What I’m Up To Now

This is a now page. It’s a snapshot of what’s going on in my life right now.

Last updated February 2026.

The Post-CEO Chapter

After a decade of building Morning Brew from a college newsletter into a media company with 5 million subscribers, I stepped aside as CEO and moved into the role of Executive Chairman. Axel Springer fully acquired Morning Brew in 2025, and the transition was a milestone I’m still processing. The most surprising part of leaving? How quickly the company moves on without you. It’s humbling, and it’s also proof that we built something that works.

I’m now spending my time as an investor through Austin Rief Ventures, with positions in companies like Beehiiv. I’m also an advisor to Oceans, which connects businesses with offshore talent. I’m tracking Big Tech’s massive infrastructure bets closely. Amazon, Alphabet, and Meta are projected to spend over half a trillion dollars in CapEx this year, and the implications for AI and cloud are hard to overstate.

Life in New York

I’m based in NYC and filling my days differently than I did as CEO. I’ve been training for a half-Ironman, reading about an hour a day (mostly history), and spending a lot of time meeting new people around the city. I’ve also been experimenting with AI tools to see how they fit into everyday workflows. I shared my full business tool stack recently for anyone curious about what I’m using day to day.

I still have strong opinions about how to travel well (hotels over Airbnbs, always) and I’m writing more frequently on my blog about business, investing, and life after building a company.

If you want to read more, check out my blog.