The Operator's Edge for Modern Media Companies.

Decades inside B2B media, connecting the people, systems, and data that make publishers and marketers run. We build the custom tools—automations, integrations, AI where it earns its keep—that turn chaos into clarity.

Check Out Some of Our Work

How We Work

Off-the-shelf tools never quite fit a real business. The competitive edge lives in custom systems built around how your company actually runs—automations, integrations, AI where it earns its keep. No ongoing "executive" retainers, no vaporware—just project-based engagements with full accountability and measurable outcomes.

1

Seeing Systems Through Chaos

A detailed, fixed-price assessment of your business covering 42 areas—from audience management to digital products to editorial processes. We deliver a prioritized effort/impact matrix showing exactly where to invest first for the biggest gains.

2

Building Lasting Solutions

Guided by the effort/impact matrix, we embed with your team and build—one custom solution at a time. Each one is tailored to your business, owned by your team, and designed to run without us.

3

Leaving the Dock

When the work is done, you won't need us anymore. Your custom systems run on their own, generating revenue without oversight. Should you ever need a tune-up, we're always here.

Learn More About Our Process

Selected Work

Real projects. Measurable outcomes. Systems that keep working long after we're done.

01

Automating Affiliate Linking

AI-powered pipeline replacing manual affiliate link curation across dozens of editorial sites with automated entity extraction, product matching, and dynamic widget delivery.

Read Case Study → 02

Deep Content Metadata Extraction

AI-driven metadata enrichment across a multi-brand portfolio, powering CDP personalization, audience discovery, and a vector-based related content engine.

Read Case Study → 03

AI-Generated Content for Market Testing

Automated content system that lets publishers test new markets with credible, editor-approved content—without the traditional editorial investment.

Read Case Study → 04

Personalized Subscription Offers

Vector similarity search matching anonymous visitors' reading behavior to tailored subscription offers, lifting email conversion by over 20%.

Read Case Study → 05

Omeda Platform Migration

Full-scale migration of email, CDP, and subscription systems to Omeda's unified platform—on time, on budget, with zero operational disruption.

Read Case Study → 06

Centralized UTM Tracking System

Proprietary, permission-based system standardizing UTM tracking codes across global teams, synced to BigQuery for reliable attribution reporting.

Read Case Study → 07

Sponsored Webinar ROI Dashboard

End-to-end measurement connecting webinar attendance to product adoption, with interactive Looker Studio dashboards showing sponsor ROI in plain dollars.

Read Case Study →

About Paperbak Labs

I've spent three decades inside B2B media—as an operator, exec, and builder. I help media teams connect the people, platforms, and data they already have, and install custom systems where the gaps are. Automations, integrations, AI where it fits—designed for your business, not the same SaaS every competitor is running.

The engagement is finite; the clarity and efficiency it installs are durable. That custom outcome is the product.

Joel Hughes

More about Joel Hughes

Most know me professionally as an experienced B2B media tech exec & entrepreneur.

A self-described builder, I apply business analysis, software, and AI tools to support publishers and marketers.

Companies I've worked for or with include:

Scranton Gillette Communications, Farm Journal, SGC Horizon, CFE Media Group, Endeavor Media, Omeda, Credspark, EnsembleIQ, Lebhar-Friedman, Edgell Communications, Northstar Travel Group, Arkaea Media, Watt Global Media, Allured Media, Equine Network, Active Interest Media, Vance Publishing, Cloudbakers, Reilly Communications, Rogers Media

I am a Folio: Top 100 recipient and recognized authority on audience, data, and digital strategy.