{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Grit","title":"Flexport’s Third Act: Winning in a Broken Global Trade System","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/f5676cb4\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":6208,"description":"Flexport was a breakout success—reimagining global trade with tech at its core. But when the freight market cooled and efficiency overtook service, things started to unravel. Founder Ryan Petersen stepped aside, handing the CEO role to former Amazon exec Dave Clark. Months later, he was back at the helm.\nIn this episode, Ryan explains what went wrong, how he’s rebuilding Flexport—cutting $300M in costs, restoring customer focus—and why promoting from within beats chasing outside stars. He also weighs in on Trump’s proposed tariffs and what they could mean for the future of global trade.\nChapters:\n00:00 Trailer\n00:31 Introduction\n02:07 Meeting smart people, seeing the world\n03:40 Eroded margins\n09:52 Charismatic and overconfident\n15:32 Not an overnight decision\n20:08 The founder has returned\n23:10 Redoing the hiring\n26:38 No substitute for passion\n31:00 Working for and with my brother\n37:28 Working with forwarders\n42:14 Being a founder can be lonely\n47:49 Life’s work\n54:06 The right person for the job\n1:00:55 19 countries\n1:04:57 Blowing people up\n1:07:24 Work and being a good dad\n1:08:34 Not doing it for money and loving money\n1:17:52 Import and export tariffs\n1:22:57 De minimis\n1:25:54 Panama and the Suez Canal\n1:36:50 Going public\n1:42:24 Who Flexport is Hiring\n1:42:42 What \"grit\" means to Ryan\n1:43:06 Outro\n\nMentioned in this episode: Founders Fund, Amazon, Toyota Motor Corporation, Slack, Brex, Pedro Franceschi, Henrique Dubugras, United States Customs and Border Protection, ImportGenius, Michael Kanko, Y Combinator, Paul Graham, Intel Corporation, Shopify, Geely Holding (Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd.), The Volvo Group, Intuit TurboTax, David Petersen, BuildZoom, TechCrunch, Google, Figma, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Jimmy Carter, Panama Canal Authority, United States Navy, Coinbase, Uber, Airbnb\nLinks:Connect with RyanXLinkedInConnect with JoubinTwitterLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com\nLearn more about Kleiner Perkins","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/jCea5f44KBONhOsyLyht9nXUrj2YBNfA6fc-kgyfWTM/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/Lzk3NzAvMTY2Nzg2/MjQyOC1hcnR3b3Jr/LmpwZw.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}