The Eventbrite Story | Julia & Kevin Hartz
Jul 5, 2026 · 49:55
Julia and Kevin Hartz, the husband-wife co-founders of Eventbrite, recount building the world's second-largest events marketplace from a windowless phone closet with dog beds for naps, bootstrapping until product market fit emerged from tech meetups and spread organically across categories. They describe Kevin handing the CEO reins to Julia in 2016 after 10 years, the challenging integration of Tickerfly after its acquisition, and the COVID moment when revenue went negative within 14 days, prompting rapid refunds and credits that saved the company. The Hartzes also explain the sale to Bending Spoons for long-term stewardship, Kevin's $450M third fund at A* Star capital, and their joint venture Sauron, a home security business with Atomic.
