Ben Smith on building a $40m turnover news business in three years

Media start-up Semafor reached profitability in 2025 with revenue of $40m, in the third full year after its October 2022 launch.Co-founder and editor-in-chief Ben Smith joined Press Gazette’s UK editor Charlotte Tobitt in London to discuss how the business became an overnight success in a difficult climate for media overall.Smith discussed Semafor’s expansion plans, why its initial bet on video didn’t work out, why it still doesn’t have a paywall, and shared his advice for other media business founders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.