Date: 2026-09-22, 3:55 PM EDT Granola: 91335bad-7fda-47bf-b12d-d81bc2768498 Note: Blake Stewart captured. Alex from Stripe appears as system audio (not a Granola user).
Attendees
- Blake Stewart (Founding Journey / Megaphone)
- Alex from Stripe (AEO team, via PartnerStack)
Summary
Inbound sponsorship/AEO partnership inquiry from Stripe, sourced via PartnerStack after Profound flagged Founding Journey as a top-cited site for Stripe’s tracked prompts. Blake pitched Founding Journey stats and ad packages. Stripe interested in placements for Atlas, Radar, and a third undisclosed product (NDA required) launching ~October 1st. Blake shared pricing; Alex to review internally before October 1st.
Decisions
No internal Rye Valley decisions. Prospect call, next steps on Stripe’s side.
Action Items
- Blake: Send pricing deck and placement details to Alex (Stripe).
- Alex (Stripe): Review internally; decide on products, format, and timing before October 1st launch.
Notable Excerpts
Pricing discussed (Founding Journey / Hard Calls):
- Newsletter featured placement: $3,000 (~100 words + CTA, top of newsletter, publishes to website)
- Newsletter + Founder Deep Dive YouTube: $7,500
- Standalone LinkedIn or YouTube: available on shorter notice
- Standard lead time: ~1 month; flexible for standalone placements
Founding Journey stats shared by Blake:
- 60K subscribers (Beehiiv), 200K (Substack), 45K LinkedIn
- Sunday weekly cadence, ~50% open rate, ~98% US-based
- Rebrand planned next month to broaden beyond VC-backed founders
Stripe products of interest: Atlas (business incorporation), Radar (fraud prevention / transaction monitoring), plus undisclosed product launching ~Oct 1 (NDA required for details).