If you make a podcast or like sports, you're gonna enjoy this episode. We've brought on someone I consider to be an audio genius. Spike Eskin runs all of programming at New York's WFAN, the original and biggest sports talk radio station, and he's only the second person to ever have that job. Now you're probably thinking, doesn't everyone just listen to podcasts now? Well, the answer to that is no, but don't worry, he's also got a podcast. A big one. And his podcast, The Rights to Ricky Sanchez is frequently ranked atop the basketball podcast charts. It's only focused on a single team, the 76ers, but it's been big enough to get a full chapter in a book, and several audience gatherings have been featured on Sports Center highlights.

So he is the coach and he is the talent. During our convo, we go through traits that Spike looks for in audio hosts, the benefits and challenges of having practitioners like athletes sitting in the hosting chair, strategies for getting audience feedback beyond maniacs on Twitter, while still keeping love for the maniacs on Twitter, and differences in sponsorship dynamics between radio and podcasting framework for good content. Lots of interesting lessons here, and once I wrap up with Spike, Dom and I will do our normal debrief on lessons from both the interview and the conversation more broadly about how we can apply this to the Colossus business. Enjoy this episode and conversation with Spike.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. 

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Scribe is the presenting sponsor of this episode of Making Media and the magic behind the Colossus transcripts. One of the best decisions we made at Colossus was transcribing all of our audio into a searchable transcript library. We had been using another provide up until the summer of 2022 but we were constantly having issues with the accuracy if our audio was just the slightest bit impaired. Whether it's training sessions, internal Q&As, or for media purposes, the value of transcripts is huge. And we are not alone. Scribe is the transcription service that powers all of S&P Global - like CapIQ - and the client list includes our friends at Tegus. Go to joincolossus.com/scribe to unlock 150 minutes of free transcription and test their capabilities.

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Making Media is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Making Media, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.

Follow us on Twitter: @ReustleMatt | @domcooke | @JoinColossus 

Show Notes

[00:03:09] - [First question] - Which traits he’d use to create the ideal audio host  

[00:06:55] - Comparing podcasts to local radio and separating them into three categories

[00:08:43] - Tricks to help hosts generate and create chemistry 

[00:14:48] - Something that new hosts and newcomers to audio in general struggle with

[00:17:00] - Effective ways to measure how the fans view your shows

[00:20:52] - Whether you should place any weight on your most engaged listeners

[00:25:01] - Differences in terms of a podcast covering a topic versus a local radio 

[00:30:09] - The models and structure of the powerhouse that is radio advertising  

[00:33:39] - Repeat advertising and his own sponsorship strategy 

[00:39:19] - How much practitioner value comes into play about your show topic 

[00:44:37] - The importance of non-consensus and controversial views 

[00:49:57] - Whether or not official statements being made via social media is a passing trend or only the beginning 

[00:53:51] - Coaching hosts when it comes to asking critical questions

[00:55:51] - Debrief

What goes into a podcast launch, how does this launch compare to previous ones, and why is Jimmy Chin a bucket list guest? We go behind the scenes of launch week to share the chaos and reflect on the numbers after the first two episodes. Enjoy, subscribe, and get in touch.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.

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This episode is brought to you by Scribe. Scribe is the presenting sponsor of this episode of Making Media and the magic behind the Colossus transcripts. One of the best decisions we made at Colossus was transcribing all of our audio into a searchable transcript library. We had been using another provider up until the summer of 2022 but we were constantly having issues with accuracy if our audio was just the slightest bit impaired. Whether it's training sessions, internal Q&As, or for media purposes, the value of transcripts is huge. And we are not alone. Scribe is the transcription service that powers all of S&P Global - like CapIQ - and the client list includes our friends at Tegus. Go to joincolossus.com/scribe to unlock 150 minutes of free transcription and test their capabilities.

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Making Media is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Making Media, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.

Follow us on Twitter: @ReustleMatt | @domcooke | @JoinColossus 

Show Notes

[00:01:35] - [First question] - The chaos surrounding the recent launch experience

[00:07:02] - The inception of the Making Media concept

[00:10:14] - Touching on the launch experiences for previous Colossus shows

[00:11:01] - How Colossus sometimes decides to not run an episode based on content quality

[00:13:30] - The impact of a pre-launch beta audience including colleagues

[00:15:06] - How interview guests power the potential of Making Media 

[00:16:08] - How organizing a podcast can influence one’s career trajectory

[00:17:46] - Transitioning from an investor mindset to that of a media operator

[00:19:46] - The dynamic nature of a new podcast that needs fine-tuning

[00:21:24] - Reflecting on what went well with the launch and comparing it to other launches

[00:26:40] - How future launches could be made bigger and better

[00:28:08] - When to implement paid promotion for a new podcast

[00:29:14] - Launch details and feelings about the first few episode releases

[00:30:32] - Using honest clickbait, snappy titles, and controversial ideas to build hype

[00:33:13] - Dealing with listener feedback and sourcing guests effectively 

[00:34:12] - Comparing Making Media’s early listenership to stats from other Colossus shows

[00:37:48] - Growth strategy ideas for Making Media going forward

[00:39:20] - A score from one to ten for the launch and an explanation of the score

[00:40:20] - Securing sponsors for Making Media

[00:43:02] - Ideal guests and topics for the show in the coming three months

[00:45:23] - Closing thoughts on launch week and looking to the future of the show

For this episode of Making Media, Dom and I sit down with Sean Griffey, CEO and Co-Founder of Industry Dive. When I first heard Sean talk about B2B media and his strategy for building Industry Dive, I needed to hear more. I devoured a ton of his podcast appearances and various interviews that he did because I often feel like conversations on media strategy purely focus on audience growth. They don't ever mention the nuances of who those people are in your audiences, how much you spent to acquire those audiences, and the realities of running a company that can actually just stay in business. Sean is the exact opposite of that and he has built a fascinating business with Industry Dive, which recently sold at an enterprise value north of $500 million. Sean is a great example of the success you can have with a focused strategy. I think there's something to learn regardless of whether you're a content creator or just on the business side of things. Enjoy this interview and our debrief after the conversation.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.

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This episode is brought to you by Scribe. Scribe is the presenting sponsor of this episode of Making Media and the magic behind the Colossus transcripts. One of the best decisions we made at Colossus was transcribing all of our audio into a searchable transcript library. We had been using another provider up until the summer of 2022 but we were constantly having issues with accuracy if our audio was just the slightest bit impaired. Whether it's training sessions, internal Q&As, or for media purposes, the value of transcripts is huge. And we are not alone. Scribe is the transcription service that powers all of S&P Global - like CapIQ - and the client list includes our friends at Tegus. Go to joincolossus.com/scribe to unlock 150 minutes of free transcription and test their capabilities.

-----

Making Media is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Making Media, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.

Follow us on Twitter: @ReustleMatt | @domcooke | @JoinColossus 

Show Notes

[00:02:45] - [First question] - Overview of Industry Dive and the B2B media industry

[00:04:41] - The state of advertisement media versus subscription-based models

[00:06:20] - How they maintain consumer trust within their advertising model

[00:08:12] - Their strategy for launching into new markets

[00:11:42] - How Industry Dive has been able to accelerate their new launches 

[00:13:44] - The amount of investment runway they give to new publications

[00:15:35] - Industry Dive’s standardization across both talent and systems

[00:17:40] - Their perspective on advertisement sales

[00:19:49] - How they maintain their content production volume at scale

[00:21:36] - Their audience growth strategies

[00:23:16] - Why consumer platforms like TikTok don’t always work for B2B advertising

[00:24:45] - How they gather audience feedback

[00:26:35] - The importance of their tech stack in audience growth and maintenance 

[00:28:30] - How they collaborate with brands in their content studio

[00:31:33] - The proportions of their different sources of content

[00:32:27] - How margins differ between their content studio and advertising sales

[00:33:16] - How they might look to expand their business model in the future

[00:34:41] - Why he thinks of marketers as their primary customer

[00:35:55] - Their model for reinvestment to further grow their audience

[00:37:43] - How the team took advantage of increased digital ad budgets during COVID

[00:40:30] - What he worries about most regarding the future of Industry Dive

[00:42:12] - Debrief

For episode number 1 - we sat down with the father of Colossus, Patrick O'Shaughnessy. 

You likely listen to Patrick's Invest Like the Best podcast but in the small chance you don't - I'd highlight it's the magnet that brought everyone at Colossus to Colossus.

We had this conversation between Christmas and New Years of 2022. It was originally intended to be an annual recap episode but Dom and I decided to cover a variety of topics: Patrick's path to media, how he views Colossus the business, and what he thinks about behind the scenes.

After the interview, you will hear Dom and I debrief on the conversation. It's something that we plan to do after each interview. It's something we hear every once in a while on other podcasts and personally I love it. It's the ideal breaking of the 4th wall where you get some extra juice. Enjoy.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.

-----

Scribe is the presenting sponsor of this episode of Making Media and the magic behind the Colossus transcripts. One of the best decisions we made at Colossus was transcribing all of our audio into a searchable transcript library. We had been using another provide up until the summer of 2022 but we were constantly having issues with the accuracy if our audio was just the slightest bit impaired. Whether it's training sessions, internal Q&As, or for media purposes, the value of transcripts is huge.

And we are not alone. Scribe is the transcription service that powers all of S&P Global - like CapIQ - and the client list includes our friends at Tegus. Go to joincolossus.com/scribe to unlock 150 minutes of free transcription and test their capabilities.

-----

Making Media is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Making Media, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.

Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.

Follow us on Twitter: @ReustleMatt | @domcooke | @JoinColossus 

Show Notes

[00:01:30] - INTRO

[00:02:34] - The catalyst for launching Colossus Media 

[00:07:00] - Expectations for the business vs. where it is today 

[00:09:49] - Goals vs. output

[00:12:32] - Why it's easier to start a media business and what makes a great one

[00:15:05] - Media brands Patrick admires

[00:17:17] - Traits that make a great interviewer

[00:18:43] - Content before dollars 

[00:20:53] - How the Invest Like the Best curse has made them rethink things 

[00:24:44] - How the audience plays into picking guests/topics 

[00:26:22] - Any future evolution of Invest Like the Best

[00:29:09] - Video’s role in the future of the business

[00:31:00] - Success for Invest Like the Best moving forward 

[00:33:54] - Knowing when a conversation will be successful

[00:35:41] - Advice to folks looking to host a podcast 

[00:39:12] - What plays into the success of Business Breakdown 

[00:41:59] - Lessons about building a brand 

[00:47:11] - Maintaining standards for a brand 

[00:49:27] - Finding magicians to interview and work with - Aliens, Jedi & Cults

[00:59:30] - Behind-the-scenes experiences that stand out

[01:04:50] - Debrief

Welcome to Making Media, where Colossus colleagues Matt Reustle and Dom Cooke will talk to the best media operators, document their own media-building efforts, and dissect their favorite business content in preposterous detail. In this primer, Matt and Dom describe the show’s origin story, what you can expect on a weekly basis, and why it matters. 

The first two episodes will launch on Monday, January 30.

Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode.