Dave's Blog

Real Attendance: The Only Attendance Number That Doesn’t Lie

August 20, 2026
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A recent UCLA football game announced an attendance of 27,143. The turnstile scan was 12,383. That’s a huge gap. A peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Applied Sport Management looked at 48 Division I men’s basketball programs over three seasons. Almost a thousand games. The average no-show rate was 37 percent. In my experience, that’s […]

August 18, 2026
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In Australia, lab-grown diamonds represent 50 to 60 percent of the market. There are predictions that the number could be 70 percent by the end of 2026. One carat. Mined. $7,000 to $8,000. Lab-grown. Under $500. Two carats? Mined. $20,000 or more. Lab-grown? $750. The product has become a commodity. That’s not a threat. That’s […]

August 14, 2026
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The miracle promised by direct-to-consumer is dead. D-E-D. Dead. A 2026 research report looked at 50 prominent DTC brand failures between 2022 and 2026. Celebrated brands like SmileDirectClub and Allbirds were included. SmileDirectClub went from a $4.1 billion valuation to a $39 million sale in 53 months. 99% down. Allbirds, once worth billions, and on the feet of so […]

August 12, 2026
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In the joy of completing my math project, I forgot to mention two important things…to me, at least. First, in July, Pearl Jam made a grant in my honor to support youth soccer in the DC area. Pretty sweet. Another cool thing. Friend of the newsletter, podcast, and all of my assorted adventures, Tim Chambers, […]

August 11, 2026
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The secondary market has been in the news a lot lately…a lot. The D.C. RESALE ACT just passed. StubHub is facing a lawsuit over illegal practices. The Savannah Bananas kept resale in-house. They saved their fans $13.69M. No fraud. No black-market boogie man. Just real relationships with fans…sustained and deepened. StubHub’s CEO is under investigation […]

The “10% Test”: A Simple Question to See If You’re a Commodity

I want to share a quick test with you this morning to help you understand the challenges and fears folks face when I talk about commoditization. Fear Most people I speak with are afraid of losing out on a project or a client. They often feel on edge between winning and losing, like they have […]

What I Believe: A Business Statement

What I Believe Record profits. Mass layoffs. The President of the United States is mocking people who can’t afford groceries. A generation of young people who’ve done everything they were told to do: worked hard, studied, chased the right credentials. They feel like they’ll never own a home, have a stable career, pay off their […]

Real Attendance: The Only Attendance Number That Doesn’t Lie

Rocks or Relationships: The Strategic Choice Every Jeweler Faces

The DTC Graveyard: Why Businesses Threw Away Billions on a Bad Bet

RE: $414 Million Saved is Only Half the Story

$414 Million Saved Is Only Half the Story: Why the Free Market Era in Tickets Is Ending

The “10% Test”: A Simple Question to See If You’re a Commodity

What I Believe: A Business Statement

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