Conversation

I’m excited to (finally) announce the launch of my newest incubated venture: , a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more covering tech, business, and culture, from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. Think The Ringer or Barstool, for tech. We ( ) believe that the world’s most interesting, important, and useful ideas and experiences come from those with skin in the game, sharing their expertise and passion – now matter how niche the topic. We are excited to build a tech media company, by tech people, that is decisively pro-tech and that exists to helps people improve at their jobs. More broadly, I believe building an independent media company is a great wedge into other products as well as a great asset for my investing at More on what we’re building, why now/why us, our lineup of upcoming shows and hosts, open roles, etc below. But the tl;dr is: we’re looking for new shows, hosts, and sponsors. If you think you might be the next Lenny Rachitsky, All In, Acquired, or [xyz show] for your niche – or you want your company to reach a particular niche audience – DM us or get in touch on our website .
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Our hosts are just as knowledgable as our guests, insiders talking to insiders Our name "Turpentine" emphasizes this: “When art critics get together they talk about Form and Structure and Meaning. When artists get together they talk about where you can buy cheap turpentine”
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The most successful people in the world often do not have time to publish their knowledge -- so interviews are the only way for these experts to transmit their knowledge. Our hosts are busy builders/investors who wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t automate logistics for them.
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Isn't it too late in podcasting? Aren't there too many podcasts? No Huberman started in 2021 and was recently the #1 podcast in the world. Same with All In, My First Million, and Lenny’s Podcast. The reason these came to the top so recently? The best podcasts do not yet exist
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People who’ve accumulated earned secrets haven't shared them b/c they’ve been too busy applying them We’re trying to remove the friction/make it worth their while to do so Podcasts are, as says, like the printing press for audio. The niches will only get bigger
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We're eager to work with new and existing shows that become category leaders in tech, business, finance, and culture Our pitch to talent: You bring us the great idea, and we handle everything else, soup to nuts (production, growth, monetization)
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Some requests for podcasts: - The definitive show for every exec position or functional area you’d hire for (e.g eng, finance, sales) - Or for every category you’d invest in (e.g Bio, Cybersecurity) - Unique situations/stories - Formats (debates, recaps/analysis, anonymous tips)
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We’re also hiring: - Producer - Operations - Social/marketing - Revenue - Research - Interviewing As a small (bootstrapped) team, we hire agentic general athletes who want exposure to media & venture. Reach out to me/Amelia (amelia@turpentine.co) if interested in learning more
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I’m excited to see where this goes from here. I’ve seen via my experiences with On Deck & Product Hunt & in my ongoing investing at Village Global that distribution remains one of the biggest value-adds to startups, and that owning a niche audience is worth its weight in gold
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More broadly, I've been excited about the idea of a media co being a cash-flow machine that's also a data acquisition asset Media cos get so much intel on people/cos that can be used to help inform hiring & investing decisions. Recruiting companies too 👀
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I believe that if there is valuable information locked in people's heads, it'll make its way to the internet at some point, even if people are reticent about it. Consider these questions: "Should I hire or invest in X person?" "Should I join or invest in Y company?" "Who are… Show more
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That's it for now. We'd love to hear your ideas on what we're building and ideas for getting involved – DMs are open! We've been working on for a while now—and we're building on years of work in podcasts, newsletters, and startups. We hope you enjoy our shows!
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