Now she’s coupling formal advice with money: The Information announced Friday that it is launching The Information Accelerator, “a vehicle to invest in and advise up-and-coming subscription news startups.”
“We’re doing this because the existing VC model just isn’t aligned with news entrepreneurs,” Lessin said. “It values scale over sustainability.”
Startups that specialize in subscription-based news — and that, importantly, have not“already raised a lot of venture capital” — can apply to participate, by emailing accelerator@theinformation.com by September 1. They’ll receive at least $25,000 if chosen, “in exchange for some very small financial participation to ensure alignment.”
Lessin is particularly interested in hearing from startups that want to transform local news.
The Information outlined the program on its site:
Expertise: A key aspect of our program is The Information Boot Camp, where those we back will work with our team in San Francisco. Our team has learned a lot about the best ways to build a subscription news business, from which articles drive subscriptions to what you need in a CMS. And as a publication that covers the tech industry, we have unique insights about how technology can be used to help, not hurt, journalism. We want to share that advice to help entrepreneurs climb the curve faster.
Distribution: We’ll help entrepreneurs find their first subscribers with distribution across our large base of subscribers who value premium content.
Capital: Our goal is for companies to exit our program with meaningful revenue (for example $100,000 in annual recurring revenue with a path to much more). To get started, we’ll invest at least $25,000 in each business in exchange for some very small financial participation to ensure alignment. We believe in making businesses self-sustaining as soon as possible so they can scale as they deliver value to readers. Our program isn’t designed to help entrepreneurs raise money. It is designed to help them make money.
So who should apply? The post mentions:
— Star reporters and small teams who want to report on important subjects, including local news and science, as well as entrepreneurs from inside and outside the U.S.
— Entrepreneurs with a proven track record of reporting news and information like no other outlet
— Startups focused on subscription revenue
There are other accelerators that focus on (Matter) or sometimes include (Y Combinator) media startups, but The Information’s is unusual in that it will focus on a specific type of news product and it eschews venture funding from the beginning.
One comment:
Recently, I had a conversation with a client who was using both ClickFunnels and SendShark to manage her online business. She was spending $122 each month – $97 for ClickFunnels and $25 for SendShark.
The worst part? She was only getting 20 funnels and 100 pages from ClickFunnels, plus the hassle of switching between two platforms.
I introduced her to a much better alternative: Systeme.io.
➡️http://bit.ly/44SA5jI
Here’s why it made a world of difference:
➡️ Unlimited sales funnels
➡️ Unlimited blogs
➡️ Unlimited course hosting
➡️ Unlimited OTOs and order bumps
➡️ Unlimited custom domains
➡️ Unlimited A/B testing
➡️ Unlimited membership sites
➡️ Unlimited emails (with stellar reputation)
➡️ All for just $97 per month!
Crazy, right?
I explained that Systeme.io offers everything in one place, making it much easier to manage her business.
But the best part? I told her that the Systeme.io team would handle the entire migration process from ClickFunnels to Systeme.io.
They take care of everything – courses, contacts, funnels, integrations – from A to Z. This way, she could focus on her business while they did the heavy lifting.
We also discussed other options, like switching to ClickFunnels 2.0, which would have cost her $152 per month (including the SendShark subscription) for limited features. I suggested she switch to Systeme.io instead, where she could enjoy unlimited features at a lower cost. Plus, she’d avoid the mess of managing multiple platforms.
Her ClickFunnels subscription was set to expire on May 4, 2024, so I advised her to make the switch before then to avoid paying an additional $122 for ClickFunnels and $25 for SendShark.
After much discussion, she agreed it was the best move.
She even asked me to check if Systeme.io had an affiliate program and to send her my affiliate link.
Throughout our conversation, I emphasized that my job was to offer advice, but the decision was ultimately hers. I told her, “My job is to give you advice, it’s up to you to decide.”
She appreciated my honest approach and agreed that migrating to Systeme.io was the best choice for her business.
If you’re facing similar challenges and want to streamline your business while saving money, I highly recommend checking out Systeme.io. It’s truly an amazing platform.
Click here to move your entire business to systeme io for free⬇️
YES! I’d like to get my business moved to Systeme.io for free ➡️http://bit.ly/4evXZpO
The choice is yours, but remember, a streamlined business is a thriving business.
Trackbacks:
Leave a comment