Every content company is or should be moving to a model that incorporates both subscriptions and ads; creator platforms should help their publishers do the same.
BuzzFeed Shutters News, Startups and the R&D Tax Credit
BuzzFeed finally pulls the plug on news; fortunately I already wrote a mea culpa. Then, a little-known tax change is a big problem for tech startups in particular.
An Interview with Adobe Chief Strategy Officer Scott Belsky
An interview with Adobe Chief Strategy Office and Executive Vice President of Design & Emerging Products Scott Belsky about generative AI, Figma, and how Adobe’s business continues to evolve.
Artifact, Bluesky, and Substack Notes; Social Networking 2.0 and the Twitter Diaspora; First Week Impressions
What is leading to all of the new social networks? Then, reviews of the early days of Artifact comments, Bluesky, and Substack Notes.
Substack Notes, Twitter Blocks Substack, Substack Versus Writers
Substack launched a Twitter competitor, and Twitter responded, in a predictable way. The real losers were writers, who were bound to be de-prioritized by Substack eventually.
An Interview with The Ringer Founder and CEO Bill Simmons
An interview with The Ringer Founder and CEO Bill Simmons about his career, how the Internet has changed media, and the future of podcasts at Spotify.
An Interview with John Kosner About the Past and Future of Sports in an Age of Abundance
An interview with former ESPN executive John Kosner about building ESPN.com, the impact of the Internet on sports, managing Bill Simmons, and sports and the next generation.
An Interview with Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger About Artifact
An interview with Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger about Artifact, their new app that is widely available today. Plus, what they learned from Instagram, revisiting the Facebook acquisition, and the future of social media.
An Interview with The Air Current’s Jon Ostrower about Southwest’s Meltdown and Independent Publishing
An interview with The Air Current’s Jon Ostrower about Southwest’s meltdown, being an independent publisher, why there isn’t supersonic passenger flights, and building a hardware product.
Spotify Earnings, Spotify Exclusives, Spotify vs. Apple
Spotify’s earnings were solid, although I am more skeptical of its podcast exclusive strategy than ever. Plus, Apple continues to act anti-competitively, this time in e-books.