Greg Raiten, a former lawyer and a co-founder at The Suite, a curated community-based platform for C-suite executives, joins Erik Torenberg to share the evolution of The Suite, from a side project that grew into a revenue-generating model through membership and sponsorships. They also discuss the process of building and scaling community-based businesses, effectiveness of paid memberships, and exploring future community expansion into other C-suite roles.

🔥 Apply to join over 400 Founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/JCkphVqj

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ECON 102 W/ NOAH SMITH

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LINKS:

Explore the GC/legal community: https://www.lsuite.co

Explore the CFO/finance community: https://www.fsuite.co

Company website: https://www.thesuite.com

Subscribe to the Media Empires Newsletter: https://media-empires.beehiiv.com/

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X / TWITTER:

@eriktorenberg (Erik)

@gregraiten (Greg)

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(00:58) Greg's background and early career

(03:17) Evolution of The Suite 

(05:51) Vision and expansion

(11:32) Business model

(13:45) Community engagement and events

(17:46) Online membership experience

(20:22) Sponsor: Metaview

(21:29) Sponsorship and revenue model

(22:55) Challenges of future of events

(28:44) Expanding professional communities

(34:16) Building a network

(35:49) Pricing strategies for community memberships

(42:08) Scaling and fundraising

(45:05) Future of paid vs. free communities

(47:37) Successful community models

(50:22) 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.