E13: Ben LErer of LErer Hippeau

“This is really important, but it’s not life or death.”

Ben Lerer didn’t intend to dive into entrepreneurship, exactly. Fresh out of college, working for hotelier André Balasz, he started a newsletter with his friend Adam Rich. They were really just looking for a creative outlet, but the newsletter took on a quick popularity, growing into a large, influential media company: Thrillist. As an operator, Ben rode and influenced this centuries great digital media wave for the greater part of two decades. He headed up Thrillist as CEO for 11 years before founding Group Nine Media, which he sold to Vox Media in 2022. For much of his time as an operator, Ben has also been an investor, through his venture capital firm, Lerer Hippeau. The firm is now his full-time professional focus and boasts a portfolio of over 400 companies, including Air. Shane sat down with Ben to discuss the highs and lows of growing Thrillist, taking responsibility for the gravity of his decisions as an operator, and his definition of success.