To build a media business as an independent journalist, you need more than a great newsletter. You need to see what your audience wants before anyone else does, then move fast. If you’ve ever talked yourself out of a big leap, waited for the perfect launch date, or wondered when your solo project becomes a real company, this conversation is for you. You’ll hear how a side event planned around a bachelor party became Cerebral Valley, an invite-only AI summit which has spawned numerous connections and deals, including the $1.3 billion acquisition of MosaicML by DataBricks at its start. Alisa Cohn, named the Top Startup Coach in the World at the Thinkers50/Marshall Goldsmith Global Coaches Awards and host of From Start-Up to Grown-Up, sits down with Eric Newcomer, founder of Newcomer and a former Bloomberg tech reporter. Eric shares how he hired his first employee, why a RACI chart helped his team of four own their work, and what makes founders great storytellers. Alisa introduces the personal operating manual, a simple tool for telling your team how to work with you. Eric also explains why procrastination, not imposter syndrome, is his real challenge, and why he wishes he’d left Bloomberg a year sooner. You’ll learn: How to build a media business from a solo newsletter, and the moment Eric Newcomer realized Newcomer had become a real company with employees, contractors, and events.Why saying “I quit” out loud is the real act of leaving a secure job, and how Eric’s wife pushed him to stop rationalizing and finally go.How Cerebral Valley grew from a half-day event in a friend’s office into AI’s hottest ticket, with partners from Benchmark and Kleiner Perkins on board within 30 minutes.How to bring people together around an unmet need: know exactly who the event is for, book speakers people want to hear, and pick the topic before everyone else does.How a RACI chart and a personal operating manual help a small, remote media business team know who owns what and how to work with the founder.What makes founders great storytellers, from a reporter who has covered them for years: tell it truthfully, give the backstory, and tell it again and again with real enthusiasm.Why being decisive matters, from making the call on business decisions to leaving a job you’ve outgrown before you stay a year too long.We talk about: 00:00 Why Eric Newcomer almost didn’t quit Bloomberg 02:17 When does a newsletter become a media business? 07:51 How a bachelor party became the Cerebral Valley AI Summit 12:49 How do you spot opportunities before everyone else? 15:18 Hiring the first employee for a one-person brand 18:41 Using a RACI chart so everyone owns their work 24:37 The personal operating manual and hearing the truth 29:09 Journalist or influencer: can you be authentic online? 39:12 What great founders and storytellers have in common 44:03 Where the AI startup market is heading 55:52 Why procrastination, not imposter syndrome, is Eric’s real struggle 57:50 Why Eric wishes he’d left Bloomberg sooner Follow Eric on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericpnewcomer/ X: https://x.com/EricNewcomer Substack: https://www.newcomer.co/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@newcomerpod Connect with Alisa! Follow Alisa Cohn on Instagram: @alisacohnTwitter: @alisacohnFacebook: facebook.com/alisa.cohnLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisacohn/Website: http://www.alisacohn.comDownload her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better) Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon