Evolving business models for news

Business models for news

For-profit

Non-profit

Venture capital

VCs don't fund great ideas.

They fund great people who can execute great ideas.

Angel investors

Grants

3Fs

Bootstrap

Ongoing cash

Underwriting

Donations

Paid content/

subscriptions

Advertising

How much do you need?

Dave Morgan's ad startups

* 1995: Tens of millions

* 2001: Millions

* 2009: $1 million

Start-up cash

A good CMS for listings

* 1998: $5 million +

* 2005: $1.8 million

* 2009: ~$100,000

Emerging forms:

* Video (tours; pre-roll)

* Mobile (location-based ads; mobile coupons)

* Group buying / e-commerce

Local small/medium businesses

Local regional / major businesses

National display ads (ad networks)

Google / other text ads

Classifieds

Directories / Yellow Pages /

Yelp / Angie's List

What's it all mean?

Starting something is cheap, and getting cheaper

Technology is easy, and getting easier

Sustainability is hard

- Marketing / audience

- Sales

Sources and references

Jarvis / CUNY study: NewsInnovation.com

J-Lab: j-lab.org

Reynolds Collaboratory:

RJICollaboratory.org

These and others, plus links to free tools and great books: growthspur.com and tgdavidson.com

Misconceptions:

Traditional

Non-profits are insulated from economic pressure

Non-profits can't take ads

Offshoots of traditional

Topical & local startups