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Published · transcript-backed

Ben Gilbert: commitment

18 May 2023 Acquired Spotify CEO Daniel Ek

“We have had to redefine what Acquired is basically once a year since we started.”

— Ben Gilbert

Source trail

Everything needed to verify it.

Speaker
Ben Gilbert
Attribution
Verified speaker
Claim type
commitment
Recorded
18 May 2023
Publisher
Acquired

Transcript context

…Yes, we still can expand in our niche, but then we did our Taylor Swift episode. We did the NBA, we did the NFL, and then we did LVMH. In LVMH, we got 40,000 new subscribers. We were like, okay. To your point, something is hacked here. There's a new phenomenon or something. We have had to redefine what Acquired is basically once a year since we started. It used to be technology acquisitions that actually went well, and then it was acquisition with an IPO. At some point, we expanded beyond just tech founders and engineers that became venture capitalists also, and then it became their LPs. There are a bunch of university endowment folks that listen. Now we're realizing, as long as we keep making these really deep, really long, really esoteric stories and analysis, you can create smart content for smart people that is not scoped to a particular industry. I think that that's our new definition of the job-to-be-done from Acquired. I think it's brilliant how you're able both to satisfy your own curiosity, I guess. At the same time, it doesn't seem that far-fetched, some of the ideas that you're trying. Obviously, I would probably assume the Taylor Swift one was more out there than something else. The LVMH one actually felt, to me, supernatural. It's funny how well-talked about it. It's been even among what I would have not assumed would have been your crowd. I had a bunch of really old school value investors that I honestly didn't even realize were listening to podcasts. I've been thinking about it. I'm like, have you listened to this one, which is pretty cool. I think there's a way where there's probably some overlap between the audiences, but also clearly attracts a new one.…

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