Jim VandeHei, co-founder of Politico and Axios, shares secrets to success. Topics include matching passion to opportunity, making your own luck, wartime vs. peacetime leadership, and healthy revenge. Explore personal growth, mentorship, and the impact of AI on media.

Before Jim VandeHei co-founded the media company Politico, the only thing he’d managed was the night shift at Little Caesar’s pizza in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. An early passion for politics and journalism led him to Washington, D.C., where he became a political reporter for Roll Call, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. But by 2006, he could see how the internet was transforming journalism, so he walked away from the Post to co-found a digital publication—Politico—with the goal of setting the daily agenda for Washington’s power elite. With the financial backing of a local media mogul, Politico took off, but Jim eventually grew frustrated managing a company he didn’t own. So in 2017, he took another leap and co-founded Axios, a news website that gained a following for its bullet-point brevity, ready-made for the internet. Both companies have landed well: last year Axios was acquired by Cox Enterprises for over $500 million, and in 2021, Politico was purchased by Axel Springer for a reported $1 billion.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jim VandeHei, co-founder of Politico and Axios, shares insights on the importance of brevity in writing and communication in a distracted digital world. He discusses the perils of information overload, the benefits of concise language, and the impact of excessive jargon on communication and status.

Jim VandeHei, CEO of Axios, discusses the creation of Politico, the impact of AI on information, and the importance of teaching kids poker. The podcast touches on navigating challenges in media recruitment, exploring communication styles of CEOs, embracing luck in success, and emphasizing the benefits of teaching children poker and reading adult books.

Axios CEO Jim VandeHei debunks the myth of America's hopeless division, discusses AI's impact on media, and the future of news. He explores the distortion in media narratives, challenges with AI, and the need for human expertise. VandeHei also addresses concerns about fair compensation in AI training and the importance of maintaining trust in media companies like Buzzfeed.