Sunday Music: Alvvays’ “Very Online Guy”

Today in Canadian indie-pop I can’t get out of my head - Alvvays’ song, “Very Online Guy.”  Somewhere in between the out-of-time synths and shoe-gazingly fuzzed-out guitars, there’s a commentary on life and relationships in the 2020s.  The meta-awareness of what we project, of who we are in private, and how any of us are … Continue reading Sunday Music: Alvvays’ “Very Online Guy”

Forging Better Connections AND Why Hell Is Still Other People (Snapchat Edition)

Jean-Paul Sartre famously said, “Hell is other people.” Sean Paul would later add, “Well I don't really care what people say / I don't really watch what dem waan do / Still I got to stick to my girls like glue.” And such is life. Hell is other people. But we have to stick together, … Continue reading Forging Better Connections AND Why Hell Is Still Other People (Snapchat Edition)

The Harvard Meme Scandal

“Don’t email anything you wouldn’t want printed on the front page of the Wall Street Journal.” That’s the advice the compliance people were telling us in the early 2000s. When 20-somethings still read or were at least aware of newspapers.  But then, the internet was changing everything beneath our feet. The same warning wouldn’t matter … Continue reading The Harvard Meme Scandal

Podcast Of The Week: Musk, Twitter, And Strategy (And Stratechery)

What happens if the world’s richest man becomes in charge of the most important information platform? The “Elon Musk wants to buy Twitter” story may be stale by the time I click send on this email, but this conversation between Derek Thompson and Ben Thompson will still be significant.  Derek has previously called Twitter “a … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: Musk, Twitter, And Strategy (And Stratechery)

Social Media Is Unsafe Because The People Who Made It Never Felt Unsafe In Those Ways

Kara Swisher says the reason social media is unsafe is because the people who made and designed it, never felt unsafe in those ways.  If you never were an X, how were you supposed to know Y was a thing?  How we approach solving for this matters.  None of us know much beyond what we … Continue reading Social Media Is Unsafe Because The People Who Made It Never Felt Unsafe In Those Ways

40(ish) And The Digital Donut Hole

Josh Spector had this insight specifically about near 40-somethings (maybe 5-10 years in either direction around that age too): 40-year-olds look up (in age) to people who succeeded in a pre-social media world, and down to people who succeeded in a post-social media everywhere/everything world. Worst of all, they don’t feel comfortable in either world. … Continue reading 40(ish) And The Digital Donut Hole

Podcast Of The Week: Patreon CEO Jack Conte On The Creator Economy, Artist Burnout, And Social Media Platform Competition

I rarely repeat myself like this, but I’ve got to do it. If you are getting clients, building an audience, or proactively trying to drive profits in any way via the internet, you need to listen to Josh Constine’s interview with Patreon CEO Jack Conte. This conversation will help you understand how we got here … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: Patreon CEO Jack Conte On The Creator Economy, Artist Burnout, And Social Media Platform Competition

Going From Social Media To Social Media Driven Business

The modern creator's dilemma: social media is a great way to find and connect with customers, patrons, and fans. But (and it’s a BIG but), all the platforms kind of suck for monetizing your work. Everything is supposed to be… free. That’s not exactly synonymous with profitable. Plus, when we say ALL the platforms, we’re … Continue reading Going From Social Media To Social Media Driven Business