#98 | Trek celebrates 50 years | John Burke, Its president opens up

John Burke has been leading Trek for over 40 years. His father founded the company in 1976 in a barn in Wisconsin alongside Bevil Hogg. Today, Trek celebrates its 50th anniversary with a 96% customer satisfaction score — the highest John has ever seen, across any industry. His secret? His personal email is in every bike's owner's manual.

In this episode, John Burke opens up about Trek's family DNA, his vision for customer service, the 4 crises he's weathered in 42 years, competition from Chinese manufacturers, Trek's commitment to women's cycling (the Lizzie Deignan story is remarkable), environmental responsibility, and his belief that cycling is a solution to our planet's challenges. A rare conversation with a leader who doesn't mince words.

⏱️ Chapters:

00:00 — Introduction

02:13 — What makes Trek so special?

03:28 — Trek's mission and customer obsession

05:30 — The limits of the Trek model

06:15 — 50 years of experience and loyalty

07:36 — 4 crises in 42 years: Trek's resilience

09:59 — Trek in 50 years: an 8% chance?

10:09 — Chinese competition

10:41 — Why I would buy a Trek

11:57 — Women's cycling: how Trek changed the game

12:57 — NICA: getting teens off their screens

13:46 — Environmental responsibility

14:39 — Mike Sinyard, branding and what sets Trek apart

15:22 — "We play a game that no one else plays"

16:54 — Cycling infrastructure: Paris, Copenhagen, Amsterdam

18:40 — Cycling as an environmental solution

20:35 — The next 50 years of Trek

🔗 Useful links:

Trek Bikes: https://www.trekbikes.com

NICA: https://www.nationalmtb.org

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This interview was produced as a commercial collaboration with TREK.

Thanks to the entire Trek SWE team for making this possible.

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