"Media Empires" | The Business of Newsletters, Podcasts, Creators, and Data Acquisition

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)

Erik Torenberg interviews Sean Griffey, CEO and Co-founder of Industry Dive, a business journalism company reaching 14 million executives across 32 publications. They discuss scaling challenges, monetization strategies, acquisition opportunities, data collection, and the future of the media industry.

Erik Torenberg sits down with David Perell – writer, founder and CEO at Write of Passage, and podcaster. Perell's writing is read by 70,000+ people. He has catalyzed many creators at the intersection of media and tech, including Packy McCormick. Riverside.fm is a presenting sponsor of Media Empires. Go to https://creators.riverside.fm/MediaEmpires + use code MEDIAEMPIRES for 20% off individual plans. Media Empires is part of the Turpentine podcast network. To learn more: www.turpentine.coIn this conversation, Erik and David discuss: how David chooses opportunities, his vision for the future of liberal arts education, and how Walt Disney serves as his enduring inspiration. -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(00:50) Sponsor: Riverside(02:12) David's inspiration to create the Annual Review(03:34) Write of Passage's evolution(10:30) Tradeoffs in ambition and lifestyle(14:04) How David chooses opportunities and remains focused(20:24) The Disney diagram(23:54) Investing in people(28:00) Success with cohort-based courses(32:03) Walt Disney as David's enduring inspiration(37:45) The future of liberal arts education LINKSDavid Perell's site: https://perell.com/Write of Passage: https://writeofpassage.school/TWITTER@david_perell (David) @eriktorenberg (Erik)@MediaEmpiresPod (Media Empires)Music License: LQ2DW3MRL0BZDOOW

Erik Torenberg sits down with Blake Robbins, Principal Investor at Benchmark, and the host of Gamecraft, a podcast about the video game business' modern history. 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, Erik and Blake discuss Blake's journey and experience working with fan favorites like 100 Thieves, how creators should think about choosing platforms and monetizing, and the value of live streaming platforms like Twitch for gamers and non-gamer creators. Blake's knowledge of the gaming industry and creator economy makes this episode a worthwhile watch for gaming aficionados, streamers, and creators on any platform.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.Media Empires is part of the Turpentine podcast network. To learn more: turpentine.coTIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Episode Preview(00:48) Sponsor: https://creators.riverside.fm/MediaEmpires(01:50) Blake's majors and minors(06:25) Blake's reflection on hype cycles and where he's looking to now as an investor(08:24) The question you need to answer to define your moat as a creator(01:35) What the next evolution of creator businesses should look like(05:18) More ways to monetize than meets the eye(19:37) Blake's views on creator equity(24:35) Compensation vs Value capture in tech(29:28) Comparing financing ecosystem for creators to VC(36:11) Waves in the creator economy(42:11) Which platforms should creators go to?(47:05) Sequencing platforms when building an audience(48:23) The value of livestreaming(51:40) Livestreaming beyond gamingLINKS:Blake Robbins' site: https://blakeir.com/Gamecraft Podcast: https://www.gamecraftpod.com/TWITTER:@blakeir (Blake)@gamecraftpod (Gamecraft)@eriktorenberg (Erik)@MediaEmpiresPod (Media Empires)

Erik Torenberg sits down with Packy McCormick of the newsletter Not Boring and Not Boring Capital. For many, Packy is the epitome of the single creator-led media empire.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, they discuss: how Packy evolved his content format, why a venture model is the business he wanted to build, and his plans for experimentation with Not Boring. They also analyze the opportunities for successful media businesses that should exist in the world.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: 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.TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Episode Preview(01:00) Sponsor: https://creators.riverside.fm/MediaEmpires(03:07) The story and evolution of Not Boring(07:58) Breaking into venture through media(09:45) What have you chosen not to do with Not Boring?(12:11) ProductHunt for fundraise announcements(16:03) Packy's investing style and how its changed(20:46) How Packy's content has evolved(24:40) Content formats to experiment with in the future(26:29) A museum where you could see what the world is like in 2050(28:06) Rap Genius for S-1(30:30) Competing with Crunchbase or PitchBook(31:44) Not Boring in a universe where Packy didn't start a venture fund(34:30) If Packy built a tech media company today, how would he do it?(37:06) Topics in tech media to cover(39:48) Workweek vs Not Boring approach(41:07) Would Packy have taken a Workweek offer instead of starting Not Boring?(42:30) Investing in creators vs startups(45:08) Exploring other content platforms(46:21) The future of tech media(48:26) Is there a book in Not Boring's future?(50:26) Financing good businesses that are not venture-backable(52:31) The full-time fan and the idea of fans investing in media businessesLINKS:Not Boring: https://www.notboring.co/TWITTER:@eriktorenberg@packym@notboringco

On the first episode of Media Empires, Erik Torenberg sits down with Morning Brew's CEO Austin Rief to learn his perspective on the future of the media business, the critical elements that determine success, and where he sees the single biggest opportunity to build a media empire. Riverside.fm is a presenting sponsor of Media Empires. Go to https://creators.riverside.fm/MediaEmpires + use code MEDIAEMPIRES for 20% off individual plans. This episode was recorded in early spring of 2023, but just as relevant today.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.Media Empires is part of the Turpentine podcast network. To learn more: turpentine.coRECOMMENDED 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(01:02) Sponsor: https://creators.riverside.fm/MediaEmpires(02:10) The evolution of Morning Brew at critical junctures(04:39) How to target your audience(06:20) Where is the biggest opportunity: super niche or aggregation of niches?(10:04) Austin’s hopes for media in 2023(11:35) Why succeeding in media is different than succeeding in startups(16:12) Data businesses in media(17:24) B2B in media(20:52) Austin offers advice for attracting and working with talent(23:12) Tradeoffs in monetization(25:00) What is the opportunity in tech media?(26:50) How Morning Brew picks its categories to cover(30:00) Building additional businesses on top of a media business(30:32) How should creators pick platforms?(36:18) How to think about podcasting(37:44) How has the course business evolved?(39:20) How Austin envisions Morning Brew growing(43:29) How the Morning Brew mafia continues to build out the media ecosystemLINKS: Morning Brew: https://www.morningbrew.com/TWITTER:@eriktorenberg@austin_rief@morningbrewSPONSOR: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 monthsThanks to our sponsor RiversideGo to https://bit.ly/Riverside_MediaEmpires + use code MEDIAEMPIRES for 20% off individual plans. 

Erik Torenberg interviews influential media creators to learn exactly how they built their empires.Follow Media Empires on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.