Tyler Tran

Overview

Tyler Tran is one of Gary's longtime friends with whom he reconnected on May 18, 2025. They have a seven-year friendship history that includes collaborating on music events and concerts. Tyler currently serves in a finance leadership role at NBA T2, a joint venture between the NBA and Take-Two Interactive. The conversation revealed potential future collaborations, particularly around Gary's Alpha Schools initiative and specialized school concepts.

Background & Professional Details

• Currently heads Finance and Administration for NBA T2, a joint venture between the NBA and Take-Two Interactive
• Previously ran operations and finance at Electric Zoo and Avant Gardner (event venues/companies)
• Has experience organizing events and concerts with Gary, including shows with Griffin, Lost Kings, and Dom Dala
• Plans to leave his current position after receiving his bonus in December 2025
• Appears to be at a career inflection point, considering new opportunities
• Has purchased multiple properties, including one for his parents that he's converting to a rental

Professional Focus

• Financial operations and leadership
• Entertainment industry, particularly sports and gaming
• Media content strategy for NBA
• Adapting to changing media consumption patterns in sports
• Shifting from traditional gaming to short-form content
• Sponsorship and partnership development
• Strategic business transformation

Connection to Gary

• Seven-year friendship ("We've been friends for seven years... we grew up with each other")
• Former business partner in organizing music events and concerts
• Comfortable discussing personal matters (relationships, career pivots)
• Gary describes him as a "network ninja" who connects people
• Gary is interested in potentially recruiting him for Alpha Schools
• Share interests in entrepreneurship, networking, and innovative business models
• Hadn't had much contact recently before this meeting

Personal Insights

• Getting married soon, planning both a civil ceremony and a Catholic church wedding
• Pragmatic about career decisions, focusing on financial security while appreciating impact
• Financially supporting multiple people, suggesting family responsibilities
• Has a good sense of humor about sports and business models
• Describes the NBA shifting to more short-form content, celebrity-focused approach
• Speaks thoughtfully about career trajectory and making practical choices
• Appeared interested in Gary's Alpha Schools concept and potential collaboration

Potential Collaboration Areas

Thea - Ticket Sales Platform (Primary Focus)

• Product Vision: Comprehensive ticket sales CRM and prediction platform for music venues
• Problem Solved: Venues lack cash forecasting ability, operate week-to-week with fragmented data across multiple ticketing platforms
• Core Features:
  • Consolidated dashboard integrating multiple ticketing providers (Eventbrite, Ticket Fly, Dice, etc.)
  • Real-time cash flow forecasting with automated deposit predictions
  • Predictive analytics for event attendance using historical data and market trends
  • Early warning system for underperforming shows with actionable recommendations
  • F&B revenue predictions based on attendance forecasts
  • Integration with Google Ads and Facebook Ads for marketing optimization
  • Multi-venue and multi-event portfolio management views
• Technical Approach:
  • API integrations with major ticketing platforms for live data
  • Algorithm incorporating Spotify/SoundCloud plays, social engagement, historical performance
  • Segmented views: individual shows, venue-level, company-wide consolidation
• Target Customers:
  • Venue owners managing multiple events (50-75 shows at a time)
  • Multi-venue operators (Tyler's network includes owners with 3+ venues)
  • Promoters and talent buyers needing data-driven booking decisions
• Proposed Roles: Gary as CEO (tech/product vision), Tyler as COO (operations/finance/industry relations)
• Go-to-Market Strategy:
  • Leverage Tyler's existing venue network (Eric Fuller with 3 venues, MRG COO with 50+ shows)
  • Tyler's Apollo.id client network for initial testing
  • Position as essential infrastructure that venues can't imagine operating without
• Funding Strategy: Angel investors preferred over VCs to maintain control; MRG COO potential early angel investor
• Exit Strategy: Potential acquisition by Ticketmaster, Live Nation, or Leap Technology
• Long-term Vision: Become industry standard requiring ticketing providers to build integrations with Thea

Previous Collaboration Ideas

• Finance leadership for Alpha Schools or related initiatives
• Development of sports-focused educational programs
• Media strategy for educational ventures
• Connection to NBA and sports networks

Key Quotes

"I think if you want, but it's really just to check the box for friends, family."

"I care. It's just. Like. Like what you're saying. Right. There's just not money in it. Like. I can't. Right now. I'm like. Supporting. So many people."

"Chase what you like to do. And the money would follow. I don't know. It's like. No. I get. You gotta think. That's kind of bullshit. You have to change the money."

"I'm with the NBA. Really? Really? I'm head of FNA for every business in LA."

"Sports content, TikTok, Reels, Highlights at most. That's where the new sports consumers are. And they're not men who are into sports anymore. They are everyone, including women, who are into like the lives of these players."

Personal Philosophy & Spiritual Views

• Deep Catholic background (Catholic elementary, middle school, high school, college, and wedding)
• Has evolved to separate institutional religion from personal faith relationship with God
• Critical of religious pride and ego-driven faith that focuses on personal blessing while ignoring collective responsibility
• Sees religion often perverted by human selfishness - people claiming God's blessing for their success while ignoring others' struggles
• Interested in Jesuit approach where priests have professions to support themselves and understand human experience
• Philosophical about the limitations and perversions of organized denominations
• Appreciates Gary's spiritual exploration journey and finds it refreshing to witness
• Recognizes human tendency toward tribal affiliation and binary thinking
• Values intellectual honesty about religious uncertainty and humility before divine mystery
• Supports Gary's bivocational ministry vision as alternative to traditional church funding models

Key Insights & Perspectives

On Religious Institutions:

"Every established religion, we're the filter. Right where the function. Anything that passes through us as humans gets. Becomes disgusting."

On Denominational Divisions:

"There's so many down, there's, like thousands. Tens of thousands of them. There's no way anyone is convinced with any amount of credibility their denomination is the right way to go."

On Spiritual Humility:

"There's also humility in acknowledging that we will never know what God wants. We can't put ourselves into understanding of that."

On Gary's Journey:

"It's kind of refreshing in a way. It's like seeing the world in the newborn's eyes, because then you start actually looking at. Things you never looked at before."

Current Life Context (as of October 2025)

• Recently married and went on honeymoon to Tanzania for safari
• Transitioning from NBA T2 to Roc Nation (starting November 4, 2025) as VP of FP&A
• Has given notice at NBA T2; workload is currently light during transition period
• His former NBA boss became CFO of Roc Nation and recruited him
• Path to potentially become CFO when his boss transitions to COO role
• Currently pursuing MBA at University of Illinois (remote), flexible program allowing course-by-course approach
• Reading books about how record labels identify and sign artists in preparation for Roc Nation role
• Developing startup idea "Thea" - ticket sales management and prediction platform for music venues
• Working with Apollo.id (ticketing POS company) as advisor, earning percentage of transactions
• Also working with Leap Technology, a mature ticketing company that could be potential Thea acquirer
• Becoming politically active due to Trump administration policies, attending rallies and donating to causes
• Living in Georgia, witnessing direct impacts of immigration policies on neighbors

Interactions

• Unknown past date: Collaborated on music events with DJ acts including Griffin, Lost Kings, and Dom Dala
• 2025-05-18: In-person meeting where they caught up on personal and professional developments, discussed potential collaborations
• 2025-08-15: Deep philosophical and spiritual conversation covering religion, denominational critique, geopolitical perspectives, and Gary's spiritual journey
• 2025-10-21: Detailed business discussion about Thea startup concept, Tyler's political awakening, transition to Roc Nation, and Gary's bivocational ministry plans. Tyler proposed partnership with Gary as CEO and himself as COO
• 2025-10-22: Deep product development discussion for Thea, covering specific features, user workflows, and go-to-market strategy. Gary revealed recent baptism (Oct 8, 2025) and detailed ministry vision using Thea as funding mechanism for future church planting. Tyler validated the business model and shared his clear vision for execution steps
• 2025-10-24: Comprehensive Thea prototype review and spiritual leadership discussion. Gary shared experience presenting Christian faith to philosophical community. Tyler demonstrated detailed Excel prototype with financial dashboards, prediction algorithms, and multi-venue management capabilities. Discussion covered future of spiritual leadership, critique of religious institutions, and technical architecture of venue analytics platform. Tyler showed dashboards from 2014-2015 demonstrating track record in venue analytics. Both agreed to interview Eric Fuller and Jacob for user research. Tyler positioned Thea as "CFO replacement" providing strategic answers to: "What should I pay attention to?", "How is it performing?", and "What can I do about it?" Gary reconceptualized product as "Iron Man suit for event executives" rather than traditional CRM

Next Steps

• Immediate:
  • Follow-up meeting scheduled for tomorrow afternoon or Friday afternoon (from Oct 22)
  • Potential in-person meeting in NYC Monday or Tuesday when Gary visits for wedding
• User Research:
  • Schedule interview with Eric Fuller (3 venues: Orlando, Jacksonville, Miami + books for Nashville)
  • Interview MRG COO who manages 50+ shows across dozen venues
  • Document current manual processes and pain points
  • Define ideal user workflows and dream platform features
• Thea Development:
  • Tyler to document typical day/week for venue owner managing multiple events
  • Create sample data sets and dashboard mockups from Tyler's previous work
  • Review PhD white papers on ticket sales forecasting Tyler has collected
  • Define data structures and API requirements for ticketing platform integrations
  • Develop prototype focusing on cash flow forecasting as primary value prop
• Partnership Structure:
  • Formalize founder roles (Gary as CEO, Tyler as COO)
  • Determine equity split and responsibilities
  • Plan for Tyler's involvement while at Roc Nation
  • Leverage Tyler's existing client relationships for early validation
• Gary's Bivocational Ministry Vision:
  • Use Thea as funding mechanism for future church planting and evangelism events
  • Apply same forecasting technology to religious gatherings and crusades
  • Build sustainable business to avoid reliance on congregational donations
  • Focus on technology-enabled discipleship and faith practice beyond Sunday services

Transcripts

Transcript ID	Date	Summary
2025-10-22-tyler-tran-thea-partnership	2025-10-22	Tyler and Gary discuss Thea partnership structure, ministry vision, venue management technology, and ticket sales forecasting business model
2025-10-21-tyler-tran-thea-venture	2025-10-21	Tyler discusses startup idea "Thea," his political radicalization due to Trump policies, transition to Roc Nation, and Gary's exploration of bivocational ministry
2025-08-15-gary-sheng-tyler-tran-spiritual-exploration-denominational-critique	2025-08-15	Deep philosophical discussion about Gary's spiritual journey and denominational limitations
2025-05-18-tyler-tran-conversation-summary	2025-05-18	Conversation with Tyler Tran about Alpha Schools and Potential Collaborations - May 18, 2025
2025-10-24-tyler-tran-thea-prototype-spiritual-leadership	2025-10-24	Comprehensive Thea prototype review and spiritual leadership discussion with Excel dashboard demonstrations