John Coogan, creator of a YouTube channel with over 300,000 subscribers, discusses monetization on YouTube, understanding algorithms, value of content on various platforms, newsletters, future of YouTube, and experimenting with content.

Ben Gilbert, co-founder of Acquired podcast, talks about experimentation in media, combining feeds, and the importance of quality over quantity in podcasting. He also gives advice for podcasters and discusses the future of Acquired, including doing deep dives and finding a niche audience.

Erik sits down with Nuseir Yassin, CEO of Nas Company, to discuss the value of followers, creating viral content, and community building. They delve into monetization, creator relevancy, and the evolution of Nas Academy. They also explore building a perfect exit plan, the shelf-life of content, and the importance of building community. The conversation touches on podcasts, the evolution of social spaces, and the craving for community content.

Alex Lieberman, co-founder of Morning Brew, discusses the different levels of content, investing in creators, and choosing platforms and formats for niche creators in this podcast episode. They also touch on Morning Brew's positioning and support for creators, as well as their strategy for the future and their perspective on the creator economy.

Erik sits down with Jack Butcher, the founder of Visualize Value. Riverside.fm is a presenting sponsor of Media Empires. Go to https://creators.riverside.fm/MediaEmpires + use code MEDIAEMPIRES for 20% off individual plans.In this interview, Erik and Jack discuss how Jack built a media platform with a network of mentors and an audience of over five hundred thousand people. Learn Jack transitioned his agency into a community-driven million dollar business with effective branding and communication of complex ideas.Media Empires is part of the Turpentine podcast network. To learn more: www.turpentine.co-We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com.-SPONSOR:Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "EMPIRES" for 20% off your first three months.-RECOMMENDED PODCAST:🎙️ECON 102 W/ NOAH SMITH - Keeping econ entertaining - Noahpinion author Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg break down business news and politics every week.Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1696419056Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6q7Gn5lP8TTtBPuV1NJSGs-TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Check out Turpentine VC(01:00 Episode Preview(02:29) Sponsor: Riverside(03:35) What is Visualized Value?(04:29) Jack's core skillset and the evolution of Visualized Value (10:06) Sell the dream, deliver the nightmare(14:15) Transitioning from pure services to a high leverage media business(20:47) Picking great names(25:00) Where does Jack want to take Visualized Value in the future? (28:50) Mr. Beast (34:58) Build once, sell twice. (36:10) Be an API(38:35) NFTs and what we've learned as an ecosystem(44:51) Blockchain infrastructure for Visualized Value's community X/ Twitter@jackbutcher@eriktorenberg@visualizevalue@mediaempirespod

Erik Torenberg sits down with film executive, producer, tech investor, and CEO/founder of Stampede Ventures, Greg Silverman. Riverside.fm is a presenting sponsor of Media Empires. Go to https://creators.riverside.fm/MediaEmpires + use code MEDIAEMPIRES for 20% off individual plans.In this interview they compare and contrast the film and tech industries in all aspects, what makes a successful project, and investment practices.Media Empires is part of the Turpentine podcast network. To learn more: www.turpentine.co-SPONSOR:Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "EMPIRES" for 20% off your first three months.-We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com.-RECOMMENDED PODCAST:🎙️ECON 102 W/ NOAH SMITH - Keeping econ entertaining - Noahpinion author Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg break down business news and politics every week.Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1696419056Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6q7Gn5lP8TTtBPuV1NJSGsTIMESTAMPS(00:00) Episode Preview(02:33) Why Greg got into the film industry(08:22) Analogs of the film world vs tech(10:45) Learnings from film versus tech(12:20) Product launching in film vs tech(13:39) Leverage in the tech vs entertainment world(17:15) Where investments comes from in Hollywood(18:15) Where did Stampede come from?(23:11) Raising venture money(26:50) Where does the money from hits come from?(28:10) Moats in Hollywood(29:27) Can the Hollywood approach work in tech?(31:04) The cultural impact of the theater(32:40) How similar is it with the music industry?(33:44) The hints of a successful project (or resistance and persistence make for successful projects)(37:05) How technology has changed the entertainment industry(39:00) Will AI change the game of entertainment?(41:48) NFTs and Web-3(44:30) Greg’s Investing Practices(47:21) What is the value in short form content?LINKS:Stampede Ventures: https://stampedeventures.com/SOCIALS:Greg's Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregsilvermanStampede Venture's Twitter: https://twitter.com/stampede_ventStampede Venture's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stam...Erik's Twitter: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg

Erik Torenberg sits down with Anand Sanwal, CEO of CB Insights. Over 900,000 people turn to CB Insights for the insights they share in their newsletter. Riverside.fm is a presenting sponsor of Media Empires. Go to https://creators.riverside.fm/MediaEmpires + use code MEDIAEMPIRES for 20% off individual plans.In this conversation, Anand and Erik discuss data collection, scaling across different technology markets, media and data businesses, and more.Media Empires is part of the Turpentine podcast network. To learn more: www.turpentine.co-RECOMMENDED PODCAST:🎙️ECON 102 W/ NOAH SMITH - Keeping econ entertaining - Noahpinion author Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg break down business news and politics every week.Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1696419056Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6q7Gn5lP8TTtBPuV1NJSGs-SPONSOR:Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "EMPIRES" for 20% off your first three months.-We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com.-TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Episode Preview(02:00) What is CB Insights(02:45) What CB Insights does(03:30) The needs of the CB Insight customer(07:00) Scaling to a thousand markets(12:16) Evolution of CB Insights(15:58) Which data is most helpful to collect?(17:51) A dataset Anand would want to acquire(19:45) Events and Community(21:32) The Future of CB Insights(23:15) Increasing density of coverage(26:48) Perspective on past opportunities(28:30) Litmus test for what is worth Focusing On(30:08) Breadth of data front(32:38) Private analyses(34:25) Data business idea: startup-investor pitches(38:16) Data business idea: Reference checks(39:12) Online reputations(42:20) Which media businesses should be data businesses?(46:10) Scalable and programmatic ways of acquiring data(48:50) If Anand was starting today(49:44) Building a data business on top of a successful media companyLINKS:CB Insights: https://www.cbinsights.com/SOCIALS:Anand's Twitter: https://twitter.com/asanwalAnand's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anandsanwal?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2FErik's Twitter: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg

Erik Torenberg sits down with Sahil Bloom, writer of The Curiosity Chronicle, whose insights are seen by over one million people across his social platforms and newsletter. Riverside.fm is a presenting sponsor of Media Empires. Go to https://creators.riverside.fm/MediaEmpires + use code MEDIAEMPIRES for 20% off individual plans.In this conversation, Sahil and Erik discuss the strategies to scaling your business as a creator, Sahil's career journey of leaving private equity to write impactful financial content, and how to build durability into your career as a creator.Media Empires is part of the Turpentine podcast network. To learn more: www.turpentine.co-SPONSOR:Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "EMPIRES" for 20% off your first three months.-We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com.-RECOMMENDED PODCAST:🎙️ECON 102 W/ NOAH SMITH - Keeping econ entertaining - Noahpinion author Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg break down business news and politics every week.Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1696419056Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6q7Gn5lP8TTtBPuV1NJSGs-TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Episode Preview(01:09) Sponsor: Riverside(02:12) Being a creator entrepreneur(05:26) B2C to B2B and operationalizing your content creation(07:24) Examples of operationalizing in media(10:13) Finding the operator to partner with(12:37) Transforming cost centres into profit centres(16:05) Building durability into your career as a creator(17:56) COO as a service(18:30) What do deals with creators and operators typically look like?(20:53) The opportunity of talent incubation(22:48) Sahil's moonshot and what he'll be working on five years from now(25:21) Types of businesses worth buying (26:43) Sahil's career journey and developing conviction(28:50) Would Sahil consider building a platform?(30:12) Hundred million dollar vs one billion dollar plan(32:04) Investing and getting upside in creators(44:12) The scarcity of attention and distribution(46:27) Where's the opportunity today for the next Sahil Bloom?(47:22) Content strategy between Twitter and LinkedIn (49:12) Is podcasting worth the time?(50:49) Creating a book from the business perspectiveLINKS:Sahil's site: https://www.sahilbloom.comSOCIAL MEDIA:@sahilbloom (Sahil)@eriktorenberg (Erik)@MediaEmpiresPod (Media Empires)

Erik Torenberg sits down with Steph Smith, host of the a16z podcast and the driver behind the newsletter Trends for The Hustle, which was acquired by Hubspot. Riverside.fm is a presenting sponsor of Media Empires. Go to https://creators.riverside.fm/MediaEmpires + use code MEDIAEMPIRES for 20% off individual plans.In this conversation, Steph and Erik discuss unfair information advantages and how to hone them, choosing a social platform based on the degree of truth and anonymity, and Steph’s advice for building a media network from her own experience at The Hustle and now as a podcast host at a16z.-SPONSOR:Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "EMPIRES" for 20% off your first three months.-We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com.-RECOMMENDED PODCAST:🎙️ECON 102 W/ NOAH SMITH - Keeping econ entertaining - Noahpinion author Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg break down business news and politics every week.Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1696419056Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6q7Gn5lP8TTtBPuV1NJSGsMedia Empires is part of the Turpentine podcast network. To learn more: www.turpentine.coTIMESTAMPS:00:00) Episode Preview(01:21) Sponsor: Riverside.fm(01:52) Intro: Steph Smith (02:30) Steph’s nonlinear background (04:28) If Steph could go back four years ago, how would she allocate her time differently?(07:24) How Steph thinks about her “unfair” information advantage(08:46) How Steph grew The Hustle’s Trends(11:58) Challenges of building out great educational content in tech(14:20) The intersection of media and tech companies (18:29) Having an emotional connection with your audience(19:27) Ownership deals in media(22:39) 85 years from now, what will be different about the creator economy?(25:41) Digital virtual influencers and the metaverse(27:28) What Steph would do if she was unconstrained (30:00) Using subreddit data to build businesses (38:14) The degree of truth as a function of anonymity on social platforms (40:41) Choosing a medium for content (44:09) Steph’s advice for building a media network(51:34) Anything else that’s top of mind?LINKS:a16z podcast: https://a16z.com/podcast-episodes/TWITTER:@stephsmithio (Steph Smith)@eriktorenberg (Erik@MediaEmpiresPod (Media Empires)

Erik Torenberg sits down with Greg Isenberg, CEO of Late Checkout, and co-host of Where It Happens. He's spent the last 15 years building venture-backed businesses at WeWork, Islands and WallStreetSurvivor, as well as advising the teams behind Reddit and TikTok. Riverside.fm is a presenting sponsor of Media Empires. Go to https://creators.riverside.fm/MediaEmpires + use code MEDIAEMPIRES for 20% off individual plans.In this episode, Greg and Erik discuss personal holding companies, the unbundling of Reddit and how subreddits can help identify product opportunities, and how Greg is strategizing his own PHC, content, and projects in 2023.Media Empires is part of the Turpentine podcast network. To learn more: www.turpentine.co-SPONSOR:Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "EMPIRES" for 20% off your first three months.-We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com.-RECOMMENDED PODCAST:🎙️ECON 102 W/ NOAH SMITH - Keeping econ entertaining - Noahpinion author Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg break down business news and politics every week.Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1696419056Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6q7Gn5lP8TTtBPuV1NJSGs-TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Episode Preview(02:49) Greg's inspiration for starting a personal holding company and building differently (04:34) Greg Isenberg for X(06:10) Why start an agency? (08:00) Cashflow opportunities for people without audiences or expertise(10:30) What platforms are ripe for audience-building and what's changed in 2023?(16:45) Email is king(17:28) Y-Combinator for PHCs and the "do things that don't scale" for creators(22:51) Acquisitions and ownership percentages(24:26) Why build a services business(26:48) The unbundling of Reddit and how Greg's thesis has changed(30:09) Forget being an EIR, be a subreddit moderator(31:27) Content first vs. community first(34:40) New funding models for creators(38:25) How Greg is thinking about his projects in 2023LINKS:Late Checkout: https://www.latecheckout.studio/Where It Happens Podcast: https://whereithappens.trwih.com/TWITTER:@gregisenberg (Greg)@_trwih (Where It Happens Podcast)@eriktorenberg (Erik)@MediaEmpiresPod (Media Empires)