The Washington Post has had a momentous year with new products and partnerships, key staffing changes, and overtaking The New York Times in terms of traffic twice this fall*.

*According to comScore, which represents only one measure of traffic. It doesn’t factor in print subscriptions, readership on apps, or worldwide traffic, says DigiDay.

But are they making money? In an interview prior to his departure after nearly three decades at The Washington Post, president and general manager Stephen Hills told Ad Age they weren’t solely focused on making money when first introduced to a customer. Instead, they have more of a “try before you buy” philosophy, allowing readers to try mobile products before committing to the $9.99 a month subscription cost for unlimited access to the Post’s collection of digital products.

“When people test us, they like us,” Hills said.

This philosophy carries over to other ideas the Post has tried this year, including free giveaways, discounts on mobile and digital products, and special deals for Amazon Prime members. For example, Amazon Prime members get a six-month free trial to the Post. After the trial is over, Prime members can subscribe at a discounted monthly rate of $3.99 a month.

Similar deals are available on Amazon Fire devices which come with the Post app pre-loaded. Again, access is free for six months. After that, users can buy another six months for $1. These deals aren’t going to making the Post money, but they will introduce readers to the product in the hopes that they’ll like what they see and pay to keep reading long-term.

Hills explained the Post’s reasoning: “Our goal is to gain a large number of paying subscribers. Our goal is not to maximize the dollars we receive from paying subscribers.”

In July, we reported that the Post was testing a new app on iOS devices, specifically to attract new national and international readers with a new design, better navigation and bold visuals. iOS users received one free month of digital access before being asked to subscribe. The Post has not released subscription numbers, so we don’t know how successful this particular app has been.

We do know, however, that a key driver for this app – Cory Haik, executive producer for emerging news products at the Post – has left the paper to accept a position as Mic’s chief strategy officer, according to Re/code. We presume the Post will find a suitable replacement, but Haik’s track record and reputation set the bar pretty high for her successor.

Hills’ departure is another big change for the Post. Hill was the first person to suggest that the Graham family sell the Post to help it maximize its potential. Bezos bought the Post for $250 million in 2013.

“If you look at the companies that are succeeding in journalism, they are primarily technology companies,” Hills said. “When Jeff Bezos owns you, you are a technology company. And we’re The Washington Post – we’re a journalism company. This puts us in a position strategically to do something that no one else can do.”

In the September announcement of Hills’ departure, a number of positions were reorganized and duties reassigned. Among the changes is CFO Steve Gibson taking on some of Hills’ operational duties.

Hills’ position of president and general manager will not be filled.

Insider Take:

With Bezos’ financial backing and technology expertise, it looks like the Post is poised for a successful 2016. Since the newspaper’s purchase in 2013, Bezos has been making big changes, trying new things, testing different products and partnerships, and maximizing what he feels the Post’s strengths are. We expect that to continue into the New Year, though the staffing changes are hurdles to be overcome.

We also anticipate that the Post will have had time to evaluate its newest products to see what works and what doesn’t, and we imagine the underlying rivalry with The New York Times will spur Bezos and the Post team to put their best foot forward.