In 1972, a company called Atari did something almost no one does: it created an industry from nothing. Pong, the 2600, the joystick in your hand — Atari didn't just join the video game business, it invented the culture around it. But this episode of The Disruption Lab isn't really about video games. It's about what happens after you win. How do you keep a legendary brand relevant across five decades of technology, rival empires, booms, busts, and a world that looks nothing like the one you were born into?

Ethan Zoubek, President of Atari, joins me to talk about leading one of the most recognizable names on the planet as it approaches 55 years in business — and quietly reinvents itself again. It's a conversation about legacy without nostalgia-worship, about the discipline of disrupting yourself before someone else does it for you, and about the difference between protecting a brand and trapping it. Whether you run a company, build a team, or just wonder how anything lasts this long, there's something here for you.

And yes, we have fun with it. I let slip my favorite game from when I was a kid — see if you can guess it before Ethan does. You'll leave a little nostalgic, a little smarter about reinvention, and probably wanting to dig your old console out of the closet.

You don't have to love video games to love this one. Press start.

Learn more about Atari at https://atari.com/

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