Why Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen took his company back

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Vox Media Podcast Network

Technology, Business

4.3 • 3.2K Ratings

🗓️ 19 December 2023

⏱️ 69 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Ryan Petersen is the founder and CEO of Flexport, which makes software to optimize shipping everything from huge containers to ecommerce deliveries. It’s a fascinating company; we had Ryan on to explain it last year. Right around the first time we spoke, Ryan handed off the CEO role to 20-year Amazon veteran Dave Clark. Then, barely a year later, Dave got fired, and Ryan returned after CEO. I always joke that Decoder is a show about org charts… so why did Ryan make and then unmake the biggest org chart decision there is? Links: Can software simplify the supply chain? Ryan Petersen thinks so - The Verge Amazon consumer chief Dave Clark to join Flexport as its new CEO Flexport CEO Dave Clark resigns from logistics startup after one year in the role Flexport founder publicly slams his handpicked successor for hiring spree, rescinds offers Ousted Flexport CEO Dave Clark strikes back The real story behind a tech founder's 'tweetstorm that saves Christmas' Panama Canal has gotten so dry and backed up after brutal drought that shippers are paying up to $4m to jump the queue When Shipping Containers Sink in the Drink | The New Yorker Transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/23770977 Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Today’s episode was produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and was edited by Callie Wright. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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1:15.0	Hello and welcome to Decoder. I'm Neil Eppetel, editor-in-chief of The
1:20.6	Verge and Decoder is my show about big ideas and other problems.
1:24.6	Today I'm talking to Ryan Peterson, the founder and CEO of Flexport, which makes software
1:29.7	to optimize shipping everything from huge containers to e-commerce deliveries.
1:34.0	Flexport is a fascinating company. We actually had Ryan on the show last year, but
1:38.2	this episode is a little different. Since we last talked, Ryan handed off the CEO role to a 20-year Amazon veteran named Dave
1:45.2	Clark, decided with his board of directors that Dave wasn't working out, then fired him and returned
	...

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