The Hustle

The Hustle is a media company producing daily email newsletters that cover business news in a fun, irreverent, intelligent voice.

Each weekday morning, it sends out important current events to young professionals throughout the world.

THE PROBLEM
CNBC, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal...these are all well-known brands, but not many young people love them.

The Hustle believes the millennial generation is overwhelmed with information. Our social feeds have become cluttered with questionable content and, because most digital media sites chase page views to pay the bills, it's difficult to know which news to trust, as writers are incentivized to shock versus inform.

This can create a downward cycle: writers have to churn out dozens of articles a day to meet their page view quota and readers are fed content that is more like a commodity than a legitimate news source.

THE SOLUTION
The Hustle's first product, the daily email, uses a bold and irreverent voice to cut through the noise and tells its community the news they need to start their day and how it impacts them. Think The Wall Street Journal meets The Daily Show. Or Walter Cronkite mixed with John Oliver.

And because it's email first and driven by subscribers, not page views, it's been able to thrive with a small team of writers. This allows it to put most of its resources into growth via tech and marketing, and not clickbait-like content designed only to capture attention without delivering substance.

PRODUCTS & SERVICES
As mentioned above, its first product is The Hustle Daily, a daily email geared towards young professionals that informs readers about what’s going on in the world of business, tech, and culture, why they should care, and what it means for them.

The company also hosts conferences throughout the year to strengthen its community, acquire new readers, and meet potential partners. These events include Hustle Con, a 1,500-person event for its entrepreneurial users, Con Con, a 400-person event for content creators, and a monthly lecture series in San Francisco.

As it grows its readership, it will release more digital products and features to help its community make better decisions throughout their day.

STATS
* 43% daily open rate is 2x industry average
* Investors include successful entrepreneurs and media founders, including Tim Chen (Founder of NerdWallet), Matthew Brimer (Founder of General Assembly), and Tucker Max (NYT best-selling author)
* 40% average monthly advertising revenue growth since June 2016
* Founders Samuel Parr and John Havel successfully exited previous startup via acquisition

Team Background

Samuel Parr - CEO & Co-Founder

Prior to The Hustle, Sam started a roommate matching company called BunkSF that was acquired by Apartment List.

He also started a chain of hot dog stands, and an online liquor store.

He earned his degree from Belmont University.

John Havel - PRESIDENT & Co-Founder

Formerly founded and sold a start-up called BunkSF, a roommate matching business.

B.A. in Neuroscience from Middlebury College.

Co-Investors

Scott Belsky

Founder of Behance

Matt Brimer

Co-Founder of General Assembly.

Tucker Max

New York Times best-selling author.