# From Outside The Box: Back To Where It Started... StockX Co-Founder Chris Kaufman

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/sneaker-history-podcast-sneakers-sneaker-culture-and-the-business-of-footwear-1032816/from-outside-the-box-back-to-where-it-started-stockx-co-founder-chris-kaufman
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/sneaker-history-podcast-sneakers-sneaker-culture-and-the-business-of-footwear-1032816/from-outside-the-box-back-to-where-it-started-stockx-co-founder-chris-kaufman.md
Podcast: [Sneaker History Podcast - Sneakers, Sneaker Culture and the Business of Footwear](https://stenobird.com/podcast/sneaker-history-podcast-sneakers-sneaker-culture-and-the-business-of-footwear-1032816)
Published: 2026-01-15T02:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://sneakerhistory.com/podcasts/from-outside-the-box-back-to-where-it-started-stockx-co-founder-chris-kaufman
Audio file: https://pdst.fm/e/episodes.captivate.fm/episode/cb57dcf4-c417-468b-8c1c-5a1cb2b184d9.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/sneaker-history-podcast-sneakers-sneaker-culture-and-the-business-of-footwear-1032816/episodes/from-outside-the-box-back-to-where-it-started-stockx-co-founder-chris-kaufman
Duration seconds: 5903

## Resource

Chris Kaufman co-founded StockX, but this isn't an origin story. We talk about what he learned watching companies destroy culture for quarterly gains, why constant layoffs cost more than just keeping good people, and what leadership actually looks like when you stop pretending you have all the answers. Plus: the Kanye visit, the first StockX trades, and why Detroit was the perfect place to build something weird and new. Chris wrote "Empathy at Work" because he's convinced being decent to people isn't just morally right... it's better business. After this conversation, I think he's right. (This is the first episode of a new/show I'm still naming. Outside The Box? Pursuit of Something? Unplanned Entrepreneur? Let me know what you think.) More Conversations Like This: Subscribe to Outside The Box If you are interested in advertising to our audience, contact us: podcast@sneakerhistory.com Our podcast is proudly... Recorded on Riverside: http://www.riverside.fm/?via=sneakerhistory Hosted & Distributed By Captivate: https://bit.ly/3j2muPb [Links contain affiliate links; we may receive a small commission if you purchase after clicking a link. A great way to support the pod!] GET IN TOUCH: Nick - nick@sneakerhistory.com Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/sneaker-history-podcast-sneakers-sneaker-culture-and-the-business-of-footwear-1032816/episodes/from-outside-the-box-back-to-where-it-started-stockx-co-founder-chris-kaufman/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/sneaker-history-podcast-sneakers-sneaker-culture-and-the-business-of-footwear-1032816/from-outside-the-box-back-to-where-it-started-stockx-co-founder-chris-kaufman.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.