People vs Algorithms AI Is Not Your Friend
48 snips
Aug 15, 2025 The hosts discuss the challenges of legacy media adapting to tech giants, with a focus on the importance of direct subscriptions. They dive into the disappointment surrounding the underwhelming GPT-5 release and the emotional connection users have with AI chatbots. The cultural significance of Italy's aperitivo tradition is explored, highlighting how social gatherings can counteract technology-induced isolation. The conversation also touches on the potential of media cooperatives to empower independent creators in the changing landscape of publishing.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Expense Fraud At A Growing Media Brand
- Food52's content head inflated expense reports and flaunted luxury while the company grew fast on venture money.
- Troy Young and Brian Morrissey call it unsophisticated fraud enabled by weak financial controls.
Publishers Lose Margin When They Become Agencies
- Publishers shifting to in-house brand studios trade high-margin ad revenue for low-margin content-production work.
- That transition requires agency-style pricing, hourly tracking, and utilization disciplines many publishers lack.
Fake Newsletter Metrics Get Exposed
- Newsette's founder allegedly inflated newsletter subscriber numbers, exposing how hard newsletter metrics are to verify.
- Brian Morrissey and Troy Young note the ease of buying or gaming email lists and the limits of self-reported claims.
