The Talk Show With John Gruber 434: ‘Knee-Jerk Contrarian’, With Dan Frommer
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Nov 18, 2025 
Dan Frommer, an independent writer and founder of The New Consumer, returns to discuss the indie media landscape and the evolution of consumer products. He delves into the intriguing iPhone Air and its rumored second generation, examining its market positioning and Apple’s recent collaborations. They also explore the role of AI in personal devices, compare the iPhone Pocket to nostalgic iPod Socks, and reflect on the impact of Apple Silicon over the past five years. Expect some insightful takes on indie publishing while keeping an eye on tech trends!
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Independent Newsletter Journey
- Dan Frommer built The New Consumer as a paid newsletter after years at outlets like Quartz and Recode.
- He values independence and uses subscriptions to sustain focused reporting on consumer products and e-commerce.
Use Platforms To Harvest Audience, Not Replace Site
- Mirror content to platforms like Substack to grow discoverability while keeping your owned site for paid subscribers.
- Treat third-party platforms as audience channels rather than your primary publishing home.
Issey Miyake iPhone Pocket Sellout
- Apple sold the Issey Miyake iPhone Pocket in limited stores and it sold out quickly, driving resale premiums.
- Both Dan and John noted the fashion-first, limited nature made it culturally interesting even if impractical.