YT Industries, currently one of the world’s most popular bike brands, commands you to “Live Uncaged.” We rode bikes, drank beer and lifted weights with founder and CEO Markus Flossmann to take a look behind the scenes and understand what’s behind the brand’s guiding principle.

He doesn’t look like your typical high-flying CEO. Tattooed, broad shouldered and with a physique that’s befitting of someone who spends more time in the gym than behind the desk, Markus looks like bodybuilder-meets-business punk. This unconventionality is confirmed when you start talking to him. Instead of a pure fixation on figures and turnover, he’s got a boyish energy that sees his eyes light up as he talks about new projects. He’s the sort of CEO that wants to be part of the action – riding alongside the athletes out on the trails, actively shaping the bikes’ designs, and, of course, running his pet project: marketing campaigns. A glance at his Instagram reveals a lot about the direction that Markus and YT want to take. Don’t do things by half measures and to hell with what the rest of the industry thinks. With such rapid growth behind them, YT Industries have thrown the industry into disarray by not following rules: take the Jeffsy video with Hollywood star Christopher Walken, the bike ad without a bike and the cinematic treat that is their short film on hunting and riding.

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