# Politico & Axios: Jim VandeHei

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2023-02-27
- Length: 1h 20m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-02-27-politico-axios-jim-vandehei

## Summary

Jim VandeHei, co-founder of Politico and Axios, explains how he leveraged his background as a political reporter to launch two successful digital media companies. He details the 'smart brevity' content model developed for Axios, the strategic pivot to a subscription-based 'Politico Pro' service, and the eventual acquisition of Axios by Cox Enterprises for over $500 million. VandeHei emphasizes the critical role of luck, co-founders like Mike Allen and Roy Schwartz, and targeting high-value niche audiences to achieve profitability in a difficult media landscape.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-02-27-politico-axios-jim-vandehei#t=0) Introduction: Jim VandeHei and the Media Landscape
- [5:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-02-27-politico-axios-jim-vandehei#t=321) Early Career: From Pizza Delivery to Journalism
- [13:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-02-27-politico-axios-jim-vandehei#t=816) Building Sources at Roll Call and the Wall Street Journal
- [24:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-02-27-politico-axios-jim-vandehei#t=1453) Founding Politico: Project X and Robert Albritton's Funding
- [37:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-02-27-politico-axios-jim-vandehei#t=2262) The Launch Crisis and Early Growth of Politico
- [52:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-02-27-politico-axios-jim-vandehei#t=3171) Creating Politico Pro and Leadership Conflicts
- [1:01:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-02-27-politico-axios-jim-vandehei#t=3713) Founding Axios and the Smart Brevity Model
- [1:11:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-02-27-politico-axios-jim-vandehei#t=4319) Revenue Streams, Axios HQ, and the Cox Acquisition

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Politico (company)
- Axios (company)
- Robert Albritton (other)
- John Harris (other)
- Mike Allen (other)
- Roy Schwartz (other)
- Cox Enterprises (company)
- Axel Springer (company)
- Roll Call (company)
- Wall Street Journal (company)
- Washington Post (company)
- C-SPAN (other)
- Little Caesars (company)
- U.S. Bank (company)

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- [Founder Feature - Fane He and Kyle Nguyen of  The Lucky Ox](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-06-20-founder-feature-fane-he-and-kyle-nguyen-of-the-lucky-ox) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [#175 - E-Comm Wizards:  David Fudge of Aplós](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-12-24-175-e-comm-wizards-david-fudge-of-aplos) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [An Interview with Clint Cole of Digilent](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-06-10-an-interview-with-clint-cole-of-digilent) (The Amp Hour)
- [#237 - Inside Founders & Funders with Alex Michaelsen from Leisure Hydration and Alex Malamatinas from Melitas Ventures](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-02-24-237-inside-founders-funders-with-alex-michaelsen-from-leisure-hydration-and-alex) (The Startup CPG Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-02-27-politico-axios-jim-vandehei. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to How I Built This.