days before achieving a consistent online business, decisions were about survival, not growth. It was all about not out of running out of money. Now with a proven concept, it’s about investing in decisions and partners that pay off in the long-term decision. But I do find I have to push my mindset to adapt. What was then, is not now. Just putting this out there for those that need to hear: keep pushing. #mindset #founderlife

Instead of beating myself up over inaction, I've found it helpful to seek alternative solutions. For instance, when facing cravings on my journey to sobriety, I turned to quick Peloton rides as a way to redirect those impulses. Join me in exploring new approaches to challenges and embarking on a path of personal growth. Dive deeper into these insights at www.austinlinney.com

Hard to fathom a market cap declining from $49 Billion to $1 Billion in 36 months, but that's what we are looking at here. This is a case study on brands who live on speed to market versus intellectual property. Peloton did it first and did it fast, and created an enormous valuation bubble. Everyone drank the Kool-aid. Beginning in 2020, the pandemic boom accelerated their growth, and over the last two years, the pandemic bust accelerated their demise. But there was always one huge problem - Peloton had little to no IP. There were no barriers to entry, which made them defenseless to the army of exercise bikes, rowing machines and fitness app competitors who seized their success. The key lesson - speed to market always runs out of speed. Brands who sustain better have a war chest of patents, intellectual property and proprietary protections.

For the past couple of days, I have consoled and supported my previous colleagues as they have “unclipped” for their last ride with Peloton. I feel a responsibility to advocate for some of the feelings that can’t be expressed due to the social customs and expectations of the saturated job market they face as they pursue their next opportunities. During the pandemic, Peloton exploded, and for anyone who was there, you remember how amazing the experience was. We grew so fast! I remember an all-hands meeting a team member described us as a “6-foot 5th grader trying to learn.” The pandemic tapered off, and manufacturing, logistics, and financial challenges soon arose. During this existential crisis, upper management became more concerned with self-preservation rather than navigating obstacles and making decisions that could mitigate loss. Barry Mcarthy once said, “Fast is as slow as we go.” I guess we weren’t fast enough. To all hiring managers: Understand that the individuals parting ways with Peloton who are applying to your posted position, they have endured change and stress to the degree that few others will experience in their entire careers. They have most likely been working a combination of 2 or more roles that went beyond the scope of their original job description. These are badass people that you should at least consider for an interview.

The one thing Peloton is doing better than all of us: Celebrating small wins. Their entire platform is optimized around it. And not in the external validation seeking way (though you may still have people posting their workouts on certain of your social feeds 👀). Even on your worst performance day, you could still hit a milestone for number of workouts. Or maybe your performance today is okay but not overall PR-worthy - they remind you that you still improved on your mile split time. And I continue to be in awe of the magical powers of the simple week-streak feature to produce consistency gains. Peloton has figured out how to effectively combine three different tools/techniques we can all use in various aspects of our lives to stay engaged and keep progressing towards our goals: - Zoom out to remember where you started and see how far you’ve come (look down from the mountain) - Emphasize the impact of incremental contributions to the goal (build brick by brick) - Compare against your own performance, not the performance of others (you vs you) (yes, Peloton does have the leaderboard, but achievements are generally recognized based on your own performance, not beating other people) In the legal context specifically, it can be easy to gloss over things and feel like there are only periodic big wins, like closing a deal, winning a case, or making partner, with a lot of nothing to show for it in between. But if you look for them, the small wins are there to celebrate: first time leading or speaking on a diligence call, seeing a mentee succeed on something you helped provide guidance on, or getting no comments on a draft (this one may be a myth…😅). In a world of disappearing deal toys, we can still create our own everyday versions for ourselves and others. P.S. Litigators, now I need to know - are “case toys” a thing? 🤔 #peloton #smallwins #dealtoys

😳 Peloton is back in the news, and the news isn't good. There have been thousands of layoffs, the company is seeking to find yet another CEO, and it is still dealing with lawsuits from the past. In this special episode, Shannon Fable and I unpack our thoughts on... 💻 Where virtual as a whole is headed. 📈 How fitness managers must view the overall product they provide. ⚖️ Emphasize the distinct and purposeful programming differences between Apple Fitness+ and Peloton. ❓How does the above all relate to fitness managers and owners? 🎧 https://lnkd.in/dsPPx-GR What are your thoughts? We are genuinely curious. #peloton #fitnessmanager #fitnessinstructor #virtualfitness #applefitness Shannon Fable

The only thing certain in life is uncertainty… During the pandemic, Peloton thrived as people turned to at-home fitness. Their sales soared, but when things started returning to normal, Peloton struggled. They had over-invested in their growth without planning for the post-pandemic reality. This shows the importance of strategic planning and understanding market changes. While Hertz also faced huge challenges during the pandemic, leading to bankruptcy in May 2020. Their debt-heavy model and poor decisions on car purchases hurt them. But now, Hertz is bouncing back by ordering 100,000 Tesla EVs, positioning themselves well as electric cars gain popularity. Some of my key takeaways from the above two examples: <> Uncertainty is constant, but it also brings growth opportunities. <> Strategic planning and understanding market dynamics are crucial. <> Resilience and adaptability can turn challenges into advantages. <> Using data-driven tools supports better decision-making. During uncertain times, bold moves and informed decisions can lead to great returns. Companies need the right technology and insights to navigate the business landscape effectively. P.S. If you found this post helpful, follow me at Serge Radisic for more insightful content. #uncertainity #pandemic #strategicplanning

Things I've been analyzing in my spare time so far: -- The improvement in my typing speed over time. I bought a new keyboard a few weeks ago, and took a 5% hit to my speed that took three weeks to recover. -- My Mario Kart time trial performance. I wrote up a tool that helps me identify my weakest tracks so that I can work on those first. The curviest tracks predictably have the worst ratio of 150cc vs. 200cc times. Going faster becomes a disadvantage with those kinds of tight turns. -- How much money I can make driving around for Uber for fun. I've been shuttling tourists around. I get tipped on 48% of my rides, and those tips make up 15% of the total income. Best ride I've had yet netted me $35 in 18 minutes. Overall, I pull in about $32/hr. Honestly not too bad. -- My Peloton stats. You can download all of your Peloton rides and just go absolutely nuts on them. Note to the fine people at Peloton Interactive, I'm pretty sure I've found a bug in your conversion from output to calories between ride types (Feel free to hire me. Imagine what I could do with more data than just my own...). Who knows where this week will take me?

Peleton, the ultimate Covid and Work from home boom / bust story? What do you guys think, still a good business to own and invest in for the next 5 years? Obviously way overhyped but perhaps the reversal went too far in terms of sentiment? Views are my own and not of my employer. Not investment advice but now I a small holding investor now that sentiment has reversed so we will see. https://lnkd.in/eSCT33N2

I see Peloton as a low risk/high upside play so I’ve opened a considerable position in them. It’s a well known lifestyle brand with a cult following but has cash problems. Historically, companies like these become acquisition targets and I believe that there will be a suitable buyer (rhymes with Mapple)before bankruptcy is considered. *not financial advice! Feel free to reach out to me to discuss this in further detail 🙂↔️