E14: How to Build a Media Empire

"The Riff" with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg

On this week's episode of The Riff, Erik and Byrne do a deep dive on the history of media, how technology is impacting the media landscape, and how to build the next media empire.

The Riff is sponsored by Shopify: https://shopify.com/momentofzen for a $1/month trial period.

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The Riff is a part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: https://turpentine.co

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Check out Erik's new show Request for Startups featuring a rotating cast of founders and investors sharing their requests for startups they want to exist in the world, and also their stories of navigating the idea maze in different sectors so founders don’t have to reinvent the wheel anymore. The first episode is out now - we cover better dating apps, references as a service, and WeWork for productivity

• Watch and Subscribe on Substack: https://requestforstartups.substack.com/p/receipt-based-dating-reference-checks
• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/request-for-startups-with-erik-torenberg/id1728659822
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/739L1LR32QI2XyoZlRh5nv

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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.

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Thanks to our sponsor: SHOPIFY

Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all e-commerce in the US. And Shopify’s the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy’s, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one e-commerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you’re selling, Shopify’s got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/momentofzen

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LINKS:

Byrne's writing: https://thediff.co

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X / TWITTER:

@eriktorenberg (Erik)

@byrnehobart (Byrne)

@turpentinemedia (Turpentine)

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TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Intro

(00:40) How media was a great business and what changed

(12:54) How media fortunes are made

(18:22) When content becomes valuable again - BuzzFeed versus the New York Times

(20:09) Streaming distribution - Netflix's current evolution

(24:27) The decline in the level of journalism layoffs and why AI has something to do with it

(29:18) Sponsor | Shopify

(31:20) If you want to do investigative reporting, you need to like billionaires

(36:22) On Byrne's approach to building a media empire

(49:10) Why tech journalism struggled in the last decade

(52:22) Reconciling history and the changing nature of fame

(57:31) The business cadence case against every company is a tech company

(1:04:57) Wrap

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The Riff is a production from Turpentine

Producer: Sam Kaufman

Editor: Seven Morris

For guest or sponsorship inquiries please contact [e-mail]