VICE: Suroosh Alvi

In this episode of 'How I Built This', Soroush Alvi shares the story of how he co-founded Vice Media. Starting with a small alternative magazine in Montreal, Alvi faced numerous challenges, including personal struggles with addiction and the struggles of running a fledgling publication in a competitive market. Vice originally struggled to find its footing but eventually flourished by focusing on raw, unfiltered stories that appealed to a youth audience, capturing the essence of counterculture.

After securing an investment, Vice expanded into multiple media channels, but faced significant setbacks during the dot-com bubble burst. Alvi and his team had to make hard decisions, including moving to Brooklyn and restructuring after losing control of the brand due to financial difficulties. Through resilience and a commitment to authenticity, Vice ultimately rebounded from near collapse and grew to become a major player in media, now worth over $4 billion. Alvi reflects on the lessons learned throughout the journey and the importance of sticking to principles of real content creation.