We(don't)Work.
I am here to tell you the WSL is dead. They
will crash and burn. No doubt.
I have spent the majority of my career in and around Silicon
Valley as a founder, advisor and consultant. Over the last decade,
I have learned what makes a startup successful and where the
warning signs for failure are.
I have for years been saying that the WSL has the hallmarks of a
rapid-growth startup- venture backed, charismatic leadership,
desire to change the world, etc. That being said, the startups that
the WSL is
following aren’t the FAANG high performers. Instead, the startups
that the WSL is emulating are the ones that have Netflix
documentaries made about them, the Theranos, the
WeWork, the Fyre Fests.
These startups have all followed a simple playbook of promise
innovation, create a cult of personality, lie about success, silent
dissenters, under deliver, allow execs to self deal, and ultimately
burn in a blaze of non-glory and scandal, below is a sampling of
how the WSL fits this mold and will ultimately crash and burn.
Initially, the WSL promised innovation and reinvention, much
like WeWork, Theranos, and Fyre Fest, but much like those startups,
failed to meet the mark. Teranos never delivered on the promise of
the Edison the same way the WSL has failed to deliver on the
promise of becoming a media company, elevate the sport, innovate
competition, or doing really anything. The innovation that was
promised has never been delivered upon and in the same way that the
Edison was a shittier version of a Becton Dickinson Blood Reagent
Analyzer, the WSL is a shittier version of the ASP.
In the same line of thinking, Silicon Valley has a long history
of CEOs who become synonymous with their companies, like Elizabeth
Holmes of Theranos and Adam Neumann of WeWork. WSL leaders have
been treading a similar path. Markedly, Erik Logan had moved from
an administrative role to an omnipresent figure at WSL events,
eclipsing even the surfers at times, demonstrated at peak
self-aggrandizing with a Filipe Toledo shirt wearing debacle .
Similarly, Jesse Miley Dyer, through leadership seminars and public
events, is actively molding herself as a poster figure for the
sport. Additionally and in the same regard, Dave Prodan, via his
podcast, doesn’t just commentate on surfing, he often sets the
moral and ethical tone of surfing, becoming an arbiter of what’s
right and wrong in the sport and making things about him when
they’re not.
Much like Silicon Valley companies that allegedly suppressed
internal critics, including the documented instances of Theranos
counsel harassing whistleblowers, the WSL has shown similar
tendencies. The controversial decision to prevent surfers from
sporting Bethany Hamilton jerseys signaled an authoritarian streak
in this same regard. Moreover, Logan’s public warning against
raising concerns over potential judging bias displays an intent to
control the narrative at all costs. Additionally, Prodan’s
approach, particularly his political name-calling and the quick
removal of dissenting “Dave Prodan Killed Surfing” stickers at
Trestles hints at an intolerance for alternate viewpoints.
Misrepresentation of success metrics, a tactic Silicon Valley
snake oil salesmen, such as Holmes’ fudging of the Edison’s
accuracy or Fyre Fest’s misrepresentation of Fyre Fest
preparedness, has often been criticized as a quick way to convince
investors that all is well and appears prevalent in WSL’s strategy.
Logan’s optimistic portrayal of viewership figures, often without
substantial evidence, mirrors the inflated claims that led to the
downfalls of many tech startups. Prodan’s feigned excitement of the
mid-year cut seemed to put lipstick on a pig and signal the same,
even when rebuked by Connor Coffin to his face and while actively
rebutted by tour surfers.
These Silicon Valley startups also have a history of
self-dealing. A prime example is WeWork’s Adam Neumann, who had
questionable real estate dealings with his company that ultimately
didn’t pass the smell test. These dealings find a counterpart in
Logan’s endeavors with Apple TV. Logan’s dual role as a WSL CEO and
the executive producer for Apple TV’s “Make or Break” rings alarm
bells about potential conflicts of interest, reminiscent of many a
Silicon Valley scandal.
When it comes to pushing narratives, Holmes’ unwavering faith in
Theranos’ flawed Edison machine is paralleled by WSL’s insistence
on wave pools, mid year cut, and the unpopular finals day format,
even in the face of clear community opposition across all levels of
leadership.
At its core, the WSL, by seemingly adopting a Silicon Valley
playbook marred with controversies, is setting itself up for an
inevitable downfall. Silicon Valley’s history is littered with
companies that were driven by ego, suppressed criticism,
misrepresented success, and lost touch with their user base,
eventually leading to their implosion. The WSL’s current trajectory
appears ominously familiar.
As the surfing community watches, the hope remains that the WSL
will recalibrate its compass, but it’s unlikely and I fear that the
coffin nails are being hammered for competitive surfing. For a
sport so deeply connected with nature’s rhythms, its governing
body’s alignment with flawed corporate strategies seems stupid and
disingenuous. We are a community that yearns for WSL leadership
that resonates with the sport’s core values, but its seeming more
and more that the League will crash against the very waves it seeks
to champion and, well, die like Theranos and FyreFest or even
worse, rust like a WeWork.
We deserve better.
