Forte Labs Director of Content

TLDR: We’re seeking a Director of Content to take charge of our content production, develop a long-term strategy for growth, and lead our team in executing that strategy. You will touch every corner of the Forte Labs content universe and be responsible for leading our media brand across all channels. The role is highly flexible, fully remote, and asynchronous except for occasional trips within the U.S., with a salary in the $80,000–$100,000 range.

Mission

At Forte Labs, our mission is to help people capitalize on the value of their knowledge and expertise and use it to achieve their ambitions and lead more fulfilling lives in the 21st century. We produce written and audiovisual content on “the art and science of knowledge work.” From teaching people how to effectively use productivity software to helping them develop self-awareness around how their mind works, to creating a system of knowledge management to leverage what they know (which we call a “Second Brain”).

Our origins

Over the last 7 years, a little blog started on Medium has grown into a full-fledged media company:

• A website and blog that receive a million visitors a year
• A newsletter that goes out to more than 47,000 subscribers every week
• A Twitter following of over 45,000 (plus Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram)
• A YouTube channel with 18,000 subscribers and half a million views in the last year
• Community groups on Facebook, Slack, and Circle with over 10,000 members
• A premium online course taken by thousands of students per year and generating 7-figures per launch
• A forthcoming book to be published by Simon & Schuster in July 2022

Our new Director of Content will work across all of the above.

What is the Director of Content going to do?

We are looking for an experienced professional to accelerate Forte Labs into a truly global, transformational media platform for personal productivity and knowledge management for the 21st century.

Here’s how

• Editorial workflow: Document and manage our content pipeline; add rigor and predictability to the process of turning new ideas into published content, products, and services.
• Coordinate content production: Work with both internal colleagues and outside contractors and specialists to produce new content
• Content strategy: Set our long-term direction and content goals, set and follow an editorial calendar, follow monthly themes, cross-promote across channels
• Branding: Develop consistent guidelines for the Forte Labs brand (colors, typeface, language) and ensure they’re followed
• Content promotion: SEO and keyword optimization (across all channels); repost and repurpose existing content into new formats and on new platforms
• Audience growth and engagement: Grow the Forte Labs audience (followers, subscribers, members, customers) through organic and paid acquisition (ads, partnerships, affiliates, referral incentives, etc.) while optimizing for engagement
• Launch content products: Lead the launch of the Building a Second Brain book, due to be published in July 2022, as well as other products based on Forte Labs content

Every day in this role will be different. For example, a typical week could look like this: On Monday, you’ll be preparing a newsletter to go out to tens of thousands of people the next morning. On Tuesday, you’ll be producing an interview series for the podcast. On Wednesday, you’ll be helping me revise our course content to improve the student experience. On Thursday, you’ll be conducting research for an in-depth blog post. On Friday, you’ll be coordinating with a video editor on the next YouTube upload. You will touch every corner of the Forte Labs platform.

The ideal candidate

I’m looking for someone who wants to build a transformative media brand with the potential to shape how people work and learn all over the world. Who embraces growth and change and sees their work as a means of self-expression and service, not just a paycheck. Who believes in our mission of using technology as a force for good. And who understands the critical role of written and audio-visual content in realizing our vision.

Sound familiar?

• You have excellent writing skills, with experience producing written and other kinds of how-to content
• You have experience managing a small team, both in-house and contractors, to execute on long-term projects
• You have experience growing and scaling an online media brand based on the work of an independent creator
• You are comfortable wearing many hats, in a wide-ranging role requiring rapid learning and openness to feedback
• You can work across mediums and channels, from writing to video to audio to virtual and in-person events
• You can manage both the creative and operational sides of high-volume content production
• You are comfortable working on a small, bootstrapped team to flexibly and creatively solve problems as they arise
• You are highly independent and self-directed, but also skilled at collaborating with a distributed, asynchronous team
• You are located in the U.S. and can travel regularly (every 2-3 months) to the LA area or other locations within the U.S. for team retreats and in-person collaboration

Compensation and benefits

• $80,000-$100,000 annual salary depending on experience
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance
• Profit-sharing via automatic 401k contributions (plus matching)
• Flexible, fully remote, asynchronous working environment (except for occasional travel within the U.S.)
• Opportunity to build a media brand from the ground floor
• Access to numerous professional development trainings, including both our own courses and our partners’

How to apply

Applications are officially open. The first phase of the process includes submitting several video responses and short written pieces. Please use YouTube, Vimeo or Loom to share your videos. 

• Video 1: Why are you interested in the role? [60 seconds]
• Video 2: What is an example of a major content-related initiative you conceived and executed in a previous project or job? What was the process? What tools did you use? What was the outcome? [120 seconds]
• Written 1: A link to an existing piece of “how-to” content (written or otherwise) that you created [750 words max]
• Written 2: What do you think is the biggest opportunity for Forte Labs/Building a Second Brain? How would you move this forward? [750 words max]
• References: will be checked ahead of the offer

Important: This application must be completed in one sitting. There are 2 videos and 2 written questions for you to submit. We recommend you review the whole application first so you can plan for the appropriate time to complete the application before hitting submit. The job posting will close on Saturday, July 31, 2021.

From the initial submissions, we’ll select a smaller group for interviews, and then a set of finalists will be asked to complete a paid project and/or an in-person interview. You should be available to start on September 1st.

*Forte Labs, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Individuals seeking employment at Forte Labs are considered without regard to race, ethnicity, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, physical or mental disability, registered domestic partner status, caregiver status, marital status, veteran or military status, citizenship status, or any other legally protected category.