Simon Sinek

Why This Baseball Team Has a 4.2 Million Person Waitlist With Jesse Cole | A Bit of Optimism Podcast

We talk a lot about building successful things. But what does it actually take to build something people love? Jesse Cole has built an entirely new genre of entertainment: The Savannah Bananas and the Banana Ball League. They’re a viral sensation, selling out stadiums across the country, and have over 4.2 million fans on their ticket waitlist. On the surface, Banana Ball looks like a wild and entertaining version of baseball. But underneath it all is something much more disciplined: an obsession with the fan experience. Jesse calls his approach _Fans First_ and it’s more than a slogan and the title of his book… It’s a standard. Every minute of the two-hour games are crammed with attention grabbing spectacle. It’s a full-blown live experience designed for every seat in the stadium: players dance, fans are part of the show, trick plays defy the laws of physics, there are multiple sing-alongs… all during an actual baseball game. In this conversation, we talk about building something new for others, from embracing years of failure (including selling just two tickets in the first three months), to creating experiences that make people feel included, joyful, and valued. We also discuss how he took inspiration from Disney and PT Barnum, the importance of affordable in-person experiences, and how his team reviews every single detail after every show to get better the next day. Because what Jesse’s building goes beyond just entertainment. It’s a place where people can feel seen for generations to come. And in a world that often moves too fast to build things with care… Those human details might be what matter most. This… is A Bit of Optimism. + + + To learn more about the Banana Ball League or sign up for the ticket waitlist, check out: https://bananaball.com/ Or if you want all things Savannah Bananas, head to: https://thesavannahbananas.com/ + + + Chapters 00:00 Think of Every Customer's Experience 02:38 Why Jesse Started the Bananas: Putting Yourself in Fan Shoes 05:10 Inspiration from Walt Disney and PT Barnum 06:19 Ten Years of Experimentation and Failure Before the Savannah Bananas 08:01 Fans First: Building for People, Not Baseball Traditionalists 08:57 Competing Against Netflix and Video Games, Not Other Baseball 09:56 The Philosophy of Feeling Alive and Creating Joy 10:41 Building a Team: From 200 to 1000 Staff with 14,000 on the Waitlist 11:15 The Modern-Day Walt Disney: Refreshing Entrepreneurship 13:00 Sleeping on an Air Mattress: The Early Struggles 13:51 The First Night Story: Fans First Isn't Just a Slogan 16:54 Learning from the Harlem Globetrotters 18:36 The Players: Rejected Dreams Become Second Chances 39:11 Winning the Upper Deck: Making Every Seat Special 40:59 Hall of Famer Lee Smith's Philosophy: Seeing the Person 24:18 Walt Disney's Obsession with Details: Garbage Cans and Ride Times 25:42 Building for Human Beings, Not Bottom Lines 26:27 One Financial Meeting a Year: The Long Game 27:21 Fear of Irrelevance: Staying Emotionally Connected 27:59 The Yellow Tuxedo: Permission to Have Fun 33:41 Why Now? Disconnection and the Hunger for Human Connection 45:58 Pricing Philosophy: Keep It Accessible, Find Other Ways 50:24 Calling Every Fan to Say Thank You 51:23 Fan Story: The Father with Seven Kids 53:47 Jesse's Childhood: From Shy Kid to Entertainer 54:55 Swing Hard in Case You Hit It: A Life Philosophy 57:41 The Story of Reggie: Everyone Wants to Feel Part of Something 1:01:35 Becoming Lee Smith: Sitting Next to the Lonely Kid + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work that they do. Simon is the author of multiple best-selling books including Start With Why, Leaders Eat Last, Together is Better, and The Infinite Game. + + + Website: http://simonsinek.com/ Live Online Classes: https://simonsinek.com/classes/ Podcast: http://apple.co/simonsinek Instagram: https://instagram.com/simonsinek/ Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonsinek Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek Simon’s books: The Infinite Game: https://simonsinek.com/books/the-infinite-game/ Start With Why: https://simonsinek.com/books/start-with-why/ Find Your Why: https://simonsinek.com/books/find-your-why/ Leaders Eat Last: https://simonsinek.com/books/leaders-eat-last/ Together is Better: https://simonsinek.com/books/together-is-better/ + + + #SimonSinek

SSSimon SinekhostJCJesse Coleguest

Apr 14, 2026·1h 5m·Watch on YouTube ↗

📖 CHAPTERS

1. 1

   “Win the Upper Deck”: Designing great experiences for the farthest seats

   Simon and Jesse open by talking about a counterintuitive obsession: making the worst seats feel special, not just optimizing premium areas. Jesse explains why the Bananas treat every game as someone’s “first show,” especially for fans who waited years to attend.

2. 2

   The Bananas’ origin: building the show by thinking like a fan

   Jesse shares how the concept started by putting himself in the customer’s shoes—recognizing where baseball felt slow or boring for many people. The breakthrough was treating baseball as the canvas and building an entertainment-first experience people who “don’t like baseball” would still love.

3. 3

   Influences: PT Barnum’s promotion + Walt Disney’s controlled experience

   Jesse details the foundational inspirations behind Banana Ball—Barnum’s knack for combining novel attractions into a must-see event, and Disney’s obsession with controlling the guest journey. The focus is on engineered emotion: what people feel from arrival to departure.

4. 4

   A decade of experiments and failures before the breakthrough

   Before Savannah Bananas became a phenomenon, Jesse describes ten years of trial, error, and quirky promotions that didn’t always work. The “failure years” were a training ground for learning what actually creates delight.

5. 5

   “Not for traditionalists”: Fans First, entertainment always

   Jesse and Simon clarify positioning: the Bananas aren’t trying to please baseball purists. They’re building for families and people seeking fun—competing with Netflix, video games, and staying home, not with other baseball teams.

6. 6

   Continuous improvement system: new moments every night

   Jesse describes an operational cadence that treats each game like a prototype. The team runs a nightly “Learn, Change, Plus” report and deliberately tries 15–20 never-before-seen elements each show to avoid staleness.

7. 7

   Joy, belonging, and a company culture people line up to join

   The conversation expands from fans to the organization itself: multiple teams, touring infrastructure, and a surprising employment waitlist. Jesse frames success as a byproduct of creating remarkable experiences for players, cast, and fans alike.

8. 8

   Early hardship: air mattress years and the first “Fans First” proof point

   Jesse recounts the near-bankruptcy beginning—selling only two tickets, selling their house, and living on $30/week groceries. The turning point is a story from opening night where an 18-year-old player instinctively demonstrates “Fans First” in a moment of grief.

9. 9

   Players’ second chances and lessons from the Harlem Globetrotters

   Jesse explains why talented players join: many were cut or rejected from traditional pathways and find renewed purpose in Banana Ball. He contrasts their model with the Globetrotters—keeping games competitive while delivering a fresh show nightly rather than repeating a script.

10. 10

    Breaking the barrier: pregame immersion and the first impression ritual

    Jesse outlines how the Bananas dismantle distance between athletes and fans. Gates open hours early, players greet and sign, and the organization stages a front-of-stadium show and a march that reinforces who they are playing for.

11. 11

    Disney-level detail and building for humans over bottom lines

    Simon and Jesse trade Disney stories (garbage can spacing, ride timing) to highlight how small design choices protect the feeling. Jesse reinforces that he prioritizes human impact over financial optimization, even limiting finance meetings to keep focus on the mission.

12. 12

    Yellow tuxedo, permission to play, and fear of irrelevance

    Jesse explains the yellow tuxedo as both Barnum-inspired showmanship and a leadership tool that grants everyone permission to have fun. He shares his deeper fear: not losing money, but losing emotional relevance and connection with people over time.

13. 13

    Why now: disconnection, loneliness, and the hunger for real togetherness

    Simon frames the Bananas’ success as a response to modern isolation—screens, fragmented families, and rising loneliness. Jesse agrees the demand for human-to-human experiences will increase, especially as AI and digital life expand.

14. 14

    Accessible pricing, controlling the experience, and gratitude at scale

    Jesse outlines a deliberate pricing philosophy: keep tickets attainable, fight fee-driven systems, and build alternate revenue streams like merchandise. He shares gratitude practices such as calling fans to say thank you and designing ticketing/secondary market systems to protect fairness.

15. 15

    Signature stories: the seven-kids father, Jesse’s childhood, and becoming “Lee Smith”

    Jesse tells two defining personal narratives: a family tragedy met with extraordinary care (sparked by a thank-you phone call), and his own childhood moment of being seen by Hall of Famer Lee Smith. The episode closes with the idea that the Bananas’ mission is to repeatedly sit with the “lonely kid” and make people feel they matter.