January 13, 2020
Asaf Peled
Co Founder & CEO | Minute Media

Minute media has disrupted the traditional sports newsroom through a digital publishing platform, catering to the needs of the millennial sports fan. 
What sparked this idea?
Our extreme passion for sports is what led us down this path, but it was our in-depth research on the industry that sealed the deal. Through this competitive analysis, we determined that none of the traditional sports publishers had tech or global reach as core business pillars. Once we came to this realization, we knew that our business model would be a game changer.

The sports media environment is very competitive, yet Minute Media stands out in the crowd. What is its competitive edge?
Technology powers everything that we do, and during a turbulent time in the media industry, this allows us to be nimble enough to meet the ever-changing industry’s needs.

You started out covering football and moved on to additional sports including esports. Which areas are next on the roadmap?
We will continue to focus on sports (as can be seen with our recent acquisition of The Players’ Tribune) but will also continue to grow our portfolio in complementary categories. An example of this is our Mental Floss acquisition over a year ago. Our goal is to have a mix between sports and lifestyle/culture brands within Minute Media’s portfolio.

What was the Inflection Point in Minute Media’s history?
I believe our expansion into the US was a major turning point for our business.

What do you miss most in an early stage company?
When we first started the company in Tel Aviv, all employees were based in the same office. Now that we’re global, I miss the daily face-to-face time that working in the same office provides.

Toughest choice you had to make as a CEO?
The toughest choice involved the timing of and approach to entering the US market.

Gut instinct and cold data, which do you follow?
It’s a combination of the two, but instinct leads the way.

Where do you invest most of your time?
At the moment, 20% of my time is focused around cash, 40% around people and 40% around strategy.

What characterizes your executive team?
Each member of the executive team is an expert in their respective areas and also cares tremendously about the business and their teams. They never put their egos or personal ambitions ahead of the organization’s needs.

How do you see your personal growth alongside the company’s?
Over the last couple of years, I’ve been largely focused on personal development, both my own and that of my employees, and the effects that has on company culture. Moving forward, I want to continue that psychological growth and cultivate an open, welcoming and transparent working environment regardless of business unit or geographical location.

Best tip you got?
Make sure that you have a very close personal relationship with your investors and view them as long-term partners.

Tip you wish you had gotten…
I wish someone had explained how critical it is to spend a substantial amount of time getting to know future co-founders both personally and professionally before starting a business with them. In my opinion, the co-founder relationship is more like a marriage than simply a business partnership.

One thing people don’t know about you?
People often don’t know that I was once a DJ 😊

About Minute Media
Minute Media is a leading media and technology brand focused on two main pillars—platform and content. Minute Media’s platform serves as the company’s foundation, powering its content as well as enabling the evolution of other market-leading digital media brands. To date, Minute Media’s owned and operated destinations include 90min12upDBLTAPMental Floss and The Big Lead—all of which write their content from a relatable friend’s point-of-view.

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