“The media’s role isn’t just to report the news — it’s to help people understand it”: Scroll.media Editor-in-Chief Illya Kabachynskyi on the first challenges and achievements of a new tech media outlet

Operating for less than six months, Scroll.media has quickly gained its own audience and distinctive style — without a big team or major resources. In its first months, the new tech media team focused on the basics: creating high-quality content that informs and helps readers understand complex topics in plain language.

Editor-in-Chief Illya Kabachynskyi shares how explanatory journalism, exclusives, and a focus on technical expertise helped the outlet gradually earn the trust of readers and partners — more on that in the interview below.

Scroll.media started from scratch — what was the journey to your first loyal audience, and what would you describe as the breakthrough moment?

I think anyone working in media knows: there’s nothing more complicated than launching a project from scratch. It’s like juggling multiple things at once — creating content that ranks on Google, being relevant on a flooded social media, and building a product that’s interesting enough for people to make it a habit to check what your outlet is publishing each day.

So you end up as a one-person band, fighting three storms at the same time.

Quality content was the first thing that truly worked for us. First, we aim to publish at least one exclusive per week — especially on deals and investments — to create the news. Second, we pay close attention to market changes and updates. Third, I’m a big fan of what’s called explanatory journalism — journalism that turns complexity into clarity. If Kyivstar is going public — a piece explaining how it will happen. If Grammarly raised $1 billion — a piece on what this kind of funding means. One of our journalists is a master at making tax policy understandable, and our whole team regularly publishes explainers, which consistently draw in readers.

What formats or topics resonated most with your audience, and how did that shape your editorial strategy?

Explanatory journalism has proven to be the most effective format — getting lots of attention on release day and keeping audience interest long after publication. Another resonating category is stories about companies, brands, or people. For instance, we covered how Ria.com and UNIT.City operate, which brought us significant reach and positive feedback. We also interviewed the founder of Jooble — not about the company’s core business, but about angel investing. And, of course, exclusives: we were the first to report that the Citrus network was looking for a buyer, that Uklon was being sold for $100+ million, and that there were leadership changes at Brave1. These stories build trust and show our expertise, and a fundamental market understanding.

How did you manage to attract new partners — and what was the key factor in those conversations?

Our strongest asset is the team’s expertise. Everyone at Scroll.media — from me to our Partner Lead — has extensive experience in the tech niche. With over 10 years in the industry, we know the market, the players, and the companies.

Another strength is our focus. We intentionally narrow the scope of topics we cover and avoid areas we don’t deeply understand. That also helps us build partner trust — they see that we write with depth, clarity, and for a specific audience — precisely what partners are looking for.

What role do exclusive stories play in the growth of Scroll.media? How do you find them, and how do they differ from mainstream news?

Exclusives are important for any media outlet because they serve multiple purposes: they demonstrate expertise and deep immersion in the topic; show access to key speakers and the market overall; and reflect the trust placed in us as a team capable of presenting the story in a compelling and comprehensive way. It’s not enough to rewrite news — the media must also create it. That’s why exclusives are in high demand, and everyone wants to build unique content.

For a young media outlet like ours, exclusives are even more valuable — they bring attention to a new brand, and their regularity helps build the habit of checking our site. That’s why finding them is a constant priority for us.

What do you currently see as the main indicators of growth and success for Scroll.media?

The two simplest metrics — audience and revenue. Our goal is to see monthly traffic consistently exceed the previous month and to know that we’re financially self-sustaining, as we are now. But that’s the surface level — if you chase only traffic, you end up with content like “25 Tips from Steve Jobs to Be More Productive,” and that’s not the road we want to take, even if the numbers look good.

So, another key metric for us is content quality — stories people follow and value (especially explanatory journalism), exclusives, and strong narratives. For example, we did a piece on the tech team at AUTO.Ria, and received tons of great feedback because it showed a side of the company most people never see. The goal is to produce this type of content on a regular, ongoing basis.

By the way, if you’re a freelancer with great stories or know how to tell them, reach out. Let’s connect and collaborate on something impactful.

What opportunities do you see for scaling Scroll.media — regarding content, new formats, or areas?

Beyond stories, we want to be a platform where people and companies can share their experiences. That often takes the form of guest columns, where subject-matter experts provide practical insights. Every person is a valuable source of niche expertise — and we want Scroll.media to be the first place you think of when it’s time to share it. Have a column or insight to contribute? Send it to [email protected] — we’re happy to feature useful, relevant pieces.

Another format we’ll keep prioritizing is explanatory journalism. I truly believe the media shouldn’t just be about the news but also about explaining the news, so there will be even more of that.

We also want to publish more content with an educational focus. Despite the sense that “everyone knows everything,” this space is still incredibly promising and needs constant attention. That won’t change. At Headway Inc., they say EdTech is a $10 trillion market. For us, it’s not about money (we don’t create learning programs yet), but it signals just how needed these topics are.

What matters most to you right now in working on the publication?

Honestly, no matter when you ask me this, the answer would be the same — great stories. We want to find all of them and tell each one.

There’s so much happening inside every company and around every expert — more than you’d expect. Someone might be using a clever tool to solve a niche problem — and that solution could help others. Or maybe a company has built an AI agent that saves $10,000 a year — we want to hear about that. Maybe in Chernihiv, a team of eight people is making $10 million in ARR from a SaaS product — and nobody knows. Or in a small town near Dnipro, 50 people are building a product, selling it on Etsy, and making $100 million — and they know more than anyone how it’s done.

My goal — and true passion — is to find these stories and share them with the world.