# Live Episode! BuzzFeed: Jonah Peretti

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2017-07-27
- Length: 48m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-07-27-live-episode-buzzfeed-jonah-peretti

## Summary

Jonah Peretti, co-founder of BuzzFeed and the Huffington Post, explains how an early email prank involving Nike shoes sparked his fascination with viral content and audience-driven distribution. He details the transition from a student experiment to launching the Huffington Post with Arianna Huffington and Ken Lerer, and subsequently creating BuzzFeed as an R&D lab to understand why people share content. Peretti discusses the strategic decision to hire journalists and pioneer native advertising, turning content creation into the core business model rather than relying on traditional banner ads. He also reflects on the challenges of scaling a media company, rejecting a buyout from Disney to maintain independence, and the importance of loving the struggle of building a business.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-07-27-live-episode-buzzfeed-jonah-peretti#t=0) Introduction: Sponsor Reads and Guest Background
- [3:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-07-27-live-episode-buzzfeed-jonah-peretti#t=235) Teaching in New Orleans and the Animated Alligator
- [7:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-07-27-live-episode-buzzfeed-jonah-peretti#t=427) The Nike Sweatshop Email Prank and Viral Spread
- [15:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-07-27-live-episode-buzzfeed-jonah-peretti#t=917) Founding the Huffington Post with Arianna Huffington
- [21:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-07-27-live-episode-buzzfeed-jonah-peretti#t=1297) Starting BuzzFeed Labs as an Experimentation Space
- [29:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-07-27-live-episode-buzzfeed-jonah-peretti#t=1773) Raising Capital and Shifting to Original Journalism
- [35:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-07-27-live-episode-buzzfeed-jonah-peretti#t=2106) Publishing the Trump Dossier and Native Advertising
- [42:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-07-27-live-episode-buzzfeed-jonah-peretti#t=2561) Rejecting Disney and the Value of Independence

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Growth, exits & acquisitions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/growth-exits-and-acquisitions)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Nike (company)
- Huffington Post (company)
- BuzzFeed (company)
- Arianna Huffington (other)
- Ken Lerer (other)
- Phil Angelini (other)
- Duncan Watts (other)
- Cameron Marlowe (other)
- Chelsea Peretti (other)
- SoftBank (company)
- Ben Smith (other)
- Politico (company)
- Disney (company)
- Facebook (company)
- Twitter (company)
- HBO (company)
- Google (company)
- CNN (company)
- Ellen DeGeneres (other)

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- [050 - "When No One is Listening" with James Somauroo](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lets-combinate/2022-09-14-050-when-no-one-is-listening-with-james-somauroo) (Let's Combinate)
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