How Forbes Is Scaling Their Business in a Big Way

Forbes has 2,500 contributors who are writing for the website effectively and then helping things like those tweets that I was just mentioning before. One of the big criticisms is that they don't have enough oversight on these articles. It's all trended in that direction where you're essentially then competing with something like a Facebook. So if you lose that quality bar, it does feel like a little bit of an identity crisis.

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Today’s episode is a little different. Rather than bring a guest on, we’re going to break down how Forbes works. As former investors now operating in the media space, a few brands particularly intrigue us. Forbes is near the top of that list, not least because its current owners are trying to sell it for $800 million. It has been around for over 100 years, is often referenced in pop culture, and is quickly building out a suite of consumer products. It might also be the antithesis of our own business, Colossus, in its strategy and approach, making it all the more interesting to explore and draw out lessons. We hope you enjoy this deep dive into Forbes.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.

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Show Notes

(00:03:18) - (First question) - Forbes’ European reach, a household name in UK

(00:04:46) - Fun facts that stood out for Matt and Dom when researching Forbes

(00:10:46) - How Forbes is creating so much content

(00:15:36) - Various interesting factors involved in the consumer business

(00:19:02) - The level of independence when it comes to analysis of affiliate links and recommendations by Forbes

(00:21:21) - An example of scaling a business too quickly; the immediate takeaway from the business

(00:23:18) - Dilution of the brand and its quality

(00:29:58) - Forbes' failed acquisition deals since put up for sale

(00:32:30) - The lessons learned from researching the business

(00:33:50) - The business’ brand power amongst its target audience

(00:35:41) - "Forbes list" influence on popular culture