Hardware Podcasts

Lady Gaga & Atom Factory: Troy Carter (2018)

How I Built This · 28 May 2018 · 47m

What this episode covers

Troy Carter, founder of Atom Factory, recounts his journey from a failed rapper to managing Eve and eventually Lady Gaga, detailing how he rebuilt his life after going bankrupt. He explains the strategic use of early social media platforms like MySpace and YouTube to build Lady Gaga's global fanbase before radio acceptance, and how Atom Factory evolved into an investment firm backing companies like Uber and Spotify. Carter discusses the emotional toll of financial ruin, including foreclosure and pawning wedding rings, and his philosophy on managing high-profile talent without formal business credentials.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
U.S. Bank, Atom Factory, Sanctuary Group, Uber, Spotify, Warby Parker, Lyft, Dropbox, Slack, Interscope, Def Jam
Products
Lady Gaga, Eve, Parkarr
Also
MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter

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