He Starts With The Worst Seats

Simon Sinek
Simon SinekApr 16, 2026

Why It Matters

By removing fees and price spikes, the platform democratizes access to live events and forces dominant ticketing firms to reconsider their pricing structures, potentially reshaping the industry.

Key Takeaways

  • Tickets priced $40‑$60, no fees, taxes covered by platform.
  • Face‑value resale market prevents price spikes and scalping.
  • Focus on fans waiting years for upper‑deck seats.
  • Creates purpose‑driven experience, treating each show like a debut.
  • Positions itself as Ticketmaster challenger, leveraging community loyalty.

Summary

The video introduces a new ticket‑selling platform that deliberately caps prices at $40‑$60, eliminates service and convenience fees, and even covers taxes, aiming to make live‑event attendance affordable for fans who have waited years on wait‑lists.

The company’s model also bans a traditional secondary market; tickets are resold at face value only, preventing price gouging. By targeting the “upper‑deck” or nose‑bleed seats—areas often overlooked—they promise a purpose‑driven experience that treats every night as a fan’s first show.

Executives repeatedly stress, “We win the upper deck,” and “We’re taking on Ticketmaster,” highlighting their commitment to community loyalty and transparent pricing. They claim the approach is “unheard of” in the industry, building a proprietary resale channel that keeps prices stable.

If successful, the platform could pressure incumbents to lower fees, reshape how secondary markets operate, and broaden access to live entertainment, especially for long‑waiting fans. The shift may also inspire other niche ticketing services to prioritize fan experience over profit margins.

Original Description

Most companies optimize for the people who pay the most… The Savannah Bananas founder Jesse Cole does the opposite.
He starts with the people in the worst seats—the nosebleeds.
Because if you can make the experience unforgettable for them, you can make it unforgettable for all fans.
🎧 Find the full episode wherever you get your podcasts: “Why This Baseball Team Has a 4.2 Million Person Waitlist With Savannah Bananas Founder Jesse Cole”

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