Mashable

Founded in 2005 by a 19-year-old Pete Cashmore, Mashable quickly became the darling of the digital media scene, a blog-turned-media empire that knew how to ride the wave of social media’s explosive rise. Cashmore’s knack for packaging tech news with a pop culture twist turned Mashable into a must-read, attracting millions of readers and a $50 million valuation by 2014. But the glitter began to fade as the site struggled to find its footing in the volatile world of online advertising. Layoffs and leadership changes followed, with Ziff Davis ultimately acquiring the site for a fraction of its peak value in 2017—reportedly a mere $50 million, a sharp fall from its earlier ambitions. Mashable’s legacy? A cautionary tale of the digital age, where meteoric rises often lead to equally swift descents, and where staying relevant in the fast-paced media landscape is easier said than done.