Joe Budden’s podcast and network are now on Patreon, where he’s taken an advisory role as Head of Creator Equity. When he ended his exclusive contract with Spotify in September, he was one of the platform’s biggest names. Now, Budden tells Ashley Carman of The Verge that exclusivity is a “prehistoric” concept.
Creators are “uploading gold,” energy, and enthusiasm with little in return, says Patreon CEO Jack Conte. “This is about tech companies paying creators the minimum amount that they can get away with instead of paying creators what they’re actually worth.” A listener-supported model guarantees a fairer exchange rate.
Budden’s (very public) decisions highlight a wider rejection of how major platforms treat creators, Carman writes. “Patreon is setting itself up as the antithesis to exclusives — a place where podcasters can reward their most loyal fans while also benefiting from the freedom to do whatever they want with their show.”
Launched in April, Sina Sadrzadeh’s podcast The Millennial Entrepreneur reached over 40 countries by December. “Here’s the thing though — I have no clue who is listening and why they listen,” he wrote at the time. Sadrzadeh breaks down exactly how he solved that problem in four steps, inspired by his MBA studies.
“In reality, the customer persona understanding should sit at the core of everything — marketing strategy, product iteration, website/app creation, the list goes on,” the host explains. Unlike demographic segments, personas are about motivations and behavior. His next step was to reach out and ask the right questions.
Sadrzadeh is still “wildly surprised” that he’s made the entrepreneurship charts in multiple countries. However, he says that future growth (and future strategy) will be far less mysterious: “The importance of this exercise is that it introduced me to my listeners on a personal level — I understood them as people.”
Wise words from Paul Bae (The Big Loop, The Black Tapes) for anyone pitching, marketing, or just practicing their elevator speech.
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