An editorial shift

The Realistic Optimist is becoming where the startup world speaks.

So far…

The Realistic Optimist has been a thrilling journey. Coming up on its 100th published article, this publication has slowly but surely made a name for itself. Its global nature might be critiqued by some, who cite a lack of focus, but it’s precisely what the founder wanted.

The Realistic Optimist’s overarching thesis is the following: in the past decade or so, the emergence of startups around the globe has ushered in novel complexities. Excellent regional publications exist, but none seem to cover the startup world in its newfound global nature.

This publication believes that any founder, VC, operator, or government official has much to gain from understanding the globalized sector they now operate in.

A paid model

In “The Need for Critical Startup Journalism”, the case is made for a new version of startup media. One that doesn’t act as a mouthpiece for the companies it is covering, but rather as a pragmatic analyst of the intricate sector it covers.

Scandals such as Theranos, WeWork, Dash, or FTX seem to vindicate the need for less rose-tinted reporting in favor of a more pragmatic form of startup journalism.

To afford the unhindered liberty of that editorial choice, the Realistic Optimist became a paid publication a couple of months ago.

Making the startup world speak

Over the 90+ articles this publication has churned out, a clear pattern emerges. Whether it be a disgruntled Tunisian startup founder or a resistant Ukrainian VC, articles that add the most value are the ones where the actors shaping this globalized startup scene pen their thoughts.

These pieces have merit in being truly exclusive. While one of the Realistic Optimist’s startup or ecosystem deep-dive is unique in its own right, the covered startup/ecosystem might’ve already been discussed elsewhere.

The opinion pieces are different. They convey new wisdom, shared by people who rarely convey their outlook despite being the custodians of invaluable insights. These people possess a deep understanding of the ecosystems they operate in and often hold a more nuanced view than what is generally portrayed.

That “nuance arbitrage” is what the Realistic Optimist is after.

The Realistic Optimist’s editorial shift

In light of these findings, the Realistic Optimist is narrowing in on these “op-ed” style pieces. This publication will be a place where founders, VCs, and operators from around the globe share their candid thoughts. Think of it as Project Syndicate, but for the startup world.

This shift is also aligned with our paid model: paid subscribers rightly expect the publication’s value proposition to be clear. It now clearly is. The Realistic Optimist is where the startup world speaks, through entirely exclusive op-eds.

The first couple of op-eds are written and ready to go. This Thursday, a major actor in the Palestinian ecosystem will reflect on what the current troubles mean for his ecosystem.

Get access

The Realistic Optimist’s paid subscriber base is top-tier, including global-minded VCs, founders, and ecosystem operators. They are getting exclusive access to the insights shaping our recently globalized startup world, told by the people actively building it.

A paid Realistic Optimist subscription also gets you access to the more than 40 existing, paywalled startup and sector deep-dives available on the website.

Join us today with a free trial. Or, dive right in and cancel your monthly subscription anytime.