misc/Chris Best on ads

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https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/0ed5f1b7-1c60-46b6-89f9-6810e929f969

https://on.substack.com/p/breaking-off-the-engagement

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_p1IAT86ig

Based on a CEO's appearance on a podcast, this text explores the idea that '''subscription models are a more promising path for the future of podcasting than advertising.''' The CEO argues that '''an ad-supported audio market is limited''', while '''subscriptions could unlock greater potential'''. He also highlights the '''positive aspects of direct relationships''' between content creators and their listeners, emphasizing the '''sense of connection''' and '''creative freedom''' this model fosters.

{| class="wikitable"

|Quiz Questions

|Answer Key

|-

|What was Chris Best's primary motivation for starting Substack, stemming from his background and observations?

|Chris Best was inspired by his love of reading and the idea that great writing can shape individuals and society. He was frustrated with the state of the media industry and the negative incentives on social media.

|-

|How did Substack initially acquire its first customer, and what was the customer's need?

|Substack's first customer was Bill Bishop, a friend of co-founder Hamish. Bishop needed a platform to easily charge for his newsletter about China, as he couldn't figure out how to integrate payments with sending.

|-

|What was the initial resistance Substack faced, and how did Chris Best address it?

|The initial resistance was the argument that people wouldn't pay for online writing. Best addressed this by asking people about their favorite writers and if they would pay a small amount to get their content directly, often receiving a positive response.

|-

|Explain Substack's core philosophy regarding free speech.

|Substack has a strong commitment to free speech, viewing it as a fundamental principle ("table stakes") for creating a positive intellectual climate. They believe airing different perspectives is more valuable than censoring them.

|-

|What are some examples of content that Substack explicitly prohibits according to its terms of service?

|Substack prohibits content such as pornography and advocating for literal violence. They also mention a "doxing" thing, where revealing private information with malicious intent is disallowed.

|-

|How does Substack's recommendation feature differ from the algorithms used by platforms like Twitter and YouTube?

|Substack's recommendation feature is based on recommendations made by the writers the reader already subscribes to, rather than a central algorithm controlled by Substack. This puts the writers and readers in charge of discovery.

|-

|What is the fundamental business model of Substack, and how does it align with writers and readers?

|Substack's business model is based on taking a 10% cut of subscription revenue once a writer starts charging. This aligns their success with the writers' ability to earn money and the readers finding content valuable enough to pay for.

|-

|According to the discussion, how does advertising, particularly programmatic advertising, contribute to negative dynamics on social media platforms?

|The discussion suggests that programmatic advertising incentivizes platforms to maximize user attention at all costs, leading to outrage-oriented content and a negative feedback loop, as the advertiser doesn't necessarily care what the user is watching as long as they see the ad.

|-

|What is "audience capture," and why is it a potential concern for creators on platforms like Substack?

|Audience capture is the phenomenon where creators are subtly influenced by feedback and signals from their audience to produce content that is popular or gets more engagement, potentially compromising their original vision or principles.

|-

|What was highlighted as a key predictor of success for both newsletters and podcasts during the discussion?

|Consistency was highlighted as a key predictor of success. Consistently producing content and paying attention to feedback allows creators to eventually find what resonates with an audience.

|}

For [[nearly]] [[two]] [[decades]], [[social media]] [[giants]] [[have]] [[showered]] [[us]] [[with]] [[content]] [[while]] [[accepting]] [[nothing]] [[in]] [[return]] – [[other]] [[than]] [[our]] [[engagement]]. [[Now]], [[with]] [[the]] [[normalization]] [[of]] [[online]] [[vitriol]], [[the]] [[skyrocketing]] [[rates]] [[of]] [[mental]] [[distress]] [[linked]] [[to]] [[social]] [[media]], [[and]] [[the]] [[surrender]] [[of]] [[intimate]] [[information]] [[to]] [[unaccountable]] [[corporations]], [[it]] [[has]] [[become]] [[obvious]] [[that]] [[we]] [[are]] [[massively]] [[overpaying]] – [[so]] [[obvious]] [[that]] [[even]] [[Big]] [[Social]] [[is]] [[now]] [[branding]] [[its]] [[old]] [[offerings]] [[in]] [[new]] [[flavors]]. [[But]] [[a]] [[minty]] [[fresh]] [[cigarette]] [[is]] [[still]] [[a]] [[cigarette]].

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/0ed5f1b7-1c60-46b6-89f9-6810e929f969
+https://on.substack.com/p/breaking-off-the-engagement
+https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_p1IAT86ig
+Based on a CEO's appearance on a podcast, this text explores the idea that '''subscription models are a more promising path for the future of podcasting than advertising.''' The CEO argues that '''an ad-supported audio market is limited''', while '''subscriptions could unlock greater potential'''. He also highlights the '''positive aspects of direct relationships''' between content creators and their listeners, emphasizing the '''sense of connection''' and '''creative freedom''' this model fosters.
+{| class="wikitable"
+|Quiz Questions
+|Answer Key
+|-
+|What was Chris Best's primary motivation for starting Substack, stemming from his background and observations?
+|Chris Best was inspired by his love of reading and the idea that great writing can shape individuals and society. He was frustrated with the state of the media industry and the negative incentives on social media.
+|-
+|How did Substack initially acquire its first customer, and what was the customer's need?
+|Substack's first customer was Bill Bishop, a friend of co-founder Hamish. Bishop needed a platform to easily charge for his newsletter about China, as he couldn't figure out how to integrate payments with sending.
+|-
+|What was the initial resistance Substack faced, and how did Chris Best address it?
+|The initial resistance was the argument that people wouldn't pay for online writing. Best addressed this by asking people about their favorite writers and if they would pay a small amount to get their content directly, often receiving a positive response.
+|-
+|Explain Substack's core philosophy regarding free speech.
+|Substack has a strong commitment to free speech, viewing it as a fundamental principle ("table stakes") for creating a positive intellectual climate. They believe airing different perspectives is more valuable than censoring them.
+|-
+|What are some examples of content that Substack explicitly prohibits according to its terms of service?
+|Substack prohibits content such as pornography and advocating for literal violence. They also mention a "doxing" thing, where revealing private information with malicious intent is disallowed.
+|-
+|How does Substack's recommendation feature differ from the algorithms used by platforms like Twitter and YouTube?
+|Substack's recommendation feature is based on recommendations made by the writers the reader already subscribes to, rather than a central algorithm controlled by Substack. This puts the writers and readers in charge of discovery.
+|-
+|What is the fundamental business model of Substack, and how does it align with writers and readers?
+|Substack's business model is based on taking a 10% cut of subscription revenue once a writer starts charging. This aligns their success with the writers' ability to earn money and the readers finding content valuable enough to pay for.
+|-
+|According to the discussion, how does advertising, particularly programmatic advertising, contribute to negative dynamics on social media platforms?
+|The discussion suggests that programmatic advertising incentivizes platforms to maximize user attention at all costs, leading to outrage-oriented content and a negative feedback loop, as the advertiser doesn't necessarily care what the user is watching as long as they see the ad.
+|-
+|What is "audience capture," and why is it a potential concern for creators on platforms like Substack?
+|Audience capture is the phenomenon where creators are subtly influenced by feedback and signals from their audience to produce content that is popular or gets more engagement, potentially compromising their original vision or principles.
+|-
+|What was highlighted as a key predictor of success for both newsletters and podcasts during the discussion?
+|Consistency was highlighted as a key predictor of success. Consistently producing content and paying attention to feedback allows creators to eventually find what resonates with an audience.
+|}
 For [[nearly]] [[two]] [[decades]], [[social media]] [[giants]] [[have]] [[showered]] [[us]] [[with]] [[content]] [[while]] [[accepting]] [[nothing]] [[in]] [[return]] – [[other]] [[than]] [[our]] [[engagement]]. [[Now]], [[with]] [[the]] [[normalization]] [[of]] [[online]] [[vitriol]], [[the]] [[skyrocketing]] [[rates]] [[of]] [[mental]] [[distress]] [[linked]] [[to]] [[social]] [[media]], [[and]] [[the]] [[surrender]] [[of]] [[intimate]] [[information]] [[to]] [[unaccountable]] [[corporations]], [[it]] [[has]] [[become]] [[obvious]] [[that]] [[we]] [[are]] [[massively]] [[overpaying]] – [[so]] [[obvious]] [[that]] [[even]] [[Big]] [[Social]] [[is]] [[now]] [[branding]] [[its]] [[old]] [[offerings]] [[in]] [[new]] [[flavors]]. [[But]] [[a]] [[minty]] [[fresh]] [[cigarette]] [[is]] [[still]] [[a]] [[cigarette]].