Exclusive: Scalable launches to cover creator economy
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Kaya Yurieff and Jasmine Enberg. Photo: Courtesy of Scalable
Kaya Yurieff and Jasmine Enberg are launching a new media company called Scalable to cover the creator economy as a joint venture with Whalar Group's The Lighthouse.
Why it matters: The startup is the latest in a wave of journalists going independent and reflects the maturing of the creator economy.
- "We're at this point now where the creator economy has been legitimized. The dollars are starting to shift, but there really isn't a playbook for how to operate within this industry," Enberg says.
Zoom in: Scalable will launch a twice-weekly newsletter and a weekly podcast — available in audio and video across all major platforms — with analysis and reporting on the creator economy.
- The newsletter will publish on Beehiiv, and Scalable will be part of the Beehiiv Media Collective, which provides tools, resources and operational support systems for independent journalists.
- Scalable plans to host its first annual event in Los Angeles next year.
Catch up quick: Yurieff most recently launched and led The Information's newsletter on the creator economy and previously covered tech at CNN.
- Enberg worked as an analyst at Emarketer, covering the business of creators and social media.
How it works: The Lighthouse is providing capital and operational support while Yurieff and Enberg maintain editorial control. The business is structured as a 50-50 joint venture.
- "Because we're talking to so many creators, we really understand so many of the challenges that come with building a business within it, whether that's a lack of resources, burnout, isolation," Enberg says. "Having a business partner really does help to mitigate some of those risks."
- Whalar, a creator and social agency, launched The Lighthouse earlier this year as physical spaces for creators to connect and work, with its first location in Venice, California. It's opening a second in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and is planning a third in London.
- Revenue will come from brand partnerships, though paid products could be added in the future.
The big picture: Scalable embodies a larger shift in both the news media and the creator economy. Journalists have moved to independent writing platforms in recent years as the industry faces layoffs and other cuts.
- Rather than go at it alone, some have joined collectives or teamed up with production networks. Alex Heath, a tech reporter for The Verge, recently launched his own outlet but has maintained a relationship with Vox Media through his new video podcast.
- "What we do is very meta because we write about this space, but now we're also entering it," Yurieff says.
