Leading with Intention
Zack Isaacs on Building Teams, Trust, and Technology in the Running World
What happens when you build event tech like a race director, fund it like a craftsperson, and lead like a teammate? Movement co-founder Zack Isaacs joins Long Run Labs to talk product-market fit, fundraising, “winning the event lifecycle,” and why trust; not headcount, scales great companies.
TL;DR
Movement started as a GoFundMe-for-athletes idea (MINT) before Zack pivoted to an event platform focused on the entire lifecycle; registration, communication, timing, volunteers, insurance, and community. The north star: deliver value to athletes and organizers first; monetize where it adds obvious utility. Funding is pragmatic (two rounds, ~$3M), burn is low, and employee ownership matters more than vanity valuations. Culture is explicit, lived, and endurance-informed: go diesel, not Ferrari.
“If you don’t explicitly define your culture, someone else will.”
Why Zack, Why Now
Zack’s story runs straight through endurance: Oakland Hills trails, early Strava, and now Movement. He’s built tools with the community he trains in; so the product choices feel like race-morning common sense, not a growth hack.
“Our atomic unit is the event. Events are inherently social.”
From MINT to Movement: The Pivot to Fit
Before Movement: a crypto-flavored crowdfunding tool for athletes. It worked for a handful of pros, but it wasn’t the scalable, healthy business Zack wanted; especially given athlete concerns about access and time.
Signal over sizzle: Landing pages across the event lifecycle + a bit of paid spend → 1,000+ hand-raise leads. Zack coded for two months, launched, and won the first three big customers off a press release; who are still with them.
“Build brick by brick until the hypothesis keeps proving itself.”
Winning the Event Lifecycle
Movement’s edge was registration and results. The win is everything around it:
Ops: timing integrations, volunteers, participant comms
Risk: organizer insurance options (cancellation/liability)
Growth: smart integrations (like Strava) that keep your event visible in athletes’ training feeds and naturally boost registrations.
Monetization with taste: co-selling must-haves at the right time (travel, lodging, shoes, nutrition, coaching); without turning athletes into ad slots
“Use events to offer the right thing at the right time, not to farm data.”
The Business Model (Aligned Incentives > Retainers)
Movement largely earns like Airbnb: when organizers earn, Movement earns a little. Free events still get the full toolset; because they seed future paid business and goodwill. Simple, aligned, and organizer-friendly.
Funding Without the Treadmill
Two rounds totaling just over ~$3M, inside-led the second time to limit dilution. The goal isn’t a letter-soup of mega rounds; it’s employee ownership, product velocity, and years of runway. Before the latest raise, they were operating cash-flow positive.
“Raise the smallest amount needed to grasp the opportunity.”
Culture You Can See on Strava
Weekly team runs, explicit values, real PTO, and “give away your Legos” leadership. Zack’s playbook: define culture early, model it daily, and keep handing off bigger blocks so people grow.
Endurance x Entrepreneurship
Racing teaches pacing. Company-building rewards consistency. Zack’s advice: skip the Ferrari sprints; become a diesel; steady, durable, adaptable.
“Be in it for the long run; product, people, and profit.”
Playbook for Organizers (and Brands)
Treat registration as the start of your marketing, not the end.
Automate participant touchpoints with training cues and logistics reminders.
Bundle “must-do” trip planning (lodging, transport) and race prep (shoes, nutrition, coaching).
Protect the downside (insurance) and spotlight the upside (community moments).
If it feels extractive, it probably is. Optimize for trust.
5 Takeaways
Value first, dollars second. Monetize where it improves the experience, not despite it.
Events are social atoms. Build features around participation, not feeds.
Aligned pricing wins. Earn when organizers earn; keep free events powerful.
Raise with restraint. Inside rounds and low burn protect ownership and focus.
Lead visibly. Codify values, model them, and “keep giving away your Legos.”
Listen
Credits
Host: Jonathan Levitt
Guest: Zack Isaacs
Producer: Dylan Delaney — Delaney Video LLC
Music: Brian Walters — Singletrack Sound
Management: Emily Holland — Wild Poppy Creative
Some common themes coming up throughout the year! Would it be good having some sort of LRL year end key takeaways nomination ?
And community is the backbone! Surrounding yourself with the people you admire or doing the things you love/ find and build your community