What happens when Cincinnati’s first nine-figure startup exit gets reinvested into the region’s next big opportunity?

In this episode, we’re joined by Adam Koehler, the Covington-based entrepreneur behind Content Credits. After being part of the Dotloop exit to Zillow for $108 million in 2015, Adam didn’t head for the coast. Instead, he reinvested his capital into Northern Kentucky, launching Content Credits to tackle one of publishing’s most pressing issues: the paywall.

Content Credits gives readers an alternative to subscriptions by letting them pay $0.25 to unlock a single article, helping publishers capture revenue from audiences they’re currently turning away.

We cover how Dotloop was built during the housing crash, what it was like selling to Zillow, how Content Credits is addressing broken media monetization models, and the role that large exits play in building a regional “startup flywheel”.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Adam’s early design career

02:00 – Building Dotloop during the housing crisis

06:30 – Selling Dotloop to Zillow for $108M

10:30 – Reinvesting in Northern Kentucky real estate and startups

12:00 – Why media is ready for disruption

14:00 – How Content Credits micropayments work

20:00 – Gamifying reader engagement through social layers

25:00 – Raising capital with KY Innovation & Keyhorse

28:00 – Thoughts on Kentucky’s startup ecosystem

🎙 Hosted by Logan Jones

🌐 Visit contentcredits.com

—

Middle Tech is proudly supported by:

KY Innovation → kyinnovation.com

Awesome Inc → awesomeinc.org