This roadmap outlines our scale strategy and key milestones for funders, partners, and collaborators.
Stage 1 (2025): Scaling Momentum & Proving the Model
The Rambler has demonstrated proof of concept. Now, we focus on scaling content, growing audiences, building team capacity, and validating our hybrid model with diversified events and revenue streams.
Key Objectives:
- Team & Capacity
- Secure consistent funding for core team
- Expand with editors, event producers, and marketing support (part- and full-time roles)
- Content & Brand Growth
- Release 1 new City Series (10+ episodes each)
- Revisit past cities with 2–3 additional episodes + events
- Community Engagement
- Host Events in two cities (300+ New City and 1000+ attendees in Legacy City)
- Pilot smaller public programs (diversify events)
- Digital Audience & Reach
- Grow to 50,000 cumulative social media followers
- Revenue & Partnerships
- Establish key investors/funders relationships
- Secure sponsorships for episodes and events
- Begin white-label agency work with 2–3 creative projects
- Increase brand alignment in event and episode partnerships
Stage 2 (Years 3): Expanding Ecosystems & National Presence
With foundational traction, The Rambler will scale storytelling operations, deepen local infrastructure in each city, and formalize systems for long-term engagement and monetization.
Key Objectives:
- Team Structure
- Establish full teams across content, post-production, events, and marketing
- Partner with major influencers and brands to co-create content and public experiences
- Program & Content Expansion
- Release 2-3 new City Series annually
- Revisit past cities with 6+ additional episodes
- Introduce immersive fan experiences (e.g. artist meetups, subscriber perks, Q&As)
- Infrastructure Development
- Launch temporary third spaces in cities (we are activating within) for work and community engagement (lectures, art programs, open mics, etc).
- Build a digital marketplace for local artists we are collaborating with to sell exclusive art and merch
- Create an internal database of footage for collaborators to remix and reuse (increased democratization of our content)
- Digital Reach
- Reach 250,000+ followers across all platforms
- Revenue Scaling
- Secure medium-sized brand sponsors
- Expand marketplace, merch, and experiential revenue streams
- Launch branded and collaborative merchandise
Stage 3 (Years 5): National Platform & Cultural Institution
The Rambler becomes a national storytelling and cultural media brand—anchored in community and sustained through diversified revenue, infrastructure, and institutional credibility.
Key Objectives:
- Institutional Teaming
- Fully built departments with permanent teams in key areas
- Establish physical Rambler hubs in select cities (event space, studio, gallery, podcast booths)
- National Events & Engagement
- Host 1–3 flagship storytelling festivals annually (3,000–7,000 attendees)
- Launch immersive digital portals to connect online audiences with city activations and creator-exclusive releases
- Content & Community Continuity
- Maintain 2–3 City Series launches annually
- Formalize production teams in "legacy cities" for consistent output and events
- National Reach
- Reach 1M+ social media followers
- Revenue Maturity
- Secure large-scale brand partnerships for content and events, explore streaming deals for past and future series, as well as large government tourist board deals.
- Community Investment & Impact
- Sponsor artist grant programs and education initiatives
- Build city-specific cultural funds for long-term creative infrastructure
