Decoder with Nilay Patel

Fandom runs some of the biggest communities on the web. Can CEO Perkins Miller keep them happy?

Aug 22, 2023

Perkins Miller, CEO of Fandom, dives into the world of fan communities, discussing how they balance ad revenues with user experience. He highlights the evolving dynamics of user-generated content and the unique challenges of content moderation and community engagement. Miller also addresses AI's impact on online platforms and the importance of authentic user experiences. With insights on industry trends and Fandom's future initiatives, he reveals exciting plans for enhancing user interactions and content personalization in a rapidly changing media landscape.

01:10:13

Episode guests

Perkins Miller

AI Summary

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Fandom prioritizes community and fan engagement in celebrating imagined worlds and fostering inclusive discussions.

Fandom recognizes the enduring value of vertical communities and authentic engagement amid the rise of AI-driven search.

Fandom generates revenue through game sales and advertising, focusing on balancing user engagement with economic sustainability and improving ad effectiveness.

Deep dives

What is Fandom and its History

Fandom started as a company called Wikia and was created as a profit-driven sister company to Wikipedia. It evolved into a platform that celebrates imagined worlds across gaming, movies, and TV, with dedicated communities contributing to over 200,000 blogs or wikis. Fandom has grown by acquiring businesses like Fanatical, Metacritic, TV Guide, and GameSpot, which provide tools for people to navigate and enjoy various forms of entertainment. Fandom focuses on fan identity and providing a space for passionate individuals to explore and discuss their favorite IPs.

Making Data-Driven Decisions with Context and Market Insights

01:30

Reddit and Squint's Perspective on Making Money and Community Focus

01:00

The Impact of Gen AI on Search and Discovery

01:15

Intro

4min

The Evolution of Fandom: From Communities to Global Hub

3min

Exploring the Dynamics of Fandom as a User-Generated Content Platform

3min

Navigating Fandom and Business Dynamics

15min

Navigating Fan Relationships and Business Solutions

3min

Navigating Community Dynamics in Fandoms

7min

Navigating the Advertising Landscape in Entertainment

3min

Navigating Ad Challenges in User Experience

7min

Empowering Businesses with Design and Ecommerce Solutions

2min

10.

AI's Impact on Online Communities

17min

11.

Fostering Fandom: Community Engagement Challenges

5min

12.

Exciting Developments Ahead for Fandom

2min

Perkins Miller is the CEO of Fandom, which both hosts thousands of wikis for everything from Disney to Grand Theft Auto and also runs several publications. Millions of people contribute millions of pieces of content to the platform, and Fandom surrounds all that content with ads and uses all that data to generate insights about how fans think about their favorite games, TV shows, and movies.

While you might enjoy the content, a lot of people have complaints — especially about the sheer number of ads. We talked about what it means to host user-generated content in 2023; content moderation; and the general state of media, especially games media, which is pretty rocky right now. I’m also gearing up to host the Code Conference in September (apply to attend here), and I’ve been thinking a lot about AI, search, and the web — all very much big challenges on the horizon for Fandom.

Links:

Layoffs Hit GameSpot, Giant Bomb Just Months After Fandom Buys Them - Kotaku

How Fandom's first-party data, FanDNA, is expanding to improve recommendations for advertisers and audiences - Digiday

The AI feedback loop: Researchers warn of 'model collapse' as AI trains on AI-generated content - VentureBeat

How Reddit crushed the biggest protest in its history - The Verge

‘Not for Machines to Harvest’: Data Revolts Break Out Against A.I. - The New York Times

Someone keeps accusing fanfiction authors of writing their fic with AI, and nobody knows why - The Verge

Massive Zelda Wiki Reclaims Independence Six Months Before Tears of the Kingdom - Kotaku

Official Minecraft wiki editors so furious at Fandom's 'degraded' functionality and popups they're overwhelmingly voting to leave the site - PC Gamer

Trials and Tribble-ations (episode) - Memory Alpha

Apply to attend the Code Conference

Transcript: