E6: "How to Build A Personal Holding Company in 2023" | Greg Isenberg, Late Checkout

Erik Torenberg sits down with Greg Isenberg, CEO of Late Checkout, and co-host of Where It Happens. He's spent the last 15 years building venture-backed businesses at WeWork, Islands and WallStreetSurvivor, as well as advising the teams behind Reddit and TikTok. Riverside.fm is a presenting sponsor of Media Empires. Go to https://creators.riverside.fm/MediaEmpires + use code MEDIAEMPIRES for 20% off individual plans.

Media Empires is part of the Turpentine podcast network. To learn more: www.turpentine.co

In this episode, Greg and Erik discuss personal holding companies, the unbundling of Reddit and how subreddits can help identify product opportunities, and how Greg is strategizing his own PHC, content, and projects in 2023.

TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Episode Preview

(02:49) Greg's inspiration for starting a personal holding company and building differently 

(04:34) Greg Isenberg for X

(06:10) Why start an agency? 

(08:00) Cashflow opportunities for people without audiences or expertise

(10:30) What platforms are ripe for audience-building and what's changed in 2023?

(16:45) Email is king

(17:28) Y-Combinator for PHCs and the "do things that don't scale" for creators

(22:51) Acquisitions and ownership percentages

(24:26) Why build a services business

(26:48) The unbundling of Reddit and how Greg's thesis has changed

(30:09) Forget being an EIR, be a subreddit moderator

(31:27) Content first vs. community first

(34:40) New funding models for creators

(38:25) How Greg is thinking about his projects in 2023

LINKS:

Late Checkout: https://www.latecheckout.studio/

Where It Happens Podcast: https://whereithappens.trwih.com/

TWITTER:

@gregisenberg (Greg)

@_trwih (Where It Happens Podcast)

@eriktorenberg (Erik)

@MediaEmpiresPod (Media Empires)