Splice Pink

Splice Media

Splice celebrates the transformation of media in Asia. This podcast features conversations with people across the global media ecosystem: media startup founders, tech, data and design folks, investors, journalists, media development funders and donors, product managers, and academics. Hosted and produced by Rishad Patel and Alan Soon.

  1. How Joey Chung of TNL Mediagene acquires media companies… as a media company

    11/28/2023

    How Joey Chung of TNL Mediagene acquires media companies… as a media company

    TNL MediaGene, formerly the News Lens, is a case study in strategic media company acquisitions. Over the past four and a half years, they executed nine acquisitions — averaging one every six months. Originally focused on independent digital news in Taiwan, they expanded across Asia and recognised the need to pivot as growth plateaued. This led to a transformation into a media group, acquiring smaller verticals and diversifying into MarTech, AdTech, and data analytics. The company now boasts 29 media brands, six offices, and approximately 560 employees, 80% of whom came through acquisitions. With a strategy yielding 50 to 60 million monthly unique readers, monetisation sources include media advertising, data analytics, AI, SaaS, tech services, e-commerce, agency communications, paid events, and memberships.  As Joey Chung, the CEO and co-founder explained at Splice Beta 2023, the recent merger with MediaGene, a Japanese digital media player, demonstrates the company's evolution and strategic expansion beyond its Taiwanese roots. 1. Strategic Growth Challenges: Joey highlights the challenge of sustaining growth in a small market like Taiwan, especially when catering to a niche audience like news readers. The need to meet investor expectations while preserving the independent media ethos adds complexity to this growth strategy. 2. Venture Capital Influence: Early reliance on institutional VC funding forces the media brand to continuously meet growth milestones. Joey emphasises the pressure to demonstrate return on investment, which leads to exploring options like mergers and acquisitions as a strategic move to overcome the limitations of the small local market. 3. Pivoting for Sustainability: The realisation that horizontal growth into different content categories might not be financially viable prompts a pivotal shift in strategy. Instead of diversifying content offerings, the focus shifts to regional expansion and internationalisation, acknowledging the limitations of the small market dynamics in the digital media industry. Joey Chung on LinkedInTNL MediageneSplice Beta 2023

    48 min
  2. How Tanmoy Goswami of Sanity by Tanmoy builds products for his mental health journalism startup

    11/28/2023

    How Tanmoy Goswami of Sanity by Tanmoy builds products for his mental health journalism startup

    In his recent session at Splice Beta 2023, Tanmoy Goswami shares his entrepreneurial journey, highlighting the evolution of his mental health storytelling platform, Sanity by Tanmoy. The article summarizes key points from the transcript, emphasising the challenges and successes in building a unique and impactful venture. Tanmoy begins by recounting the inception of Sanity by Tanmoy, a Substack newsletter born out of a tumultuous period in December 2020. Despite initial skepticism, the platform gained traction as Tanmoy navigated the complexities of mental health reporting, challenging mainstream media's stigmatising approach. The entrepreneur credits the platform's success to strategic timing, the COVID bump, and being a rare voice in mental health from a non-Western perspective. His commitment to user privacy led him to move from Substack to Ghost, where he launched India's first independent mental health storytelling platform. Sanity by Tanmoy operates on a reader-funded model, with Tanmoy rejecting conventional advice columns and focusing on theme-based seasons covering mental health, politics, economics, culture, and tech. Tanmoy emphasises the importance of a personal connection with the audience, acknowledging the significant role played by his supportive community. He discusses the challenges of entrepreneurship in the content creation space, emphasising the financial struggles faced by creators globally. Tanmoy discusses his own sustainability goals, aiming to cover basic expenses while maintaining the platform's dignity. Tanmoy's journey is marked by notable achievements, including a fellowship at Oxford and recognition as an expert in Forbes. He provides valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs, cautioning against quitting jobs solely for passion and urging clear understanding of motivation. Tanmoy has a unique approach to success metrics, emphasising the importance of consistency and recognising that people support the creator rather than the product. Tanmoy challenges the notion of the "10,000 true fans" and encourages entrepreneurs to find fulfilment in smaller, dedicated audiences. Tanmoy Goswami on LinkedInSanity by TanmoySplice Beta 2023

    44 min

About

Splice celebrates the transformation of media in Asia. This podcast features conversations with people across the global media ecosystem: media startup founders, tech, data and design folks, investors, journalists, media development funders and donors, product managers, and academics. Hosted and produced by Rishad Patel and Alan Soon.