Ryan Bitzer and Damion Greiman are the founders of 800 Pound Gorilla, a comedy media company that produces, distributes, and markets stand-up specials for some of the biggest names in the game, from Bill Burr to Matt Rife to Anjelah Johnson-Reyes. Along with their director of marketing, Amanda Zuckerman, they have built an audience of millions by obsessing over what actually makes people laugh and how to deliver it in smarter ways.
We’ve broken down their recent appearance on the How Success Happens podcast to help you launch your own passion project in three, two, one!
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Three Key Insights
1. Curiosity Over Cash
When I asked what kept them going in the first six very uncertain months of running the company, Ryan half-joked that it was “stupidity,” but what really carried them through was and remains to be relentless curiosity. “If you’re not asking why and how, and you’re being curious about your space, you’re probably not in the right space,” he told me, explaining that they were obsessed with solving a problem for comedians struggling to find a home for their work, not just chasing a payday. They kept asking, “Why does it work this way? Does it need to work this way?” and committed to “do whatever it takes to make this happen.” Their break-the-mold philosophy continues today; they continue to experiment and fine-tune their approach to reach the largest possible audiences.
Takeaway: Anchor your business in a problem you’re genuinely curious about solving, and let that curiosity pull you through the early months when the money and validation are not pouring in.
2. Build with People You Actually Like
Damion told me that one of the biggest reasons they didn’t quit early on was simply that they were doing it with friends. “Starting a company with your friends… where it’s fun coming in every day” made all the difference, he said, because even when “we don’t really know what we’re doing yet, we’ll figure it out together.” He admitted that if any one of them had tried to do this alone, they probably would have bailed. That sense of shared adventure—and shared confusion—kept them fired up until the business clicked.
Takeaway: Choose cofounders and early teammates you genuinely enjoy and trust, because the camaraderie is what will keep you going when the business still feels like a total mess.
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3. Making Key Hires Is, Well, Key
As 800 Pound Gorilla grew to about 35 employees, every hiring wave felt like a scary leap, spending money before they had it fully locked in. The game-changer was hiring a CFO—”someone who actually understood money” who could say, “you guys wanna hire three new people, here’s how that’s gonna happen, here’s how the money looks.” That financial discipline kept them from their “stupid ideas” spinning out of control, while another mantra kept them sane: “Just enjoy the journey.” As Ryan put it, one day “we’re all gonna be retired in the La-Z-Boy wishing we had some challenge to solve,” so even the stressful parts are worth savoring.
Takeaway: As you scale, pair your entrepreneurial excitement with someone who truly understands the numbers—and don’t forget to enjoy the chaos while you still have it.
Two Ways to Learn More
1. You can dive deeper into the world of 800 Pound Gorilla by checking out their comedy specials, albums, and projects across platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, where they reach over 20 million comedy fans a month.
2. Read How to Turn Your Passion Into a Thriving Business and get a blueprint for turning your personal interests into a side hustle or full-time business.
One Question to Ponder
Damion stressed that building a business with the right people can keep you from bailing when things get rough. So here’s your question this week:
If you could pick any person, living or dead, who would you want to co-found a business with and why?
Email your answer to howsuccesshappens@entrepreneur.com. Your response just might be read on a future episode!
About How Success Happens
Each episode of How Success Happens shares the inspiring, entertaining, and unexpected journeys that influential leaders in business, the arts, and sports traveled on their way to becoming household names. It’s a reminder that behind every big-time career, there is a person who persisted in the face of self-doubt, failure, and anything else that got thrown in their way.
Ryan Bitzer and Damion Greiman are the founders of 800 Pound Gorilla, a comedy media company that produces, distributes, and markets stand-up specials for some of the biggest names in the game, from Bill Burr to Matt Rife to Anjelah Johnson-Reyes. Along with their director of marketing, Amanda Zuckerman, they have built an audience of millions by obsessing over what actually makes people laugh and how to deliver it in smarter ways.
We’ve broken down their recent appearance on the How Success Happens podcast to help you launch your own passion project in three, two, one!
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