The founder of Flexport returns to control after a meeting went wrong

ANDafter their first outing together, technology journalist Ryan Petersen’s wife ran away as fast as she could.

The founder and CEO of supply-chain management software company Flexport invited her to a Silicon Valley musical about a tech executive who meets with a tech reporter, but it was unclear whether it was a date or not.

The plot, it turns out, was a little too close to the point. “She left so quickly. She just walked out of there. It was so awkward,” he laughs, recounting the story.

The next date went much better and the couple now has two young children.

For Petersen and Dave Clark, his former CEO, there was no such fairytale ending