Jon Steinberg of BuzzFeed talks about the Buzz

On Wednesday, May 29th, Startup Grind New York’s Neil Anderson sat down with Jon Steinberg, Founding President/COO of BuzzFeed. Over 80 people showed up at Thoughtworks in Manhattan on one of the first warm evenings of the season to hear Jon share his thoughts on his exciting career and BuzzFeed’s meteoric rise in a very competitive industry.

“Most people fail through execution or don’t adapt or don’t evolve.”


Jon answered questions very candidly and took us through his professional career, which began at the tender age of 15 as an intern for Disney Imagineering and was followed by stints at Google, Majestic Research, and as founder of iBuilding. Jon joined BuzzFeed in 2010, when there were only 15 employees, and has gained an insider’s view of scaling at a rapidly growing company. Today BuzzFeed has 250 employees and is valued at $200 Million.


A constant through Jon’s career has been the importance of receiving and accepting guidance and knowing when and how to make the right decision. This wisdom was hard won as shown by the different choices Jon would have made if he could, but also impacts how he currently operates at BuzzFeed.


One attendee enthused, “Excellent speaker, moderation, and crowd. [It] really felt like we were all part of something very special as I think Jon is reshaping the way news is reported, enjoyed and shared.”


The full video of the talk is above and includes Jon’s take on BuzzFeed’s trajectory, strategic partnerships, and what happens when the POTUS name checks your company at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner.


Big thanks to Thoughtworks for providing an awesome environment complete with beer and snacks!


Written by Khari Parson, Community Manager