Ryan Zagata is the president and founder of Brooklyn Bicycle Co., formerly Brooklyn Cruiser. Before starting the company, Ryan was selling software. Naturally, my question was: How does a guy go from selling software to starting a bicycle company? So, I rode my Brooklyn Bicycle Co. Willow 3-speed out to the company HQ in Brooklyn to have a conversation with Ryan about connecting those dots.
We talked about his strict but nurturing Catholic upbringing in Syracuse, NY, his nearly flunking out of college, his first job with a New York senator, his excitement and fears about leaving the “security” of a corporate job and breaking out on his own, and his formula for running a successful business that more than doubled its projected sales in its first year.
One of the components of this formula is a piece of advice from the highly-respected bicycle industry veteran and author Grant Petersen, who is the author of Just Ride and the designer of Ryan’s bicycles. His advice? Stay out of the industry. It sounds strange and counter-intuitive, but it makes total sense when you listen to the podcast.
I always enjoy talking to Ryan, and I loved this conversation. I hope you do, too.
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