Snyder was raised in a Jewish family in Maryland. His father, Gerry Snyder, was a free-lance writer who wrote for United Press International and National Geographic. His first job was at B. Dalton bookstore at the age of 14. At 17, Snyder experienced his first business failure when he partnered with his father to sell bus-trip packages to Washington Capitals fans to see their hockey team play in Philadelphia. He was disappointed when he found his fliers littering the streets after a tough loss.