2014
Ben Thompson says he launched the paid version of Stratechery in April 2014.
“I launched in April this is April 2014 15 2014 so next year will be 10 years Stratechery but nine years of it being my job”
Topic
Stratechery
11 facts from 2 episodes, in date order. These are what speakers said on the shows, each linked to the moment it was said. They aren't independently verified.
2014
Stratechery reached 1,000 subscribers in November 2014, ahead of Ben Thompson's one-year goal.
“in November I actually ended up reaching a thousand which is my one year goal so I hit my one year goal much earlier than I expected”
2014
Stratechery gained 250 new subscribers within 24 hours of Ben Thompson announcing it had reached 1,000.
“in the next 24 hours I got 250 new subscribers by far the biggest step change in my subscriber growth”
2020
Ben Thompson says he has raised Stratechery's price only once, a couple of years before the interview, and mildly regrets it.
“I raised prices a couple years ago which is the only time I raised prices and I still kind of mildly regret it.”
2022
Ben Thompson says about 70% of Stratechery's audience is on annual subscriptions.
“I think my audience at this point is like 70% annual subscriptions”
2022
Stratechery subscriptions cost $12 a month or $120 a year, a $24 saving for paying annually.
“It's $12 a month or $120 a year so you do get a $24 discount by being annual.”
2022
Ben Thompson says about half of Stratechery's subscribers listen to the podcast version instead of reading.
“Half my subscribers now listen instead of read which is amazing.”
2022
Sharp China is a Stratechery podcast made with Bill Bishop of Sinocism, and is the first Stratechery product Ben Thompson does not appear on.
“that's a collaboration with Bill Bishop who writes Sinosism and it's the first Stratechery product that I'm not on”
2022
Ben Thompson asserted, as relayed by a host, that podcasts hold listeners well but are hard to grow because they are hard to share.
“podcasts are great because they're really sticky but they're terrible to grow”
Undated
Ben Thompson says Substack's seed pitch deck described it as Stratechery in a box.
“Substack's seed deck says Stratechery in a box. That was their pitch.”
Undated
Ben Thompson says he conducts interviews on the record because Stratechery sells his own analysis, not exclusive information.
“my whole take is I'm not exclusive I don't have exclusive information what I'm selling is my personal analysis”
Episodes