HubSpot is doubling down on its media strategy.
On Monday, HubSpot Media, the in-house media arm of the CRM and marketing automation company, acquired creator-led entrepreneurial brand Starter Story. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Founded in 2017 by software engineer Pat Walls, Starter Story has quietly become a video-first powerhouse in the founder economy. The brand has more than 800,000 YouTube subscribers, a 275,000-person newsletter, and a total audience of approximately 1.6 million across platforms.
Walls, along with COO Sam Walls and producer Gus Tiffer, will join HubSpot Media as part of the deal. That team now joins a growing portfolio that already includes The Hustle, the business and tech newsletter acquired in 2021; My First Million, the entrepreneurship podcast hosted by Sam Parr and Shaan Puri; and Trends, a premium research and insights community for entrepreneurs and operators.
A bigger bet on YouTube
With Starter Story in the fold, HubSpot’s YouTube network will reach a total of 2.9 million subscribers. That footprint now surpasses Morning Brew’s YouTube presence and is more than double that of Salesforce, according to HubSpot.
For a B2B software company, this is not a side project. That’s an engine for demand generation.
HubSpot has been explicit about its belief that media can drive customers into the core software ecosystem. Instead of attracting attention through paid media, the company is increasingly attracting attention through content features that attract founders, operators and growth leaders early in their journey.
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Starter Story fits that statement perfectly. The content focuses on real entrepreneurial case studies, revenue analyzes and tactical growth insights. That audience overlaps almost perfectly with HubSpot’s core SMB and startup customer base.
The game is not subtle. Attract founders with compelling stories and actionable advice. Build trust. Then introduce them to tools that help them scale what they build.
The acquisition also reflects a broader shift in the media industry.
Publishers from Vox Media to ESPN have struck deals with YouTube creators, while newer media startups are building video-first brands in place of traditional websites. Podcasts and short videos continue to capture a growing share of consumer attention, and the B2B audience is no exception.
HubSpot seems to be betting that the future of B2B media will look less like gated PDFs and more like creator-led storytelling on YouTube.
For marketers, the conclusion is clear. The boundary between media company and software supplier is blurring. If your brand can consistently generate audience and trust at scale, you’re not just buying demand. You manufacture it.
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