Journey from B2B Media to Community Building in the Audio Industry

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This chapter explores the guest's transition from the B2B media space to becoming a developer evangelist, highlighting their experiences with community building and content creation in various ventures. The discussion touches on the evolution of the guest's projects, from email newsletters to social audio platforms, emphasizing the importance of identifying new behaviors in audio platforms that appeal to users.

Austin Petersmith, an entrepreneur and investor with extensive experience in journalism joins Erik Torenberg to discuss his diverse experiences in the media and tech industries. He shares his journey at Inside, where he helped grow a remarkable newsletter business, and explores the complexities of user-generated content and niche social networks. In this conversation, they also explore the growth strategies, challenges, and monetization tactics used in scaling Inside to millions of subscribers.

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LINKS:

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X / TWITTER:

@eriktorenberg (Erik)

@awwstn (Austin)

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(00:57) Austin's journey into tech

(03:42) Building a newsletter empire

(11:39) Evolution and potential of social audio platforms

(14:41) Inside's growth and monetization strategies

(20:52) Sponsor: Beehiiv and Turpentine

(22:40) Reflecting on editorial strategies and experimental approaches

(26:53) User-generated content and future ideas

(29:36) Rise of niche media

(36:37) Challenges and strategies in podcasting

(39:17) Innovative models in SaaS and software negotiation

(45:32) Private Equity for podcasting

(53:47) Request for startups

(55:13) Wrap

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This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.