Summary: Gamification and engagement metrics can be useful, but they become dangerous when publishers mistake measurable activity — clicks, comments, time on site — for the deeper goal those metrics are supposed to serve. The real objective isn’t to get people to rack up more interactions; it’s to attract the right audience, serve them well…
Thesis: We’re moving towards a publishing market where AI content monetized by ads is going to dominate. How will publishers survive? Short answer: many won’t. I know that this idea upsets a lot of people for a lot of reasons, but here’s why it’s going to happen. Value. Cheap Sells Publishers argue that their content…
We all know stories about CEOs who swoop in with a pile of ridiculous ideas, stir up the sediment that had just finished settling since the last tumultuous visit, cause lots of anxiety among the people who do the actual work, and then complain that their unworkable strategy isn’t getting done. I have a different…
Two men went to Mass one Sunday. One spent his time internally criticizing the songs, the sermon, and the liturgy. The other allowed the songs, the sermon, and the liturgy to criticize him. The first man wanted to tweet about his experience to show how discerning and wise he was. The second man reflected on…
One of the things I’ve learned as an amateur fiction writer is that there’s a type of character arc in the creative process that most people don’t know about. It’s a strange type of character development. When you start writing a story, you have an idea about your main character. She’s single, about 30. She’s…
Summary: The Salt Lake Tribune has removed its paywall, converted subscriptions to memberships, and is betting that more readers will support local journalism as a public good if everyone can access it for free. The nonprofit newspaper hopes increased readership, donations, memberships, and advertising revenue will offset the loss of subscription income while strengthening its…
With the pope quoting Gandalf in an encyclical about AI, the obvious question is “How is AI like the one ring?” There are some trivial comparisons. It makes the user invisible. It requires a lot of energy to make it. It uses a mysterious technology. Its creators pour some of themselves into it. The bigger…
Summary: LinkedIn’s incentive structure rewards hype, emotional signaling, and trend-following over realism, long-term thinking, and sober analysis. While LinkedIn can be useful for visibility and networking, it becomes dangerous when its exaggerated emotional tone starts subtly reshaping how people perceive reality. We’ve all seen the memes comparing “reality” to how things are expressed on LinkedIn….
Summary: Some simplifications work brilliantly. Others cause widespread misery. There are many ways you can go wrong with simplification. Here’s how to avoid the pitfalls. A map is a great example of simplification because it removes information while sharpening usefulness. It reduces an almost infinite amount of data into what the user needs to accomplish…
Summary: AI-powered document summaries are becoming embedded in workplace tools, but many companies haven’t considered the copyright, confidentiality, and governance risks involved in allowing sensitive content to be processed by AI systems. Organizations need to evaluate how these tools handle data, clarify internal AI policies, and remain vigilant as software vendors quietly introduce new AI…
Summary: AI companies increasingly claim they can build “moral AI” by training systems on human values, but human morality is rooted in value-laden perception of the world and lived emotional experience, not just patterns of language or rules. Because AI lacks the embodied experience that gives moral concepts their meaning, its “morality” will always require…
Summary: AI licensing deals may look like easy money, but they follow a familiar pattern: platforms take content and end up owning the customer relationship. By training systems that answer questions directly, publishers risk accelerating their own replacement unless they prioritize owning the audience and protecting the content that drives their business. It’s Groundhog Day…
Summary: This article is based on a talk I gave at the Niche Media Conference in Orlando. You can read it, or you can skip to the video at the bottom of the page. This is not a happy article. This is not positive, rah-rah stuff. This is reality. And it’s scary. If you’re willing…
Summary: I re-recorded the presentation I gave at the 2026 Niche Media Conference on Registration, Subscription, and Membership. If you’d like to listen and see the slides, go to the bottom of this article. This article is based on that presentation. Most publishers today are wrestling with the same fundamental problem: search traffic is declining,…
To become an expert on membership, registration, and subscription, study these companies that got it right. They offered a clear value for registration, a relationship based on trust for a subscription, or a meaningful identity for membership. New York Times How The New York Times’ Digital Bundle Strategy Is Winning Subscribers A master class in…