Dave Finocchio of The Cool Down on Building Enduring Media Companies

I’m excited to have my new friend Dave Finocchio on the podcast. I met Dave on my golf trip to Ireland, and we hit it off on the long bus ride. He stands out because he’s focused and insanely smart. He’s the founder of the Bleacher Report, which was acquired for north of $200M, and is now working on The Cool Down – his attempt to build the world’s first mainstream climate brand. Dave’s taken everything he’s learned in sports and media over the years and is applying it to climate change. 

We have a wide-ranging conversation on what it was like to start a media company back in the day, and what it takes now. We discuss new trends that are emerging in media, like TikTok, his investment in 5-Iron Golf, and a whole lot more. Enjoy! 

Guest - Dave Finocchio, Co-Founder & CEO at The Cool Down, Founder of Bleacher Report 

howardlindzon.com, thecooldown.com 

Twitter: @howardlindzon, @PanicwFriends, @DaveFinocchio, @knutjensen 

linkedin.com/in/dave-finocchio-90b2a93

#fintech #invest #investment #venturecapital #stockmarket #finance 

Show Notes:

• Introduction (00:40)
• Welcome Dave (05:44)
• Golf courses in Ireland (08:42)
• The Cool Down (09:58)
• Content needs to resonate (12:33)
• Bringing in co-founders (13:27)
• Dealing with founder burnout (17:25)
• Flash back to the Bleacher report (21:38)
• Seed rounds back in the day (29:54)
• The end of an era (33:56)
• NFL Draft expert Matt Miller (35:45)
• Dave’s thoughts on parenting (37:29)
• Would he do sports media again? (39:05)
• Sports betting (41:02)
• Thoughts on TikTok (42:15)
• Growth - The Cool Down (46:20)
• Investments: Behave Candy (47:46)
• Investments: 5-Iron Golf (47:57)
• Bullish on golf (52:17)
• Closing thoughts (53:02)