#RideonJake

INC. THIS MORNING #RideonJake Good morning, Tragic news this week: On Wednesday night, Burton Snowboards founder Jake Burton Carpenter died at age 65 due to complications from recurring testicular cancer. He leaves behind a remarkable legacy. Burton is now a ubiquitous name in the snowboarding world, but Carpenter’s story started before a snowboarding world even really existed. It began when a 14-year-old Carpenter spent roughly $10 on a Snurfer, an early snowboard predecessor. “As a teenager, I loved my Snurfer and knew there was a sport developing there,” [he told Inc. in 2014](. “But I wanted to make a better board.” In 1977, he founded Burton--and the company went nowhere fast. Carpenter described to Inc. how one particularly poor door-to-door sales trip prompted him to rethink his entire business strategy: I loaded my station wagon with 35 boards and came back with 37 because one of the shop owners returned two he had previously bought. It was depressing. So I decided to stop worrying about immediate profitability and focused instead on cultivating the sport itself. I don't know if that was luck or timing or foresight, but that's what I did then and have done ever since. Carpenter went on to build the company into a global brand embraced by many of snowboarding’s all-time greats. It’s still privately held: Carpenter and his wife Donna, Burton’s current CEO, owned 100 percent of the company. Over the past decade, Carpenter--who prided himself on snowboarding at least 100 days per year, even into his 60s--also became known for his resilience. In 2011, he received his initial cancer diagnosis. Four years later, shortly after having knee replacement surgery, he was diagnosed with Miller Fisher syndrome, a particularly severe variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome. It led to a 7-week-long near-death experience, which he described--along with his ensuing recovery and return to his company--[in stark detail to Inc. last year.]( (It’s an inspiring read, to say the least.) By Thursday afternoon, eulogies were pouring in--[including Inc.’s own obituary on the founder](. And on Twitter a hashtag started trending: #RideonJake. A fitting tribute for a founder who was always more likely to be found on the slopes than wearing a suit in a boardroom. HERE'S WHAT ELSE I'M READING TODAY: Churches want better ways to connect with their flocks. [These startups]( are answering the call. --Inc. [Facebook]( is weighing steps to curb highly-targeted political ads. --The Wall Street Journal Google is taking it a step further by [fully banning]( those same types of ads. --The Verge [$26 million in missing paychecks](. One mysterious swindler charged. --The New York Times Money-saving browser extension Honey is being acquired by PayPal for [$4 billion](. --TechCrunch “[E-skimming]( is real, and it may have already grabbed your credit card information. --Inc. It’s finally happening: WeWork is officially laying off [2,400 employees](. --CNBC If you’re a fan of explosions, you’ll like [this video]( of a SpaceX rocket prototype blowing its top. --BBC --Cameron Albert-Deitch Reporter, Inc. How are we doing? Send me ideas and feedback for Inc. This Morning at [calbertdeitch@inc.com](mailto:calbertdeitch@inc.com?subject=) or on [Twitter](. [Click here]( to forward to a friend. This email was sent by: Mansueto Ventures 7 World Trade Center, 29th Floor New York, NY, 10007, [Unsubscribe]( • [Update Profile]( • [View in Browser]( • [Privacy Policy](