The Careless Talk Climbing Podcast E185: Talking with a climbing CEO, Ged from the Hangar offers his views from the other side of the aisle
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Feb 11, 2026 Jed McDernal, CEO of The Hangar and former independent gym owner, shares operator-side views. He talks about scaling with outside investment, pricing experiments to grow accessibility, route-setting challenges and talent shortages, and the pressures of meeting investor targets while protecting climbing culture. Brief, candid, and industry-focused.
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From Back-Office Crack Den To CEO
- Jed describes being crippled by debt after a dishonest director forced costly legal exits early in the business.
- He lived in a back-office “crack den” and sold personal items to fund The Hangar’s start-up years.
Use Accessible Pricing To Grow Membership
- Do experiment with lower pricing to increase volume and accessibility when your service quality supports it.
- Jed argues accessible pricing grows the market and brings more people into climbing.
Boom Without Conversion Is A Missed Opportunity
- The Olympic bump didn’t convert because the industry lacked systems to capture and retain new users.
- Chains with investor data capabilities can analyse demand and rebuild conversion funnels others missed.