Austin Petersmith on Navigating the B2B Media Idea Maze Across Audio, Newsletters, and AI

Austin Petersmith, an entrepreneur and investor with extensive experience in journalism joins Erik Torenberg to discuss his diverse experiences in the media and tech industries. He shares his journey at Inside with Jason Calacanis, where he helped grow a remarkable newsletter business, and explores the complexities of user-generated content and niche social networks. In this conversation, they also explore the growth strategies, challenges, and monetization tactics used in scaling Inside to millions of subscribers.

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Key Takeaways:

• Austin's career has been centered around community and content, with a focus on journalism, tech, and audio.

• Inside grew to millions of subscribers and revenue through a concise and curated newsletter model, word of mouth, and original content.

• Monetization for Inside primarily came from ads, but Austin sees potential in exploring paid subscriptions.

• Austin is interested in user-generated content and believes there is room for growth in niche social networks.

• Opportunities in building platforms that streamline the creation and distribution of content for creators. The media landscape is constantly evolving, and there are opportunities for new models and formats of content distribution.

• Building a podcast network can be capital-intensive and challenging, but there are potential opportunities in acquiring stakes in podcasts and exploring video content.

• There is still room for innovation in the B2B SaaS space, and there is potential for growth and investment in this sector.

LINKS:
Howie.ai: https://www.howie.ai/
Subscribe to the Media Empires Newsletter: https://media-empires.beehiiv.com/

X/ TWITTER:
@eriktorenberg (Erik)
@awwstn (Austin)

TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Intro
(00:57) Austin's journey into tech
(03:42) Building a newsletter empire
(11:39) Evolution and potential of social audio platforms
(14:41) Inside's growth and monetization strategies
(20:52) Sponsor: Beehiiv and Turpentine
(22:40) Reflecting on editorial strategies and experimental approaches
(26:53) User-generated content and future ideas
(29:36) Rise of niche media
(36:37) Challenges and strategies in podcasting
(39:17) Innovative models in SaaS and software negotiation
(45:32) Private Equity for podcasting
(53:47) Request for startups
(55:13) Wrap

This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at [email protected].