Launching a New Media Venture: Simon Jacoby of Tsüri on How He Would Plan the Budget

If you had CHF 125,000 available today to finance a newly founded media organization for one year: How would you plan the budget?

With CHF 125,000 in start-up capital, the money must primarily go towards building recurring revenue so that you are not bankrupt after 12 months. Based on my allocation for an annual budget, I would set the priorities as follows:

The largest share would go towards personnel (editorial and business development/publishing must be funded at a 1:1 ratio, because without revenue there is no editorial capacity either). I would allocate the rest to IT infrastructure (website, newsletter tool, CRM, payment service provider, approx. CHF 15,000–20,000), marketing & growth for community building (approx. CHF 10,000–15,000), and fixed costs such as accounting and events (approx. CHF 20,000). Since total expenditure will slightly exceed the grant budget, revenue needs to be generated as quickly as possible.

How would you decide what to focus on during the twelve months – and what would you deliberately not do?

What I would focus on:

1. Focus on 2–3 core topics that really matter to the target audience (in Zurich, for example, housing and mobility) – everything else becomes arbitrary.
2. A daily newsletter as a standalone, high-quality format for a direct line to the target audience.
3. Real community encounters and events at eye level (city walks, panel discussions).

What I would deliberately not do:

I would completely refrain from a fancy app or an oversized website. I would also not report “a little bit about everything.” Editorially and commercially, I would say no to anything that does not directly contribute to reach, community engagement or financial stability.

What would you test as early as possible before investing time and money in implementation?

I would start with crowdfunding from day one. This is not just about raising money, but the best test of market viability: through local communities and peers, you can immediately test whether people are willing to pay for the offering (important: sell subscriptions/memberships directly, not just one-time donations!). I would also test very early on whether advertising space in the newsletter and sponsorship concepts for events are accepted by advertising partners.

Your three most important learnings from building Tsüri that you would like to pass on:

1. Editorial and publishing must grow 1:1: The uncomfortable truth is: you cannot do it without money. More revenue means more editorial capacity. Many founders neglect sales – but traffic, membership acquisition and sponsorships are what secure survival.
2. No media without a community: Communicate on an equal footing, be present personally and create real encounters (events, exchange). This creates a loyalty that no platform algorithm can replace.
3. Use direct channels instead of scattered content: A good newsletter is not a link dump, but a product in its own right. It builds a reliable, direct relationship without depending on external apps or social media.

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Last updated: September 4, 2026