HubSpot Media, the in-house media division of enterprise software company HubSpot, has announced the acquisition of “Starter Story,” a creator-led publication covering entrepreneurship and small business. 

“Starter Story” was founded in 2017 by software engineer Pat Walls, who launched the publication as a side project built around founder interviews. Walls developed the concept while working as a developer, spending two hours each morning at a New York City Starbucks writing, coding, and interviewing founders before his shift. He quit his job with approximately $12,000 in savings to pursue the business full-time. 

The brand has grown into a multi-channel media operation with over 800,000 YouTube subscribers, 300,000 newsletter subscribers, and a database of more than 4,500 founder case studies, generating over 100 million content views annually.

The acquisition reflects HubSpot’s broader strategy of using owned media to drive customers to its core software business rather than relying on paid acquisition channels. HubSpot Media currently reports more than 50 million monthly engagements and tens of thousands of leads. With “Starter Story,” HubSpot’s combined YouTube subscriber count reaches 2.9 million. Its existing media portfolio includes “The Hustle,” “My First Million,” and “Mindstream.”

“Small business is a core audience for us,” Jonathan Hunt, HubSpot’s VP of Media and Content, told ADWEEK. “‘Starter Story’ is one of the largest non-traditional media brands speaking to founders who are gaining momentum and need tools to accelerate that growth.”

Audience Alignment

HubSpot describes “Starter Story’s” core readership (early-stage founders from pre-seed through Series A) as a segment actively evaluating business tools, positioning the acquisition as an audience fit rather than a purely demographic one. 

Prior to the deal, roughly 75% of “Starter Story’s” reported seven-figure revenue came from its own products, including subscriptions, courses, and a paid community of more than 10,000 members, according to ADWEEK.

Walls, his sister and chief operating officer, Sam, and producer Gus Tiffer will all join HubSpot Media under the terms of the deal. 

Walls, who described the sale price as “life-changing” in a YouTube video, said HubSpot has committed to maintaining the same team and mission, with plans to expand into bigger interviews, more shows, and better production.