Dave Portnoy's one rule: hire great people and let them run wild
Dave Portnoy says his one rule for building Barstool Sports is simple: hire great, talented people and "let them run wild." In his new book Cancel Me If You Can, out June 30, the founder lays out that philosophy as both a management manual and a rebuttal to years of critics—a model he credits for launching stars from Call Her Daddy to Pardon My Take.
In an exclusive Wall Street Journal profile, journalist Joshua Chaffin describes the book as part Barstool origin story, part unconventional management guide. Portnoy writes that he "collects characters and then figures out the job later," prioritizing instinct over rigid producer control.
Key Takeaways
- Portnoy's core management rule: hire talented people and let them run wild without heavy producer oversight.
- Cancel Me If You Can releases June 30, 2026, after Portnoy scrapped a ghostwritten draft and rewrote it himself.
- Barstool has incubated major talent including Jenna Marbles, Alex Cooper, Pat McAfee, and Pardon My Take.
- Portnoy alleges Alex Cooper and Sofia Franklyn once planned harassment claims to exit their Barstool contract.
- Portnoy has shifted to a business-focused role while Barstool continues scouting unusual creators.
What Is Dave Portnoy's Rule for Success?
Portnoy's answer is blunt: "Hire great, talented people and let them run wild." He told the Journal his management style is built on strong characters and ignoring critics who have branded him a misogynist over the years.
That approach shaped Barstool from a four-page Boston newspaper into a digital media company with hundreds of employees and more than 150 active brands. Portnoy insists he has been taken out of context by what he calls the "no-fun brigade," and his book offers no apology for that posture.
How Does Barstool Scout and Develop Talent?
In an interview with Front Office Sports, Portnoy said Barstool looks for "unusual, different, talented people" doing things the network has not seen before. The scouting process is harder now than in Barstool's early days, but the playbook has not changed.
Barstool does not have producers dictating content direction. Instead, the company hires creators, lets them follow what they believe they are good at, and throws resources behind them. That pipeline produced everything from Bussin' With the Boys to Pardon My Take, which Portnoy credits largely to host PFT Commenter.
For readers tracking how creator-led media companies scale, similar models are reshaping the broader Future Tech & AI Wonders landscape as platforms compete for breakout hosts.
What Does Portnoy Allege About Call Her Daddy?
Portnoy's book also revisits his fallout with Call Her Daddy hosts Alex Cooper and Sofia Franklyn. According to People.com, Portnoy alleges Cooper told him she and Franklyn had a plan to say they were sexually harassed at Barstool to break their contract during their 2020 dispute.
Cooper and Franklyn co-founded the podcast in 2018 and signed a three-year deal with Barstool before stopping episodes to force renegotiation. Cooper later cut a solo deal with Portnoy; Franklyn departed, and Cooper eventually left for a reported $60 million Spotify deal. Portnoy describes the pair as willing to "step on my neck and burn any bridge to get ahead."
Why Does Portnoy's Talent Model Matter Now?
Portnoy, who turns 50 soon and has spent more than half his life building Barstool, said he has taken a backseat on content since buying the company back, focusing instead on profitability. He named Brandon Walker and PFT Commenter among his most valuable recent hires.
Writing the book was grueling—Portnoy reportedly worked up to 10 hours daily after rejecting an initial ghostwritten draft. Whether readers buy his management gospel or his grievances, the release puts his "let them run wild" formula back at the center of a media industry obsessed with discovering the next breakout star.