The barriers to entry for online publishers have never been lower. By rewarding creativity above all else, anyone with a great idea and a mobile phone can attract a global audience and launch a successful internet business. As a result, the internet is home to the greatest convergence of creators and innovators the world has ever seen. It was with these creators in mind that the IAB launched the Long Tail Alliance seven years ago with the mission of capturing publishers’ stories and showcasing the diversity of the digital advertising ecosystem.
I recently spoke with one such innovator and member of the Long Tail Alliance, Jonathan Weber, to discuss his career in entrepreneurship, how the digital advertising business is changing, and how his company has enabled his upcoming move to Antarctica.
Where are you from?
I was born in New York, but have lived in the Poconos, Pennsylvania my whole life. I studied computer science and cybersecurity in New Zealand before graduating from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. My initial career path was aimed at working in government cybersecurity operations, but I quickly changed course and began to pursue online entrepreneurship.
How did you get into entrepreneurship?
I hustled freelance development and design jobs my last year in high school, and as a college freshman I began to transition to developing my own websites and apps. As traffic grew, I quickly discovered the advertising business model, and began monetizing my properties with Google AdSense and other advertising networks. In the five years since then, I’ve incorporated as Marathon Studios, Inc. and grown from a single college student with a laptop to web publisher with two full-time employees managing properties with over 2.5 million monthly unique visitors across properties in the government, finance, law, and travel verticals.
Where did the idea for FederalPay.org come from?
My business partner Alan Reed worked full time for the U.S. Government prior to leaving to pursue internet entrepreneurship, and I became very aware of the Federal government’s lack of modern, usable websites. With almost 3 million Federal employees and countless opportunities for improving usability and transparency with Government data, I quickly recognized an opportunity for building a web portal that makes Government pay and employment data available to the general public, including both civilians and Government employees.
FederalPay.org was launched in late 2014, and has since grown to become the leading authority website for government pay and data transparency. We recently launched our newest section, federalpay.org/employees, which provides an unprecedented window into the pay and compensation of over 1 million federal government employees across 372 agencies. While this new section has only been live since late 2015, we’re proud to have been used and cited by employees of every federal agency, reporters from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and millions of Americans across the country.
What changes have you witnessed in the online advertising ecosystem?
I’ve been a part of the online advertising ecosystem since the first day I started my company, first as a publisher and now as both a publisher and advertiser. While the opportunities for using advertising on both sides of the table to improve my business have continued to grow year after year, the past few years have proven to be very turbulent for small publishers especially.
A major question facing both publishers and advertisers today is the growing prevalence of ad blocking software, and I firmly believe that this is an issue that must be addressed head on rather than ignored or dismissed. In addition to continuing to put user experience first when monetizing my properties with advertising, I have begun to diversify my business by experimenting with high-quality native advertising, product sales, and other monetization methods. The internet will always be the best medium for both advertising and publishing, as long as we continue to evolve with the changing landscape of consumer demands and expectations.
What are your other startups?
In addition to FederalPay.org, Marathon Studios operates dozens of other high-traffic properties in the finance, law, and travel areas. I’ve also founded TickChek.com, a biotechnology company that can test ticks for the presence of Lyme disease, or other tick-borne infections. I’m really proud that our company has helped thousands of people avoid the worst symptoms of Lyme disease, and online advertising has been essential in helping reach customers when they need us, as well as raise awareness of the new testing technology we’ve developed. I enjoy learning about new areas and businesses, and I will continue to seek opportunities for new, exciting ventures in the future!
What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs? And for those creating advertising-supported businesses specifically?
The internet has been and remains the great democratizing force of our world, and at no other time in history has a single person with a laptop and an idea been able to reach and influence an audience of the magnitude that the internet provides. My advice would be that the best way to learn is to try, and the internet is a wonderful sounding board for starting small and eventually growing your business idea. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, whether you’re an employee or a student – the only thing that can hold you back is not trying!
As for launching an advertising business, I believe that opportunity is still available on both sides of the aisle. However, I would caution any new entrants to the area that the advertising market is currently undergoing an unprecedented revolution, and the winning strategy is to be flexible and willing to adapt as the industry changes with new technology, new challenges, and new opportunities.
You have been a frequent participant in the annual IAB Small Publisher Fly-In, at which publishers from across the country meet with their representatives in Washington. What about the experience keeps you coming back?
The IAB Fly-In is a great event that I’ve been attending since the beginning. Small publishers are a rare breed, and due to the ability to work from literally anywhere, it’s very rare to be in a room full of people who do what we do! The IAB has done a great job in attracting a wide variety of fascinating publishers who I’ve been excited to meet and network with each year, and the opportunity to share our stories with legislators has always been a rewarding experience. The nature of the internet means that most people will never know who is behind their favorite websites and apps, and it’s essential that our lawmakers learn about the small businesses like us who help build the websites we use every day.
A Digital Nomad is defined as an individual that leverage technology in order to work remotely and live an independent lifestyle. Does this describe you? Any upcoming adventures?
Absolutely! The best perk about working in technology is that you can work from anywhere in the world with nothing but a laptop and an internet connection. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to 66 countries over the past few years, and my team has joined me in travelling and coding our way across Europe and Asia. There’s a whole community of digital nomads from all around the world who you may meet on a beach in Thailand or a hostel in Kyrgyzstan, many of whom work in technology, and all of whom are taking full advantage of a lifestyle that has only become possible in the past decade.
I’m always looking for a bigger adventure – and I’m incredibly excited that this October, I will be deploying to Antarctica with the U.S. Antarctic Program to work at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. In my free time between running the base’s computer and communications systems, I will be continuing to ship code and publish websites from the most remote research base in the world. The opportunities available to us in the internet age are truly amazing! I’ll be writing about my experiences on my website at JonathanWeber.com.
