Think Like an Owner Alexis Grant - Covering Company Exits at They Got Acquired - Ep.135
My guest on this episode is Alexis Grant. Alexis and I have gotten to know each other through our mutual interest in media and our two small but growing media companies. We share thoughts, ideas, and advice back and forth all the time, and I'm excited to finally record one of our conversations.
Alexis founded a blog management company that was acquired by The Penny Hoarder, which then sold and gave her some starting capital for The Write Life, which she ran for a few years before selling that business too. Now she's founded They Got Acquired, a media business covering small online business exits with a growing newsletter and data product.
We discuss all things teams, products, creating content, and one of my obsessions: the convergence of media and high-end products like data. Please enjoy this wonderful episode with Alexis Grant.
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Links:
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Topics:
(3:46) - Alexis’ career journey
(8:52) - Why do you think ‘They Got Acquired’ would be a more interesting business to run?
(9:40) - What issues did you run into in previous roles?
(11:01) - What is They Got Acquired?
(14:16) - How have you approached building your team?
(16:18) - How do you determine what tasks you’ll work on vs. delegating to the team?
(18:40) - Do you try to focus on revenue-generating tasks over content or operations-related tasks?
(20:17) - What next task are you looking to delegate?
(23:41) - What role will you fill for your first full-time hire?
(24:28) - What would a full-time writer be able to accomplish that you can’t right now?
(26:04) - Is the research team for the database different than the writing team?
(27:14) - How do you ensure the media and date sides of the business interact with each other?
(30:04) - Are there any companies you find interesting that have a media arm alongside a high-end product?
(32:40) - Have you seen a media business buying a company that sells products best suited for its audience?
(36:05) - Have you thought about an event strategy at some point?
(37:05) - How do you think about competition in your space?
(41:52) - How do you balance what you want to do with your business vs. customer feedback?
(42:21) - What are you most excited about over the next 24 months?
(43:04) - What college course would you teach if it could be about anything?
(43:43) - What’s a strongly held belief you’ve changed your mind on?
(46:37) - What’s the best business you’ve ever seen?