Media Niches and First-Party Data with Jacob Donnelly of A Media Operator

Jacob Donnelly, the founder of A Media Operator, joins Erik Torenberg to discuss the strategies behind building successful, sustainable media businesses, with a focus on niche markets. They also explore the role of technology and the significance of audience-centric approaches in both the media and events industries, providing a comprehensive overview of current trends and future directions for media entrepreneurs.

Listen on Spotify, Apple, and Subscribe on YouTube

Key Takeaways:

• Building sustainable media companies requires a focus on niche publications and serving specific audiences.

• The intersection of media and data companies presents both challenges and opportunities.

• Reporters in media companies should have a business mindset and understand the needs of their audience.

• Technology-specific media companies may face limitations in the long term.

• Acquisitions can be effective in expanding media businesses, but the transition from founder-led to a team-based approach is crucial. First-party data is valuable for tracking user behavior and personalizing content.

• Building newsletters can be a strategy to collect first-party data.

• Changing content formats can be difficult and time-consuming.

• Focusing on the core content format of the business is important.

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LINKS:
A Media Operator: https://www.amediaoperator.com/
Subscribe to the Media Empires Newsletter: https://media-empires.beehiiv.com/

X/ TWITTER:
@eriktorenberg (Erik)
@JayCoDon (Jacob)

TIMESTAMPS:
(00:00) Intro
(00:53) Inside the mind of a media operator
(02:33) Vision and strategy behind AMO
(10:00) Why Jacob is bullish on media?
(11:34) Sponsor: Beehiiv and Turpentine
(13:23) Core ideas and philosophies
(17:03) Intersection of media and data companies
(25:16) Exploring the SaaSification of media
(33:06) Future of AI in media
(40:24) Media acquisitions and the essence of audience
(49:16) Crypto media lessons and audience type
(52:25) Art of building a media empire
(01:06:30) Business of podcasting
(01:22:23) Future of vertical communities
(01:26:11) Importance of first party data
(01:28:30) 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].