The Art of Guest Interaction

Chris Black has gone from managing a pop-punk band to becoming a fashion-world insider, podcast host, and brand consultant for labels like J. Crew and Thom Browne. This week, Ben and Max bring on the How Long Gone co-host to talk about building a cult hit podcast, the surprising comeback of media gatekeepers in 2025, and why he still believes in the power of institutions – including a high-production video version of How Long Gone. Also: his thoughts on Substack fatigue — and what it was like to interview the guitarist of the Smiths.

Sign up for Semafor Media’s Sunday newsletter: https://www.semafor.com/newsletters/media 

For more from Think with Google, check out the article called “How well do you know Google Search?” on ThinkwithGoogle.com

Find us on X: @semaforben, @maxwelltani

If you have a tip or a comment, please email us mixedsignals@semafor.com