INDEX / MEDIA
B2B Niche Podcast Network (Turpentine Model)
Build a portfolio of niche B2B podcasts targeting high-value professional audiences (CFOs, HR leaders, AI practitioners) that monetize via sponsorships, newsletters, and data products.
01 THE IDEA
Rather than competing to build the next Joe Rogan, this model creates the best podcast for a very specific professional role or sector — CFOs, Chief People Officers, AI builders — where there are few quality competitors. A podcast with under 1,000 listeners per episode can still generate $30K/month because the audience is extremely valuable to B2B advertisers. The podcast then becomes a platform to layer on newsletters, communities, conferences, and ultimately data products.
The business is inspired by Industry Dive, a collection of trade publications that sold for $500M, and validated by turpentine's ~$2M ARR across 13 shows. The key insight is that niche professional audiences are dramatically underserved by existing media and command outsized CPMs. Starting with podcasts provides a content engine that feeds every other format.
02 THE NUMBERS
$500K – $5M
$50K + 300h
$25K + 200h
6/10
24 · GROWING →
podcast production, B2B content strategy, sponsorship sales, network building, newsletter growth
03 THE VERDICT
The Industry Dive exit ($500M) proves the model works at scale, and the podcast-first approach is a genuine innovation on that model with better engagement metrics. The $2M ARR at turpentine with 13 shows validates unit economics. The main challenge is time-to-scale; each show requires consistent effort before monetization kicks in, meaning this is a 2-3 year build before meaningful exits or cash flow.
Verdict: BUILD. Don't have the ~300 hours it takes? Get matched with a vetted builder who does — we review every brief by hand and intro you to up to 3 builders.
FIND A BUILDER →INTROS ONLY — NO FEES, NO ESCROW. THE PROJECT IS YOURS.
ALREADY BUILT — BY THE COMMUNITY
I BUILT THIS →Nobody has claimed this one yet. Shipped it? Tell the story — every submission is hand-reviewed, and approved builds get listed right here with a link to your product.
04 THE FIELD
- Industry Diveest. 2012STEADY · ADDED 2026-06-07
CATEGORY LEADER IN B2B TRADE MEDIA, ACQUIRED FOR $500M
Newsletter-first trade publication network covering specific B2B verticals; the model Torenberg explicitly references.
- Workweekest. 2021GROWING · ADDED 2026-06-07
EMERGING COMPETITOR, NEWSLETTER-FIRST APPROACH
Modern-day Industry Dive attempt with newsletter-first strategy targeting B2B professional verticals.
- Lenny's Newsletter / Podcastest. 2019GROWING · ADDED 2026-06-07
DOMINANT SINGLE-CREATOR B2B MEDIA FOR PRODUCT MANAGERS
Proof-of-concept for a single-creator dominating a B2B niche via newsletter and podcast.