👋 A round-up of this week's most remarkable stories at the intersection of #ecosystem #innovation and #platform #organisation.
The Rise of the Internet‘s Creative Middle Class
Perhaps Dixon is right that Web 3.0 will play a role in the future of online creative careers, but it’s also clear that Ball and Enjeti, Hilton Carter, Maria Popova, and any number of successful podcasters didn’t depend on a technological breakthrough of this magnitude to put Kelly’s theory into practice right now. The key to their success seems instead to be the willingness of their audiences to step outside of the algorithmically controlled streams and interact with creators directly, using more varied and independent tools.
😮 A must-read by Cal Newport
When should a creator throw in the towel?
Instead, most of the creator startup costs are associated with time and living expenses. You need time to build up an audience and monetize it. And unless you have access to a trust fund or some other large windfall, then you need to cover your basic living expenses. A few years ago, I calculated my average monthly living expenses at $3,000. This accounted for rent, food, utilities, and health insurance (it’s probably north of that now).
🧑🎨 Nobody said it will be easy, but it will be worth it - by Simon Owens
‘After lockdown, things exploded’ - How TikTok triggered a books revolution
The million dollar question is how long it will last. “It doesn’t seem to be going away,” says Peter. “We now rely on the people it brings in.” Harper Voyager’s publishing director Natasha Barden has wagered a whole new imprint, Magpie Books, on the new energy it has generated. “It’s fantastic when a new social media platform launches and allows brilliant books to find a whole new audience,” she says. “Book recommendations and discoverability have always been key to success. A platform that allows for authentic, reliable recommendations at a swipe is invaluable. And no, BookTok shows no signs of slowing down.”
👀 Wait, #BookTok? When people organise - by Claire Armitstead
🎧 Marc Andreessen on Learning to Love the Humanities
What I’m figuring out over time is the psychology-sociology elements are as important or more important than the business finance elements or the technology elements. Like I said, it’s not something that comes naturally. Those of us like me — a lot of us came up through the engineering background. We were quite literally never trained in human behavior. We never trained in sociology or psychology or any of these things. We back into this through harsh experience over time.
👁️ First human, then tech (?) in Conversations with Tyler
If you like this digest, you might appreciate the sister newsletter at the intersection of #technology, #business, #design, and #culture as well. This week's edition is all about Wallets and Eyeballs!
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