{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Lay of The Land","title":"#262 Paul Benner — Platform Beer Company","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":4518,"description":"Paul Benner is the founder of Platform Beer Company. What began in 2014 as a tiny neighborhood brewery grew remarkably quickly through constant experimentation before ultimately being acquired by Anheuser-Busch in 2019. Platform was also personally meaningful to me…. with many formative conversations in my own entrepreneurial journey and life having occurred within its walls.\nIn our conversation, Paul and I unpack the full Platform story—from his early interest in entrepreneurship and homebrewing, to Cleveland Brew Shop, Platform’s founding insight, hypergrowth, acquisition, COVID, and its eventual closure. We then explore what came after: separating his identity from the company, leaving and ultimately returning to Cleveland, going deep on Bitcoin and building a mining operation in West Texas, his thinking on money, inflation, affordability, and the K-shaped economy, and his return to beer as U.S. CEO of Pinter here in Cleveland.\n00:00 Introduction and guest background\n02:25 The significance of Cleveland and Platform's legacy\n05:42 Early entrepreneurial influences and interest in beer\n10:27 Starting the Cleveland Brew Shop and market insights\n12:46 The power of doing and first-mover advantage\n16:05 Launching Platform Beer Company\n22:33 Growth, experimentation, and industry trends\n28:09 Scaling challenges and navigating rapid growth\n33:17 Impact of COVID-19 and strategic reflections\n39:56 Post-Platform identity and exploring new ventures\n42:15 Discovering Bitcoin and its influence\n55:09 Building in the world of Bitcoin mining\n01:00:11 The role of reading, learning, and curiosity\n01:03:22 Reflections on success and happiness\n01:08:13 Returning to Cleveland and local appreciation\n01:11:33 Favorite hidden gems in Cleveland\n01:13:22 Closing thoughts and contact information\n-----\nLINKS:\nhttps://pinter.com/\n-----\nSPONSOR:\nCerity Partners\nCerity Partners, a full-service investment and wealth management firm serving high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and business...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/83f-43Wz3A8u4303ZUZ8sIr3iY-45NuHaXW4rZCGBA0/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzE2MTMwLzE2Mjg3/MTAwMjUtYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}