Q&A: Jessica Lessin, Founder & CEO of The Information

The Idea chatted with Jessica Lessin, founder, CEO, and editor-in-chief of The Information, about how she grew the subscription-based tech news site, what’s next for The Information, and what she’s learned along the way.

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The Idea: Can you give us a brief overview of your role as CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The Information?
JL: I founded The Information in 2013 in response to my growing frustration with the direction that ad-driven media was taking. I wanted to write deeply-reported articles about the tech industry that you couldn’t find elsewhere, and build a profitable, growing business while doing so. Fast forward to 4+ years later, and we’re doing just that. I spend much of my time trying to hire and empower the best journalists out there to dig deeper on the tech companies, leaders and issues that are most important, and another big portion of my time growing our subscriber base with our business team. I also find time to write my column most weeks.

The Information has had a hard paywall model and a several hundred dollar-a-year price point since the outset. What is your approach to audience growth? Are there any growth levers or tactics that you’ve found to be particularly effective?

It was important to me to be audience-funded from the start. One of our biggest (and happiest) lessons from day one was that big stories generate big increases in subscribers, so investing in great journalists really pays off with our business model. We’ve grown into a bigger business by continuing to offer more value for subscribers through in-person events, conference calls, and other special benefits like our subscriber-only Slack.

What’s next for The Information?

We’re most proud of breaking big stories about the drama within Apple that led to Siri losing its edge, and Justin Caldbeck’s pattern of troubling behavior toward women, which preceded many other such reports of harassment within the tech industry. We’re continuing to hire reporters and editors at a rapid clip, and we’re on track to double our editorial headcount in 2017. We also started The Information Accelerator, a program for budding news entrepreneurs to learn from us in a bootcamp and receive ongoing support. We’re going to keep expanding that program to underscore our commitment to building a thriving media landscape.

What is one interesting thing you’ve learned from your experience launching and growing The Information?

It’s often tempting to try to tackle every idea or opportunity that comes our way, but I’ve learned over the last four years that focus is key. We’ve stayed true to our subscription-only model, though at points it’s been tempting to add additional sources of revenue. The same is true for recruiting, and editorial focus. When we’re spread too thin, the goals become unclear. We’ve learned to stay very focused so that we can win at what’s most important near-term and take on other challenges later.

We’ve seen a wave of publishers pivot toward subscription models recently in the face of a platform-dominated ad landscape. Do you have any thoughts on the types of publishers for which subscriptions could be a viable business model? Or any advice on important considerations when pursuing subscriptions?

In order to succeed as a subscription news product, you have to have a differentiated offering. You can’t be rewriting press releases or doing purely pickups of other people’s work without added commentary. You have to offer something that subscribers can’t get anywhere else.

What is the most interesting thing that you’ve seen from a media outlet other than your own?

I am always inspired and impressed by great investigative journalism projects. Recently, BuzzFeed and the New York Times really stand out.

This Spotlight was originally published in the April 9th issue of The Idea. For more Q&As with inside intel like this, subscribe to The Idea, Atlantic Media’s weekly newsletter covering the latest trends and innovations in media.