In this episode of the Startup Ignition Podcast, we’re joined by the legendary Garrett Gee for a surprise interview! Garrett, the co-founder of Scan and father of The Bucket List Family, shares his incredible journey from being a college student who didn’t know what “entrepreneur” meant to selling his app to Snapchat for $54 million. He unpacks the entire wild ride: the lightning-fast negotiation with Evan Spiegel, the truth about his Shark Tank appearance, the lessons learned from pitching on Sand Hill Road, and the pivotal moment with Jack Dorsey that changed his life’s direction. Garrett also reveals the origin story of The Bucket List Family and what he’s building next.

(00:00:00) The $54 Million Snapchat Acquisition Story
(00:02:05) The Surprise: Garrett Gee is the real guest!
(00:04:47) Introducing Garrett Gee: Co-founder of Scan & The Bucket List Family
(00:08:34) Icebreaker: Entrepreneurial This or That
(00:23:23) Garrett’s Origin: “What does an entrepreneur mean?”
(00:26:08) The Birth of Scan & Juggling 20 Business Ideas
(00:30:37) Why Scan Rose to the Top of the App Store
(00:35:25) How Evan Spiegel Discovered Scan
(00:38:26) Raising Money on Sand Hill Road & Getting Bad Advice
(00:43:40) Pitching Troy Carter & Meeting Lady Gaga
(00:49:17) The Meeting with Jack Dorsey That Changed Everything
(00:52:06) Why They Raised $7M From Europe Instead of Silicon Valley
(00:55:35) The Shark Tank Experience & “Hacking” the Show
(01:01:22) Negotiating with Evan Spiegel: The $40M to $54M Story
(01:09:28) Turning Down an Extra $10M for a College Soccer Season
(01:12:29) The Sony Email Hack That Leaked the Secret Acquisition
(01:18:01) The True Origin Story of The Bucket List Family
(01:26:15) What’s Next: An Animated Series and Private Island Resorts
(01:30:11) Final Words: “The Apprentice has become the master”

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