Before Rotten Tomatoes became a cultural barometer for movies and TV, it was just a silly side project built by someone obsessed with community. In this episode, Patrick Lee traces his entrepreneurial instincts back to early adulthood — from reselling computers to launching what would become one of the most influential platforms in entertainment. He opens up about how close Rotten Tomatoes came to disappearing during the dot-com crash, the realities of downsizing, and why the era of canned tuna and instant ramen remains a badge of honor. It’s a candid look at survival, scrappiness, and building something meaningful without a safety net.

We also dig into the underrated power of networking — how building out an early professional network could have easily doubled the value of Rotten Tomatoes, and how to approach networking without the usual dread. From there, Patrick lays out the two non-negotiable traits for startup success: irrational confidence and ruthless focus. We close with a conversation about his very real fear of AI (and why we should all give WALL-E a rewatch) and why real-world community and human connection may be the most valuable currency we have left.

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