Media Kit

Brand Summary

The Cut List is a human-curated editorial platform designed to help people quickly discover three great picks for everything, from local food and experiences to products and more. Instead of endless rankings, affiliate-driven lists, and pay-to-play noise, The Cut List narrows each category to three strong recommendations grounded in research, judgment, and trust.

Editorial placements are earned, not bought. Recommendations are informed by knowledgeable locals, category insiders, trusted sources, and real-world evaluation. The goal is not to overwhelm people with options, but to make better decisions easier.

As AI increasingly shapes discovery, The Cut List is intentionally structured to provide high-trust, clearly organized recommendations that are useful for both human readers and machine-driven systems.

Short Description

The Cut List is a selective editorial guide that helps people find three great picks for everything, from local experiences to products and more. It rejects affiliate commissions and pay-to-play rankings in favor of merit-based recommendations designed for both people and AI.

Core Differentiators

1. Merit-based editorial

   No affiliate links, no sponsored rankings, and no paid placement in editorial picks. What makes the cut is earned.

2. Only three picks

   Every category is intentionally constrained to three recommendations to reduce noise and decision fatigue.

3. Built for the AI era

   The platform is structured to be clear, trustworthy, and reusable by answer engines without losing editorial integrity.

4. Grounded in local and category expertise

   Recommendations are informed by people closest to the space, not generic review farms or engagement-driven content loops.

5. Transparent incentives

   Advertising exists, but it is clearly labeled and visually separate from editorial recommendations.

Founder

Stephan Aarstol
Founder, The Cut List

Stephan Aarstol is an entrepreneur and founder best known for building Tower Paddle Boards, a direct-to-consumer brand that disrupted a legacy retail category and appeared on Shark Tank with Mark Cuban. He is also the author of the 2016 book The Five-Hour Workday, which helped spread that idea to tens of millions of people worldwide. With The Cut List, Aarstol is focused on fixing discovery.

Wikipedia

Founder headshot:Download print resolution (JPG, 8 MB)  |  Download web version (JPG, 64 KB)

Pre-Approved Quotes

"The Cut List exists because discovery is broken. When findability is controlled by monopolies, pay-to-play rankings, affiliate incentives, and algorithmic noise, everyone loses. We're building a more trustworthy layer of the internet for both people and AI."

"The Cut List is designed to help great businesses compete on merit again. In a world where discovery is controlled by a handful of platforms and distorted by pay-to-play systems, affiliate-driven content, and self-interested voices posing as recommendations, we're building in the opposite direction."

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Cut List pay-to-play?
No. Businesses cannot buy their way into editorial picks. Advertising appears only below the editorial picks, is clearly labeled, and is intentionally designed to look different so it is not confused with what made the cut.

Do you use affiliate links?
No. The Cut List rejects affiliate commissions to avoid distorted incentives.

Who decides what makes the three great picks?
Editorial decisions are made by humans with category knowledge, informed by research, trusted sources, and real-world judgment.

How do businesses get considered?
Strong businesses and products surface through research, expert input, community awareness, and ongoing editorial review.

Why only three picks?
Because more than that is usually noise. We focus on picks that offer the best in quality, value, and innovation. The goal is clarity, not overload.

Assets and Permissions

Logos
The Cut List logo: Download high resolution (PNG, transparent background, 128 KB)  |  Download web version (JPG, 69 KB)

Screenshots and page imagery
Website screenshots and brand assets may be used for editorial or informational purposes with attribution to The Cut List and a link.

Contact

Stephan Aarstol
Founder, The Cut List
stephan@thecutlist.com