Ernst-Jan Pfauth
Media entrepreneur and journalist Ernst-Jan Pfauth (1986) is the co-founder of De Correspondent, an ad-free journalism platform with 70,000 paying members and a successful book publishing arm. He served as its CEO for nine years until March 2022.
He now runs the media company POM with Alexander Klöpping. Together, they produce well-known podcasts such as Een podcast over media, Jonge Jaren, and Poki, and publish bestsellers like Je gezicht is nu van ons and Het boek waarvan je baas niet wil dat je het leest.
Previously, Ernst-Jan was the first editor-in-chief of The Next Web and the head of digital at NRC Handelsblad. He has written two books about blogging and published the Dankboek in September 2017, a journal for a more contented life. In November 2024, his new book titled Intentioneel Leven will be released.
Ernst-Jan has given presentations at events including South by Southwest (SxSW), The Next Web Conference, Columbia University School of Journalism, The International Journalism Festival, and the World Publishers Forum. He has also guest lectured at Harvard’s journalism institute and New York University. In 2016, Forbes included Ernst-Jan in its list of 30 most interesting Europeans under 30.
Ernst-Jans presentations include:
How to Work More Effectively
In his book Intentioneel Leven, Ernst-Jan encourages making conscious choices and focusing on meaningful activities, steering away from distractions like endless emailing and meetings. By living intentionally, professionals can work more effectively and experience greater fulfillment. Ernst-Jan discusses strategies to avoid procrastination, smartphone addiction, and shallow work, and emphasizes the importance of intrinsic motivation. This lecture, based on insights from psychology, philosophy, numerous interviews with experts like Tim Ferriss, and his own experiences as CEO of De Correspondent, provides insights to make conscious choices, reclaim time, and focus on what truly matters.
How to Build an Online Community Around Your Brand or Organization
Based on his experiences with De Correspondent, POM, and his popular monthly newsletter read by thousands, Ernst-Jan shares how to build an online community with (paying) members. Whether you want to develop a strong newsletter for your organization or engage your audience with the content you create, Ernst-Jan explains the essential principles and tools.