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, discusses user-generated content, content moderation, and the challenges of balancing ads and user experience. They explore the role of unofficial communities within fandoms and the 'Harry Potter Problem'. The podcast also covers big clients using FanDNA for insights, challenges of display ads and mobile browsing, the impact of AI on the web and search, and the future plans for Fandom.

01:10:13

Episode guests

Perkins Miller

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Highlights

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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

Introduction

3min

The Evolution of Fandom: From Profit-Driven Sister Site to Passionate Fan Communities

17min

The Role of Unofficial Communities in Fandoms

4min

Distinguishing Fan-Driven Platforms and the 'Harry Potter Problem'

3min

Content Moderation in Fandom Communities

7min

Big clients, advertising market, and differentiation through FanDNA

3min

Display Ads, User Experience, and Mobile Browsing

7min

Design Platform and Commerce Platform Sponsorship

2min

The Impact of AI on the Web and Search

18min

10.

Building Community-Centric Platforms

4min

11.

The Future of Fandom and Plans for Better User Experience

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: