From CFO to Founder: Inside the Making of Mostly Media | Paul Stansik Interviews CJ

11 snips

Dec 22, 2025

In this illuminating conversation, Paul Stansik, Operating Partner at ParkerGale and author of the Hello Operator newsletter, interviews CJ Gustafson, founder of Mostly Media. They dive into CJ's journey from CFO to entrepreneur, revealing the origins of Mostly Media and its growth tactics. CJ shares insights on monetization through diverse revenue streams and the importance of building relationships. With a focus on strategy and authenticity, he offers practical advice for aspiring creators looking to cultivate an engaged audience.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

Humble Beginnings In A Cape Cod Cottage

CJ started writing in December 2020 during COVID while living at his parents' cottage and working in FP&A and IR.
He wrote to capture his evolving playbook and because he enjoyed writing and learning in a fast-growth company.

ANECDOTE

Slow Growth Then A Breakthrough Post

For over two years CJ had only ~400 subscribers and tracked notable readers in a "big ballers" folder.
His first traction came from a cash burn piece that mixed memes and finance, which began audience growth.

ANECDOTE

Writing Into A CFO Role

CJ's newsletter created tension at his company and led to an amicable split; he left with ~4,000 free subscribers and no monetization.
That audience then opened an interview that turned into his first CFO role, so he 'wrote his way into' the job.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app