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What would Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose do if they had to build a media company from scratch in 2026?
In this special episode of This Old Marketing, Joe and Robert tackle that exact question. Starting with zero audience, limited resources, and a media landscape flooded with AI-generated content, shifting algorithms, and declining trust, they break down what kind of media company they would actually build today.
Would they start with a newsletter, a podcast, YouTube, or LinkedIn? What niche would they choose? How would they make money in the first 12 months? And in a world where content is cheap and everywhere, what would make the business truly defensible?
Throughout the episode, Joe and Robert walk through the key questions any modern media entrepreneur should ask:
- Who is the specific audience?
- What problem are they solving?
- Which platform should come first?
- What content tilt or point of view is unique enough to stand out?
- What business model makes the most sense early?
- What should be avoided completely?
- And what creates a moat when AI can produce endless content?
This is part strategy session, part debate, and part reality check for anyone thinking about launching a media brand today. If you were starting over in 2026, this episode will help you think through what to build, what to ignore, and where the biggest opportunities still are.
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Follow Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose on LinkedIn for insights, hot takes, and weekly updates from the world of content and marketing.
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Get all the show notes: https://www.thisoldmarketing.com/
Get Joe's new book, Burn the Playbook, at http://www.joepulizzi.com/books/burn-the-playbook/
Subscribe to Joe's Newsletter at https://www.joepulizzi.com/signup/.
Get Robert Rose's new book, Valuable Friction, at https://robertrose.net/valuable-friction/
Subscribe to Robert's Newsletter at https://seventhbearlens.substack.com/
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This Old Marketing is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network: https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork