# How I Built Resilience: Alex Lieberman and Austin Rief of Morning Brew

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2021-03-04
- Length: 28m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-03-04-how-i-built-resilience-alex-lieberman-and-austin-rief-of-morning-brew

## Summary

Alex Lieberman and Austin Rief, co-founders of Morning Brew, explain how they grew a business newsletter from a University of Michigan dorm room to a media brand with 2.5 million subscribers, eventually selling a majority stake to Business Insider for $75 million. They detail their strategy of organic growth through a college ambassador program and referral incentives, their decision to monetize via native advertising rather than banner ads, and their transition from a simple email newsletter to a multimedia platform including podcasts and video.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-03-04-how-i-built-resilience-alex-lieberman-and-austin-rief-of-morning-brew#t=0) Introduction: Alex Lieberman and Austin Rief of Morning Brew
- [1:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-03-04-how-i-built-resilience-alex-lieberman-and-austin-rief-of-morning-brew#t=87) From Morgan Stanley Offer to Dorm Room Newsletter
- [5:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-03-04-how-i-built-resilience-alex-lieberman-and-austin-rief-of-morning-brew#t=359) Organic Growth: Ambassador Programs and Referrals
- [12:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-03-04-how-i-built-resilience-alex-lieberman-and-austin-rief-of-morning-brew#t=737) Funding and Early Monetization Strategy
- [16:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-03-04-how-i-built-resilience-alex-lieberman-and-austin-rief-of-morning-brew#t=1001) Native Advertising and Editorial Integrity
- [25:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-03-04-how-i-built-resilience-alex-lieberman-and-austin-rief-of-morning-brew#t=1546) Future of News Consumption and Multimedia Expansion

## Topics

- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Growth, exits & acquisitions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/growth-exits-and-acquisitions)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

founders before launch, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Morning Brew (product)
- Business Insider (company)
- Morgan Stanley (company)
- University of Michigan (other)
- Axios (product)
- Substack (product)
- Robin Hood (product)
- Dropbox (product)
- Slack (product)
- Clubhouse (product)
- U.S. Bank (company)

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- [#232 - 2026 Brand Resolutions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-01-20-232-2026-brand-resolutions) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
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## Citing this page

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