New Media
New Media is a podcast for founders and creators building independent media businesses. We explore how to grow and monetize audiences without depending on algorithms, advertising, and platforms you don't control. Each episode shares practical insights on building profitable media and education businesses.
A GrowLetter podcast, hosted by Matt McGarry and Kolby Hatch.
New Media
Why Nobody Cares About Newsletters Anymore
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In today's episode Matt and Kolby break down historic media disruptions—from cable TV's ESPN and CNN to Joe Rogan's $250M Spotify deal—pulling out what's working, what's being left on the table, and who actually has a real thesis on AI today, from The Rundown's $10M+ newsletter to HubSpot's media buying spree.
Timestamps:
- 00:00 Intro: AI Anxiety and Plateauing Founders
- 03:59 The Framework: How Founders Should Respond to AI
- 05:14 Is This an AI Bubble? Cable TV's ESPN and CNN Bet
- 08:35 Web 1.0: Huffington Post's $315M Exit and Motley Fool's Billion-Dollar Run
- 09:32 Viral Video Era: BuzzFeed's Rise, Barstool's $551M Sale
- 12:23 Mobile Wave: Industry Dive's $525M Exit
- 14:12 Axios's Smart Brevity and $525M Sale
- 17:27 The Athletic's $500M Sale, Joe Rogan's $250M Deal, and Mr. Beast
- 19:54 The Common Thread: Every Disruptor Needs a Thesis
- 22:40 Who Has a Real AI Thesis Today?
- 24:59 The Rundown AI's $10M+ Newsletter and Its PE Deal
- 29:31 HubSpot's Strategy of Buying Up Media Companies
- 34:55 Local News, AI-Generated Content, and 6AM City
- 46:06 Breaking Points, Ground News, and the Rise of Trusted Filters
- 53:03 Owning a New Category: Latent Space's AI Engineer Events
- 59:13 Every's Bundled AI Tools and Software-Funded Media
📌 Resources:
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