Summary of A16z Podcast Episode: Creators Creating: Robert Cottrell and Chris Best on a16z Podcast
Podcast: A16z
6 min. read
— Description —
Discover the power of online writing and networking as the world shifts towards connecting with like-minded individuals Learn how to find good online content that stands the test of time and gain valuable insights without attending conferences or networking events Start publishing your work and let the network come to you.
Creators Creating: Robert Cottrell and Chris Best on a16z Podcast
Table of contents
Key Takeaways
Intro
Books Mentioned
The State of Publishing
Less Noise, More Signal
Translation Tech Will Allow Global Publications to Gain More Readers
We’re Living in an Audio-Driven World
Monetizing an Online Audience
Create Your Online Community
On Creating The Browser
How to Find Good Online Content
Additional Notes
Key Takeaways
-
“Publishing advances one bankruptcy at a time” – Robert Cottrell
- We’ve been financing good writing with bad advertising for far too long—it’s just not doable
- The best predictor of a piece of writing’s quality is the writer
-
The world has shifted from the mindset of, “Never meet people from the internet,” to, “Only meet people from the internet“
- Now that there are billions of people online, it’s easier than ever to connect with those who share your same interests
- Instead of spending the time and money attending conferences and networking events, share your valuable insights by writing online. This way, the network comes to you.
-
How to find good online content:
- Rule #1: “If it doesn’t start well, the chances are vanishingly small that it will improve later” – Robert Cottrell
- Rule #2: Ask yourself, “Is this still going to be a good piece to read in 6, 12, 24 months time?”
- (The answer should be “yes”)
- Rule 3: New isn’t always better; read more of what’s stood the test of time
Intro
-
Robert Cottrell (@robertcottrell) is the founder of The Browser, a daily email newsletter that recommends and summarizes five articles
- For more Robert, check out the Podcast Notes from his appearance on David Perell’s North Star Podcast
- Chris Best (@cjgbest) is the founder and CEO of Substack
- Hosts: Andrew Chen (@andrewchen) and Sonal Chokshi (@smc90)
Books Mentioned
- The Inevitable by Kevin Kelly explores the idea that, in the future, audiences will be able to sell their attention to advertising companies
The State of Publishing
-
“Publishing advances one bankruptcy at a time” – Robert Cottrell
- We’ve been financing good writing with bad advertising for far too long—it’s just not doable
- Publications have become “attention monsters”
- Robert, who looks at ~1,000 pieces of writing a day, has discovered that the best predictor for the quality of a writing piece is the writer
-
Technology is shifting market power away from publications and towards writers
- Some individual writers have been able to build personal brands, such as Ben Thompson of Stratechery
-
If you’re going to build an intimate relationship with readers, an email newsletter, an RSS feed, and a social media presence are all essential tools
- “I think RSS is the most undervalued thing in the entire universe” – Robert Cottrell
-
Any decent traditional publication writer can easily make their way to 10k followers on Twitter
- And, if they stay consistent, they can reach 100k followers fairly quickly
Less Noise, More Signal
-
The web has become quite noisy—there’s a ton of content, but not much value
- Services such as The Browser help people find more signal
- When viewing a publication, it’s important to examine their business model (be careful of websites that make money by keeping you addicted to their site)
Translation Tech Will Allow Global Publications to Gain More Readers
-
Robert believes the best news magazine in the world, right now, is the German publisher, Spiegel
- Global publications will gain more readers as translation technology advances. Eventually, translation technology will reach a point where people will be able to read an article and not tell which language it was originally written in.
We’re Living in an Audio-Driven World
- Robert enjoys listening to books/articles just as much as reading them
- AirPods are dramatically evolving the audio world—just as people are constantly on their phones, everyone will soon walk around with AirPods all day long
Monetizing an Online Audience
-
When you have a strong relationship with an audience that loves your work, you’re able to explore your current focus on a deeper level or more easily tackle new subjects areas
- Think: If you love a writer’s current work, you’d probably enjoy them covering a new subject
-
Changes in the content distribution model have been favorable for creators
- A top journalist at a publication creates more value than she can capture, but that changes if he/she has their own audience communication channel (through a website, newsletter, etc.)
- There are multiple ways to monetize an online audience: subscription plans, conferences, consulting sessions, selling premium content, etc.
Create Your Online Community
- Every online community needs a benevolent dictator—someone who sets the tone and culture (this is often the website’s creator)
-
The world has shifted from the mindset of, “Never meet people from the internet,” to, “Only meet people from the internet“
- Now that there are billions of people online, it’s much easier to connect with individuals who share your same interests
- In effect, it’s as if “You’re putting out the bat signal for the people who are the same type of weird as you” – Chris Best
- Now that there are billions of people online, it’s much easier to connect with individuals who share your same interests
-
“Starting a blog was the single most important decision that I made in my twenties. It’s the thing that unlocked a lot of other opportunities.” – Andrew Chen
- Advice: Instead of spending the time and money attending conferences and networking events, share your valuable insights by writing online. This way, the network comes to you.
-
Ideally, you want to have control over your audience communication platform (so start an email newsletter!)
- Here’s why: if your entire audience is on Twitter and Twitter gets shut down, you’re in big trouble
On Creating The Browser
-
Robert used to run the editorial side of The Economist
- Finding it difficult to start something new in a large company, Robert decided to venture out on his own with the goal of creating an Economist-type publication that was daily instead of weekly
-
When the U.S. economy crashed in 2008, Robert asked himself, “What can I do with no money sitting in my pajamas?”
- The answer to that? He could read. This insight led Robert to create The Browser, a daily email newsletter that recommends and summarizes five high-value articles.
How to Find Good Online Content
- Rule #1: “If it doesn’t start well, the chances are vanishingly small that it will improve later” – Robert Cottrell
-
Rule #2: Ask yourself, “Is this still going to be a good piece to read in 6, 12, 24 months time?”
- (The answer should be “yes”)
- Rule 3: New isn’t always better; read more of what’s stood the test of time
Additional Notes
- The best writers are honest and have experienced what they’re writing about
-
It’s possible that, in the future, there’ll be a one-person media company worth $1 billion+
- It could be a video game streamer, a podcaster, or even a newsletter writer