First traction and voice

CJ describes early slow growth, the cash-burn piece that broke through, and his developing brand voice and memes.

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In this special, table-turning episode of Run the Numbers, CJ Gustafson steps out of the host’s chair as Paul Stansik—Operating Partner at ParkerGale and author of the Hello Operator newsletter—takes over the interview. What began as a planned discussion on annual planning best practices quickly evolves into a candid deep dive on Mostly Media, CJ’s growing niche B2B media business, and the thinking behind his own operating plan for the year ahead. Fresh off exiting his CFO role in January 2025, CJ walks through the origin story of Mostly Metrics, how it scaled into a broader media platform, and what it’s like being “the boss of me” for the first time. Paul presses on the real questions—growth opportunities, monetization, and strategic tradeoffs—making this episode a transparent look at how a modern, metrics-driven media business is built and run.

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LINKS:

Paul on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulstansik/

Hello Operator: https://hellooperator.substack.com/

CJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/

Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com

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