Feel-good publisher Little Things has built an audience of 50 million users a month thanks to Facebook — and it’s profitable. CEO Joe Speiser joined the Digiday Podcast to discuss how the publisher grew out of its roots as a pet-food retailer, why he’s not too worried about being overly reliant on Facebook and the advantages of not being reliant on venture capital.

BuzzFeed publisher Dao Nguyen believes publishers are dependent on platforms no matter what their strategy. The BuzzFeed approach is to embrace the network and rely on “the process” which is its approach of continually learning and adapting its content based on feedback from the audience.

Glossy is a new publication from Digiday Media that will chart

On the Digiday Podcast, The New Yorker’s digital editor Nick

Mashable is in the throes of major change. A little over a week ago, the company reshuffled its executive ranks and shifted directions away from covering general news. Newly installed chief content officer Greg Gittrich visits the Digiday Podcast to discuss why general news is hard to pull off and the publisher’s new focus on where culture meets technology — with a heavy dose of video thrown into the mix.

The Economist has stuck to its knitting and remained focused on a subscription model, aided by advertising. That’s appearing a prescient bet, as ad-dependent publishers that bet on giant audiences are now facing challenges. Paul Rossi, president of The Economist Group, joins the Digiday Podcast to discuss why direct reader revenue is critical.

As far as media conglomerates go, it does not get bigger than Bloomberg Media. With the platform era in full swing, the strategy behind Bloomberg’s next phase will be driven by multi-directional goals.

Justin Smith, CEO, Bloomberg Media. Brian Morrissey, president and editor-in-chief, Digiday

CNET is now over two decades old. It doesn’t see itself as a stodgy legacy brand, according to Eric Johnson, general manager of CNET’s media group. CNET recently started a 15-person autos brand, Roadshow, following the launch of a magazine two years ago. The future is still bright in media for brands that are differentiated and focused, he said.

Food52’s Bridget Williams joins the Digiday Podcast to discuss why scale is often overrated in digital media. At Food52, the Business Insider veteran is trying to build the “anti-Business Insider” that ignores scale in favor of a vertical approach that prizes deep connections with a passionate audience. 

David Plotz is a digital media veteran, dating back to when he joined Slate in 1996. Now the CEO of Atlas Obscura, Plotz is focused on building a differentiated media brand around the idea that everyone’s an explorer of the world. That’s harder than ever in the world of platforms, Plotz explained on this week’s episode of the Digiday Podcast. “When Facebook is the primary content delivery system, are you going to be able to thrive as a distinctive publisher,” he said.