Buzzfeed’s downfall: is their business model to blame?
Buzzfeed is now worth $144M. Buzzfeed has Complex Networks, a Pulitizer-winning newsroom, and a household brand name. And they’re worth ⅓ of what Industry Dive sold for last summer. Morning Brew is probably worth at least $200M at this point. So what’s with the downfall? Please see the Perpetual issue from 12/7/2021 (yes, roughly a year ago…
Read MoreAI’s impact on the media industry: lowering the cost of production
AI this. AI that. It’s the future. It’s everything! Meh. AI is amazing and will change so much of the world. But too many folks are over-hyping the real aspect of AI: lowering the cost of production. If we look at the evolution of technology and how it impacts media, there is one consistent factor:…
Read MoreBob Iger’s return to Disney: what will his next moves be?
Bob Iger recently made waves when he announced he would return to Disney as CEO. His welcome back was like Jordan coming out of retirement. He looked refreshed, the excitement only increased, and the confidence to win never faded. What was Iger’s flagship takeaway during his last reign at the House of Mouse? Own the best…
Read MoreAnother damn data article…but without the bullshit
“Data Is the New Oil of the Digital Economy” – Wired, 2007 “The world’s most valuable resource is no longer oil, but data” – The Economist, 2017 “Data Is The New Oil — And That’s A Good Thing” – Forbes, 2019 Almost every year, there seems to be another article about how data is the…
Read MoreThe Ponzi Platform
Recently there’s been a ton of talk about newsletter growth on platforms like Substack and beehiiv. There have been articles like “Substack figures it out” and coverage around their investment in growth. And there’s a real reason to believe that Substack has figured it out. When I recently read Packy McCormick’s newsletter, I noticed he…
Read MoreIs the Creator Economy cratering?
Maven, the ed-tech startup that raised $25M from Andreessen Horowitz, announced a significant business pivot this week. They’re moving their platform more towards industry experts and less away from influencers. “We had the hypothesis that a creator with a big audience will have a great course and be able to fill it, and we were…
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