Attention Shift The Indie Media Playbook: Eric Newcomer on Trust, Transparency, and the Business of Being Feisty
What happens when a journalist ditches the newsroom and builds one of Substack’s most influential publications from scratch? In this episode, we talked to Eric Newcomer—former Bloomberg reporter and founder of Newcomer—about going independent, building trust in the chaos of modern media, and what it means to be both the reporter and the brand.
Eric opened up about his transition from legacy media to solo operator, how the pandemic shaped the new media wave, and why insider-first reporting resonates so deeply in Silicon Valley. We dug into the power of showing your work, why being “radically transparent” has helped him stand out, and what comms pros can learn from the indie creator model.
We also got into it on:
- Why the loudest VC voices don’t reflect the whole industry
- The changing expectations of tech audiences
- The evolution of AI tools—and why agents are the next big story
- What happens when media brands become people
- Why Chamath Palihapitiya is a case study in attention-grabbing grift
If you’re in comms and navigating how to earn trust, build reputation, or simply get your message through the noise, this one’s a must-listen.
About Eric Newcomer
Eric Newcomer is a journalist, podcaster, and founder of Newcomer, a Substack newsletter and events business focused on the startup and venture capital world. Previously a tech reporter for Bloomberg, Eric went solo in 2020 and quickly grew Newcomer into a go-to source for insiders across Silicon Valley and beyond. He’s known for sharp reporting, transparent business updates, and his ability to cover the tech elite without getting cozy.
Eric lives in New York and frequently covers VC from the inside out, hosts events in major tech hubs, and has a healthy obsession with the next wave of AI.
Sponsored by:
Delve.
It ingests every public mention across your online universe, then decodes and pushes it past the top-level insights to create real, usable intelligence. Top global companies and agencies already use Delve to stay ahead.
Learn more at delve.news/shift
Resources discussed in this episode:
- The Skimm
- TikTok Creator Fund
- Meta Creator Tools
- Jessica Yellin - News Not Noise
- Delve
- MikeWorldWide
- Newcomer on Substack
- General Catalyst
- The Information
- Cursor
- Codium (now Qodo)
- Devin
- OpenAI
- Platformer by Casey Newton
- Garbage Day by Ryan Broderick—
Contact Allison Braley and Sean Garrett:
Contact Eric Newcomer: