DiscoverThe Rebooting ShowBuilding a post-scale media company
Building a post-scale media company

Building a post-scale media company

Update: 2025-12-04
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Defector is one of the clearest test cases of what comes after the scale era. Born out of the Deadspin walkout and structured as a worker cooperative, it has achieved something most digital media operations haven’t: five years of stability with zero staff turnover. I talk with Defector COO Jasper Wang about the upside of that model, the limits it imposes, hitting a subs ceiling, and why Defector is comfortable with the tradeoffs.

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Building a post-scale media company

Building a post-scale media company