Julia Hartz: How to Build, Scale, and Exit a Billion-Dollar Startup From Scratch | Entrepreneurship | E398

Julia Hartz, co-founder and former CEO of Eventbrite, shares her journey from working at a coffee shop at 14 to building a billion-dollar events platform that survived a near-collapse during the pandemic. She emphasizes that entrepreneurship isn't about innate talent but about complementary skills, relentless iteration, and empathy—learned early from a customer who just needed to be heard. The episode unpacks how Eventbrite was built on principles of capital efficiency, user-first design (making the platform as easy as Gmail), and democratizing access to event creation. Julia reveals how the company reinvented itself during COVID-19 by asking, 'What would we do if we could start over?'—a blank slate exercise that became the foundation for survival and growth. She discusses the evolution of company culture, the importance of listening over having all the answers, and the emotional toll of stepping down as CEO. Her advice to entrepreneurs centers on capital discipline, continuous iteration, and leading with genuine gratitude. The conversation closes with a powerful message: success isn't about perfection, but about resilience, adaptability, and staying true to your values through every phase of growth.