Build a greetform that turns new newsletter subscribers into data, leads, and offers, https://greetform.com/
Ken Jee built Austin Founders Feed into a newsletter for Austin founders and entrepreneurs, growing it to approximately 6,500 subscribers by the time of this recording.
After years of creating data science content on YouTube, Ken is now focused on local media, newsletter growth, community-building, and AI-resilient businesses in Austin.
In this Local Media HQ interview, Ken walks through how Austin Founders Feed grew through Meta ads, organic community campaigns, founder interviews, sponsorships, and a local business directory.
He explains why partnered expert columns can outperform traditional ad placements, how the directory became a source of warm sponsorship leads, and why real-world relationships are becoming more valuable as AI makes content easier to commoditize.
Ken also shares his plans for the Austin Creator Brief, a newsletter agency for content creators, creator-focused events, and a potential physical space for Austin’s creator economy.
Ken’s guiding principle is that local media should create win-win relationships by investing in the community before asking for anything in return.
Chapters
00:00 Ken Jee and Austin Founders Feed introduction
00:57 Why Ken started a local B2B newsletter
03:57 Austin Founders Feed's early growth and business model
06:19 Why expert columns build more trust than traditional ads
08:42 Using interviews and human content to stand out from AI
10:55 The Top Connectors campaign and organic growth
12:40 Building a collaborative local business community
15:19 Why local communities are a hedge against AI
16:05 Ad break
17:41 The Austin Creator Brief and Ken's three-business roadmap
19:37 Building a newsletter agency for content creators
23:08 Ken's vision for a larger national newsletter
26:54 How past relationships create long-term leverage
30:13 Why Ken prefers partnering on events
Guest Links
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenjee/Austin Founders Feed: https://www.austinfoundersfeed.com/Austin Creator Brief: https://austincreatorbrief.com/AI Survival Guide: https://ai-survival-guide.beehiiv.com/The Growth Account: https://the-growth-account.beehiiv.com/
Work with me: https://www.localmediahq.com/
Discord: https://discord.localmediahq.com/
TJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjlarkin1
TJ on X: https://x.com/TJLarkin23
TJ on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tj.larkin
#LocalMedia #Entrepreneurship #NewsletterGrowth #CommunityBuilding #AustinFoundersFeed #CreatorEconomy #NewsletterMonetization #CommunityEvents #KenJee #LocalMediaHQ