WaitWhat

About WaitWhat

WaitWhat is a digital media company founded in January 2017 by former TED executives June Cohen and Deron Triff. Cohen, who serves as CEO, was instrumental in launching TED Talks online, while Triff led TED's partnership and scale-up phase, growing its audience to 100 million monthly views. Their combined experience at the forefront of digital content distribution shaped WaitWhat's core strategy: to develop premium, wholly-owned media intellectual property (IP) designed to scale across multiple formats beyond podcasting.

The New York-based company operates as a media invention company, focusing on creating new content genres and formats. Its business model centers on producing high-value podcast series and then expanding these properties into an ecosystem of related products, including live events, educational curricula, publishing, technology products, and strategic partnerships. This horizontal scaling strategy differentiates it from many media companies that focus on volume within a single format. Revenue is generated through these diverse channels, including sponsorships, membership programs, and licensing agreements, such as a partnership with Harvard Business Publishing to adapt 'Masters of Scale' content into audio-first business case studies called "Podcases".

The company has raised a total of $18.5 million over three funding rounds, including a $12 million Series B in June 2021 led by Raga Partners. Notable investors include Reid Hoffman, Burda Principal Investments, Emerson Collective, and Lupa Systems. This funding was allocated to accelerate the development of technology products and membership programs.

WaitWhat's portfolio includes several award-winning properties. 'Masters of Scale', hosted by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, was its first major success, launched in May 2017. The business podcast features interviews with founders of major companies like Netflix and Starbucks and provides lessons on entrepreneurship. 'Meditative Story' combines first-person narratives with mindfulness prompts and cinematic music, creating a hybrid genre of storytelling and wellness practice. 'Spark & Fire' deconstructs the creative process by having iconic creators share the story behind one of their works entirely in their own words.