Masters of Scale

Business Podcast Mediamastersofscale.com

Masters of Scale, operated by Wait What Inc., is a New York-based podcast media company producing flagship business shows (Masters of Scale, Rapid Response, Pioneers of AI) for entrepreneurs and executives, monetized via podcast advertising, an annual paid subscription with a courses mobile app, and an annual San Francisco Summit.

Company typePrivate
Founded2017
HeadquartersNew York, United States
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2C
OfferingDigital Commerce or Content

What Masters of Scale does

Masters of Scale is the consumer-facing brand of Wait What Inc., a privately held New York-based media company founded in 2017 and co-founded by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman. The company produces business and technology podcasts — a flagship Masters of Scale series, Rapid Response (a Tuesday/Friday news-format show hosted by Bob Safian), and Pioneers of AI (a weekly AI-themed show hosted by Dr. Rana el Kaliouby) — distributed globally via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, and the company's own mobile app on iOS and Android.

The business operates a freemium-to-subscription model: free access includes the full podcast catalog, website articles, and a weekly email newsletter, while an auto-renewing annual subscription unlocks the Masters of Scale Courses mobile application, the "Complete Interviews" private RSS feed, exclusive member content, and live-event perks. Revenue is split across podcast advertising and sponsorships on the free tier, recurring annual subscription fees on the premium tier, and ticket-driven income from the annual Masters of Scale Summit (held in San Francisco). Adjacent programs include the Masters of Scale Business Awards and a free weekly newsletter that functions as the primary top-of-funnel acquisition channel.

Underlying technology is a standard digital-audio publishing stack — web CMS, RSS distribution, native iOS and Android apps, and presence on third-party podcast platforms — rather than a proprietary AI/ML product or platform. The target audience spans founders, CEOs, executives, and aspiring professionals globally who consume business and scaling content for professional development. Operations are run by CEO Jeff Berman of Wait What Inc. with Lori Hoffman as President and Chief Content Officer; the company has not raised disclosed outside capital and operates from a single New York headquarters.

Masters of Scale firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Masters of Scale
Legal name: Wait What Inc.
Website: https://mastersofscale.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2017
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: Masters of Scale, operated by Wait What Inc., is a New York-based podcast media company producing flagship business shows (Masters of Scale, Rapid Response, Pioneers of AI) for entrepreneurs and executives, monetized via podcast advertising, an annual paid subscription with a courses mobile app, and an annual San Francisco Summit.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Masters of Scale industry classification

Industry

Product category: Business Podcast Media
NAICS: Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)
SIC: Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
akta.pro primary industry: Enterprise Audio Publishing & Private Podcast Platforms (MPAIADAI)
akta.pro secondary industries: Podcast Networks & Studio Platforms (MPAIADAC), Podcast Networks & Multi-Show Publishers (MPACADAB), Podcast Hosting & Distribution Platforms (MPAIADAB)

Keywords

Business podcast network
Entrepreneur interview content
Podcast subscription service
Business leadership media
Scale strategy content

Where Masters of Scale is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: New York
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Masters of Scale business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Digital Commerce or Content
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

Podcast Advertising/Sponsorships: Free podcast content monetized through advertising and sponsorships embedded in episodes
Subscription Service: Annual subscription membership providing access to exclusive content, live events, the Masters of Scale Courses mobile application, and the Masters of Scale: Complete Interviews private RSS feed. Auto-renews every 12 months.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Freemium	Pay-as-you-go	Free Service - Free podcast and newsletter access
Subscription	Annual	Subscription Service - Annual membership with exclusive content

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Masters of Scale product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Masters of Scale produces and distributes business and entrepreneurship podcasts, led by the flagship Masters of Scale series hosted by co-founder Reid Hoffman, alongside Rapid Response and Pioneers of AI. It offers a free tier (podcasts, website, newsletter) and an annual subscription tier that adds exclusive courses via a mobile app, a private RSS feed of complete interviews, and live event access. The portfolio is rounded out by the annual Masters of Scale Summit and the Masters of Scale Business Awards.

Product overview

Masters of Scale is a media invention company that produces multiple podcast series (Masters of Scale, Rapid Response, and Pioneers of AI) distributed across major platforms including YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music. The company operates both a Free Service tier (podcasts, website, e-newsletters) and a Subscription Service tier offering exclusive content, live events, the Masters of Scale Courses mobile application, and the Masters of Scale: Complete Interviews private RSS feed. The portfolio also includes the annual Masters of Scale Summit event, the Masters of Scale Business Awards recognition program, and a free weekly newsletter. The core offering centers on business wisdom and entrepreneurial insights delivered through audio content and exclusive member benefits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

Rapid Response: A podcast series featuring interviews with business leaders on current events and crisis management.
Pioneers of AI
Masters of Scale Summit
Masters of Scale Business Awards

Products and services

Masters of Scale Podcast The flagship weekly podcast series featuring in-depth conversations with iconic business leaders about entrepreneurship, scaling companies, and leadership wisdom, hosted by co-founder Reid Hoffman.
Rapid Response Podcast A podcast series focused on timely business conversations and crisis management, hosted by Bob Safian, with new episodes released every Tuesday and Friday.
Pioneers of AI Podcast A weekly podcast hosted by Dr. Rana el Kaliouby exploring artificial intelligence topics and how AI is reshaping business and society, released every Wednesday.
Masters of Scale Courses Mobile Application A subscription-based mobile application offering exclusive courses and learning content tied to the Masters of Scale podcast series, accessible only to paid Members via iOS and Android app stores.
Masters of Scale Complete Interviews Private RSS Feed A premium private RSS feed providing exclusive full-length interview content available only to annual subscription Members.
Masters of Scale Newsletter A free weekly email newsletter delivering business insights, podcast recaps, and early access to live events to anyone who subscribes.
Masters of Scale Summit An annual in-person conference bringing together business leaders, founders, and industry pioneers for networking and learning opportunities, held in San Francisco.
Masters of Scale Business Awards An annual awards program celebrating business achievements across categories including Mission Critical, Customer Experience, Rapid Response, Pioneers of AI, Hometown Hero, and Luminary Leader, honoring recipients from early-stage founders to Fortune 500 leaders.

Companies that use Masters of Scale

Customer profile

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Masters of Scale technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Masters of Scale partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Masters of Scale competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

iHeartPodcasts: Industry-scale podcast publisher and distributor inside iHeartMedia, operating hundreds of shows including exclusive business and entrepreneurship content — same broad category, much wider portfolio and distribution scale than Masters of Scale.

Direct peers

Gimlet Media: Premium narrative podcast studio (acquired by Spotify) known for business and entrepreneurship shows like 'StartUp' and 'How I Built This'-adjacent storytelling — overlapping Masters of Scale's founder-interview, scaling-and-leadership editorial lane.
The Ringer: Multi-show podcast network built around a strong editorial brand, hosting numerous franchises and operating sponsored content and events — analogous multi-podcast, brand-driven, host-led network model to Masters of Scale.
TED Audio Collective: Premium ideas-driven podcast network with global brand recognition, exclusive speaker roster, subscription offerings, and flagship events (TED itself) — closely parallels Masters of Scale's premium intellectual content, events, and subscription architecture.
Pushkin Industries: Independent premium podcast network co-founded by Malcolm Gladwell, producing multiple high-profile shows and audiobook/spoken-word content distributed across major platforms — directly analogous to Masters of Scale's multi-show business-content network with subscription layers.
Wondery: Multi-show podcast studio producing premium narrative and business storytelling shows and operating a subscription tier (Wondery+) — a direct structural parallel to Masters of Scale's flagship-plus-subscription-plus-events model, now under Amazon ownership.
Higher Ground Productions: Premium podcast production company producing high-profile interview and idea-driven shows (Barack and Michelle Obama, Bruce Springsteen) with subscription/exclusive audio tiers — comparable premium-interview format and exclusive content economics to Masters of Scale.
Hub + Spoke (acquired by Audacy): Brand-driven podcast network operating premium ad-supported shows with sponsorship focus — overlaps Masters of Scale's ad/sponsorship monetization model and multi-show strategy across consumer verticals.
Lemonada Media: Independent premium podcast network operating multiple branded shows with a subscription offering and live events — closest independent competitor in size, model, and premium content positioning to Masters of Scale.
Pineapple Street Studios: Independent podcast studio (now part of Audacy) producing high-end narrative and interview shows — comparable production caliber, multi-show strategy, and premium-host roster to Masters of Scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Masters of Scale financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Masters of Scale leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Masters of Scale funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Masters of Scale M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Masters of Scale

What does Masters of Scale do?

Is Masters of Scale a public or private company?

Masters of Scale is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.

When was Masters of Scale founded?

Masters of Scale was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is Masters of Scale based?

Masters of Scale is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.

How does Masters of Scale make money?

Two revenue lines are on record. Podcast Advertising/Sponsorships are the primary driver. The others are subscription Service.

Who are Masters of Scale's main competitors?

iHeartPodcasts is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Gimlet Media, The Ringer, TED Audio Collective, Pushkin Industries, Wondery, Higher Ground Productions, Hub + Spoke (acquired by Audacy), Lemonada Media and Pineapple Street Studios.

Does Masters of Scale have an API?

No public API is recorded for Masters of Scale.

What industry is Masters of Scale in?

Masters of Scale's product category is Business Podcast Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIADAI, Enterprise Audio Publishing & Private Podcast Platforms, with a secondary code of MPAIADAC, Podcast Networks & Studio Platforms. Its NAICS code is 516210 and its SIC code is 2741.