An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis

Talk about your current situation. If you’re lonely, you’re not alone. There are so many others that feel the same way. Be vulnerable around the challenges that you’re facing and why it might be hard for you to go out and do things, especially during the pandemic. By talking about it, acknowledging it, and sharing it with others, you’ll be on the way toward finding a solution.

As a part of my interview series about the ‘5 Things We Can Each Do Help Solve The Loneliness Epidemic’.

I had the pleasure to interview with David Siegel.

David was selected by both WeWork and Meetup’s founder to succeed him as CEO in 2018. He has quickly become a sought-after expert on community building. Prior to his role as CEO of Meetup, he was the CEO of Investopedia. He has more than 20 years of experience in growing revenue and profit in digital media, subscriptions, and e-commerce. He is a motivational leader with experience in mergers and acquisitions, turnarounds, scaling operations, and growing businesses in the post-startup phase. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at Columbia University, and he earned his M.B.A. from The Wharton School. His first book, Decide & Conquer, will be published by HarperCollins in March 2022.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share your “backstory” with us? What was it that led you to your eventual career choice?

I value the power of community because I have lived it. Growing up in an Orthodox Jewish and religious household, community was a way of life. When there was a death, the entire Orthodox community gathered, bringing food to the bereaved family for many weeks, and visiting what we refer to as sitting Shiva at their home. Community also meant joyous celebrations of marriages and births. These religious traditions date back thousands of years. As an adult, I have also found community through my children’s schools, my career, and other avenues of life. Community has played an integral role throughout my life, and that is why Meetup speaks to my soul.

Meetup is a company focused on building community. Meetup understands that we become better people when we’re around other people and meeting in person.

Everything I’ve done and every job I’ve held has led me to this moment as CEO of Meetup. After business school, my first job was in technology as an early employee at DoubleClick, an adtech company that was eventually acquired by Google. I kept on that path working for a series of tech companies, and increasingly moved into larger leadership roles. At 1–800 Flowers.com, I ran mergers and acquisitions, strategic planning, and business development. I progressed to become the general manager and ran a number of different businesses for Everyday Health, a start-up digital health publisher that grew to have an IPO on the NYSE. I went on to become president of Seeking Alpha, a technology company focused on startups seeking financing. It was a natural progression to Investopedia, where I held my first CEO role. That was a fun ride where the company tripled its revenue over a three-year time period, and shareholders were happy for its sale to another company at a significantly higher valuation. It was around that time when I was approached by WeWork to lead Meetup and become their first outside CEO and take over for their founder, who led for 16 years. I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have this role and the opportunity to continue Meetup’s mission of building community.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

The professional relationships I’ve built throughout my career probably have had such an enormous effect on me, starting when I was an early employee at DoubleClick where at 24 years old I was a member of the DoubleClick executive team and leadership team. I have found that the relationships I built 20 years ago are still helping me today. And that relates directly to the probably most interesting story that’s ever happened to me in my career. During the time when Meetup was being sold by WeWork, we looked at many potential buyers. One of them was a mentor that I’ve had for over 20 years, a business titan named Kevin Ryan. He was the CEO of DoubleClick when I started working there a few years out of college. He later founded MongoDB, Business Insider, Zola, and Gilt. We met 20 plus years ago and we maintained that relationship — he has been an extraordinary mentor to me. During the sale of Meetup, I decided to reach out to him and ask him for advice on who a buyer could be. He knew a couple of potential buyers, and he was incredibly thoughtful by providing feedback on how we could find the right buyer. As time went on, however, I realized that Kevin Ryan himself should acquire Meetup. And because of that relationship I began in my 20s, Kevin and another investor acquired Meetup and have set us up for success. I now work with a trusted chairman — someone who I’ve known for a long time and who is a true leader in the tech industry.

Can you share a story about the most humorous mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson or takeaway you learned from that?

I’m not sure if I would use the word funniest, but when I started out I had no idea what “I wanted to be when I grew up.” In college, I was a liberal arts major. I studied philosophy, political science, and economics — hardly a directed future career. So, I decided to continue my education in hopes it would help me figure out what I wanted to do. Perhaps that was a mistake, perhaps not. I was still undecided so I thought consulting was the best path forward for me: it would be an opportunity to gain exposure to different fields and disciplines, and I thought that it could ultimately help me to make my career path decision. So I worked in consulting for two years and I guess it was a mistake in that I learned that I absolutely hated consulting.

I learned that I needed to be involved, to roll up my sleeves, and to not create binders or PowerPoint decks that never went anywhere. I learned the hard way that I enjoy the process of building. I like to actually help companies, help people, and build great products. Those actions can change people’s lives, similar to what has been done with Investopedia, Meetup, and 1–800 Flowers.com, and others. So perhaps it was a funny mistake to have chosen consulting because I realized how much I hated it, but mistakes can be great things because they also provide incredible life lessons and key takeaways.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

I’m always working on something exciting at Meetup, and there are three projects which come to mind immediately: our podcast, Meetup Live, our soon to be released organizer app and my book, Decide & Conquer.

First, I love hosting our podcast, Keep Connected. A podcast is another way to connect, but not in front of a screen. People listen to podcasts while walking, driving, exercising, you name it, and we have the privilege of sharing positive stories of community. Meetup’s mission is to inspire and empower people’s growth through human connections, and our podcast guests — be it experts or Meetup organizers — all aim to inspire people about the positive impact of community, as well as how to build one that works for them. We feature the stories that are better heard by the voices that lived them. We have so many fascinating stories of human connection, and now more than ever, people need to know it is possible to connect with each other. If our podcast can encourage someone to attend or organize a Meetup event and feel more connected with others, it is worth it. In fact, our top three most downloaded podcasts share a theme of friendship and happiness: How to Hack your Happiness, An Introverts Guide to Friendship, and How to Live a Meaningful Life.

The company’s public Meetup group, Meetup Live, produces two live events weekly and topics vary from educational to entertaining featuring experts, authors, executives, and event organizers. The most popular live event to date was Making New Friends as an Adult. This event attracted 11,500 RSVPs for a live, online video conference.

Another exciting update we have in the works is a new Meetup organizer app for iOS and Android. Using the organizer app, Meetup group leaders will be able to manage their groups, oversee events, and learn best practices wherever they go. That means, much like Uber, Etsy, and other dual-sided platforms, Meetup is going to have two apps: one focused on creating an amazing experience where members can find great groups and events, and the other for organizers to make it easy for them to manage their groups and events wherever they go.

The third thing I am excited about right now is the forthcoming launch of my book, Decide & Conquer (HarperCollins/release date: March 2022). It shares my perspective on community building, decision making, business and teamwork, and what not to do from real-life personal experiences I had working as the Meetup CEO reporting into WeWork. I think there will be quite a few lessons that help people come together to grow, professionally.

Can you share with our readers a bit why you are an authority about the topic of the Loneliness Epidemic?

As CEO of Meetup, it’s my job to understand why Meetup has been the leader in connecting people, fostering friendships, and building real communities since 2002. Meetup is kind of the antidote to loneliness in a way.

We’ve learned that when Meetup brings people together over a common interest, or to participate in an activity, we are providing them with a straightforward way to converse easily and connect authentically. Everyone at a Meetup event shares something in common, which is a clear starting point for new friendships.

We’ve also done studies and have learned that Meetup has a positive impact on those who use it. The researchers at ImpactED, University of Pennsylvania, surveyed members and the feedback was outstanding.

The findings for Meetup members revealed

• 80% of people who go to Meetup events feel more connected to others
• 90% of those who joined to learn something new increased their knowledge and/or skills
• 72% of people reported an increased number of friendships

The findings for Meetup organizers revealed

• 89% of organizers reported an increased ability to impact the lives of others
• 74% of organizers say Meetup has made their life better
• 78% of organizers reported an increased impact on their self-confidence

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the main focus of our interview. According to this story in Forbes, loneliness is becoming an increasing health threat not just in the US , but across the world. Can you articulate for our readers 3 reasons why being lonely and isolated can harm one’s health?

There’s a famous study around loneliness and its effects on one’s physical health — it had a conclusion that being lonely is as harmful as smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. I think we all know today how dangerous smoking can be for one’s health. Yet, so few of us really understand and appreciate the same level of danger that loneliness can be for one’s health. In fact, there is a famous study that Harvard has been conducting for the last 50 years. The study looks at people in their college years attending Harvard and follows them into their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s even into their 80s. They looked at the levels of happiness for those individuals and what life events had the most significant impact on their happiness. The number one indicator of one’s happiness in this long-term study was relationships, or often, one’s lack of relationships. Lonely people also pass away at an earlier age.

Another interesting avenue of research is looking at happiness as a chemical phenomenon. Radha Agarwal, founder of Daybreaker and the author of an awesome book called Belong, uses an acronym, D.O.S.E. to understand the natural chemical components of happiness: D stands for dopamine, O for oxytocin, S for serotonin, and E for endorphins. These four naturally-occurring chemicals give people energy and cause them to want to get out and do things. And when people are motivated to be out and experience life, they’re often much less lonely. For me, it’s incredibly motivating to take care of myself, and make sure I’m sleeping 7 or 8 hours a night, eating healthily, and exercising. All these things contribute to your health, but they also make it so you’re less lonely. Loneliness affects your health and health affects your loneliness: it works both ways, if you end up finding ways to decrease your loneliness, it also has a direct impact on your health as well.

On a broader societal level, in which way is loneliness harming our communities and society?

One of the greatest dangers in the world is its divisiveness. And we see that in our own political systems from both sides. One of the biggest reasons for that polarization is ignorance. It’s a lack of exposure of people from the right to the left, from one religion to another religion from people of one race to people of a different race.

When people isolate themselves they don’t meet people who are different from them, who have different experiences than them, they make assumptions about others and that can be dangerous. Loneliness can cause feelings of fear and isolation, which make it harder to interact with new people. Add in a Facebook feed with misleading or false information — this only exacerbates a one-sided view.

Meetup is focused on bringing people together who are different — different ages, different religions, different races and from different countries, who can all come together over a common interest, whether it’s board games, tech events, knitting, you name it!. There’s something healing about that opportunity to meet people who are different from yourself and learn what you have in common. People need to come tougher to end loneliness, it’s also necessary for reducing racism and xenophobia.

The irony of having a loneliness epidemic is glaring. We are living in a time where more people are connected to each other than ever before in history. Our technology has the power to connect billions of people in one network, in a way that was never possible. Yet despite this, so many people are lonely. Why is this? Can you share 3 of the main reasons why we are facing a loneliness epidemic today? Please give a story or an example for each.

One of the biggest cities in the world is New York City and on a per capita basis we probably have a higher proportion of people who feel alone. It’s an unfortunate phenomenon, being in the nation’s biggest city and feeling such a profound sense of loneliness.

We believe Meetup is the antidote to loneliness. We use technology to get people off of technology. When you’re using technology, you are not participating in the beautiful world that we have in front of us.

So you asked for three reasons why we’re in a loneliness epidemic. Here are my top three:

1. Technology is addictive. You can watch the movie Screenagers or any of the other documentaries and research studies. Social media platforms and gaming companies are intentionally making their products highly addictive, which drives profit for founders and their investors. The addictive nature of gaming and technology is the first reason we’re in a loneliness epidemic.
2. There’s an incredible book by Robert Putnam called Bowling Alone and in it he really sheds light on the fact that back in the day, there used to be an enormous number of communal infrastructures where people could socialize, like bowling leagues. I’ll tell you that my grandparents were in a bowling league for 20 years, and they just loved bowling together. My mom who’s in her 70s was in a bowling league too, in fact she and I were in a parent-child league together. The number of people who go bowling regularly has increased significantly, while the number of people who are part of leagues has decreased. People bowl alone now often. The number of people who join communities like the PTA, synagogues, churches, and temples has also declined significantly. People are missing out on large communal experiences. Reason number two is the lack of communal infrastructure that exists today. In the past, there were built-in communities where you could connect with others. Today those aren’t as common.
3. Lastly, it’s 2021 we’re close to reaching two solid years of the pandemic. There is no question in my mind that this is making people more isolated. Before the pandemic studies found that 46% of people regularly felt lonely and 62% of Gen Z were rarely lonely. Because of the pandemic, every one of those numbers is higher today. The impact of COVID is felt now but it’s going to be felt for generations to come. And that’s certainly a third reason why we’re facing loneliness today.

Ok. It is not enough to talk about problems without offering possible solutions. In your experience, what are the 5 things each of us can do to help solve the Loneliness Epidemic. Please give a story or an example for each.

1. It’s very easy for people to understand the benefits of going and doing something social. The challenge is actually doing something. My first advice is to stop thinking. Just do it. There’s a reason why Nike is so successful. Yes, their sneakers are great, but their slogan and what it represents is the number one action I would suggest people do to solve the loneliness epidemic. Say yes to everything. Be a “yes” person.
2. Often, people are reluctant to do things with others because they have a fear of rejection. And that’s completely normal. Everyone fears rejection. Figure out a path for yourself to invite others out. Don’t wait to be invited, invite others. That’s the second action that I would recommend in terms of a solution.
3. Third, talk about your current situation. If you’re lonely, you’re not alone. There are so many others that feel the same way. Be vulnerable around the challenges that you’re facing and why it might be hard for you to go out and do things, especially during the pandemic. By talking about it, acknowledging it, and sharing it with others, you’ll be on the way toward finding a solution.
4. Number four: I’m the CEO of Meetup, so I have to say this, but it also happens to be that I strongly believe in the power of Meetup’s ability to solve the loneliness crisis. Join a meetup group. There’s an incredible person that I had the opportunity to meet through my work at Meetup. His name is Omar Acosta and he’s one of Meetup’s top organizers. Before joining Meetup, Omar was on his couch, playing video games for hours and hours every day and he was not happy. His brother recommended that he try Meetup to get out and make friends. Omar went to a Meetup event. He went back a second time. By the sixth time, he went to an event the group’s organizer (who was moving away) asked Omar to take over his group. That was nine years ago. His outdoors group in Dallas, Texas has had 900+ different events, from rock climbing to hiking. There are six marriages (that Omar knows of) that came as a direct result of people Meeting through the group. This is someone who was reluctant to take the initiative. Now Omar is a leader. He’s not only cured his own loneliness but has helped thousands of other people become less lonely.
5. Another incredible person I’ve met is a Meetup organizer in Michigan named David Good. He is very introverted but wanted to make friends. He knew that he loved playing board games, specifically strategy board games, so he came to Meetup to find gaming events and meet people. Then, after a period of time, he decided to become a Meetup organizer and created his own group. He now runs three groups on Meetup. Hopefully, he will never feel lonely again. By organizing a new group on a topic he loved, David was able to find a close-knit community. Being a Meetup organizer can be even more impactful than attending Meetup events.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

This is not going to be a surprise. Currently, we have 55 million people around the world and 193 different countries who use Meetup. Meetup, like Facebook, is a movement and Facebook has close to 3 billion people around the world who use Facebook or Instagram or WhatsApp and their suite of apps. There’s no reason that 3 billion or 7 billion people around the planet shouldn’t use Meetup as well. I invite everyone to join what I’m calling “the Meetup Movement,” a commitment to getting off the couch and meeting new people out in the world. Let’s commit to making new friends, and learning new things. Every single month. The good that could come out of that movement is absolutely profound. So if you’re interested in that movement, let’s talk. My email is [email protected].

We are blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂

A few months ago I reached out to Angela Duckworth, a truly incredible behavioral psychologist, neuroscientist, and host of the podcast, No Stupid Questions. She wrote a powerful book on resilience called Grit. I reached out to her because she is someone who I deeply admire and I would love to find a way in which she and Meetup could collaborate.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

They can follow Meetup at @Meetup, and find me on LinkedIn using this link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmsiegel/ or follow me at @Davidmeirsiegel on Twitter

Tell us about your book Decide & Conquer?

Like many people, during the pandemic, I had a chance to take a step back and reflect on my life and career. I thought about the choices I made — from delaying my career and opting to get an MBA when my son was a newborn, to navigating Meetup’s divestment from our former owners at WeWork, to pivoting Meetup’s event model in a pandemic. Making decisions when people are counting on you — whether it’s your family, your team, or a company of people — is hard. But with the right mindset and a few rules of thumb, it can be much easier.

Decide & Conquer is a book on decision-making that I wish I had been able to read when I became an executive. I share the 44 major challenges that new leaders face and offer a framework for making decisions in a new leader’s first 30, 60, and 90 days on the job. It draws on my education at The Wharton School, advice from some amazing colleagues and mentors I’ve had over the years, and, of course, my experience leading Meetup as its CEO.

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.

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Author David Siegel Of Meetup: 5 Things We Can Each Do To Help Solve The Loneliness Epidemic was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.