Google's Search Decline Boosts Gemini, Threatening Publishers
In my debut contribution for the @DylanByers brilliant In The Room newsletter, I wrote about Google all but officially killing Search, Gemini seeing a 570% increase in y/y traffic that may have gone to publishers, and some solutions media and AI co’s are trying to implement.
YouTube Reaches 3 Billion Users, 37% of Humanity
Sundar Pichai at I/O says that YouTube is one of five Google products with more than three billion users, or about 37% of the global population.
Joining Dylan Byers' Newsletter to Cover New Media Business
Some exciting news: honored to join @DylanByers as a weekly contributor to his undeniable must-read newsletter, In The Room. It's been so fun yapping weekly with Dylan on his wonderful podcast, The Grill Room, so I'm stoked to dig more...
Wearables Drive Shift From Bars to Active Socializing
Bit of a long tweet (sorry), but: Will Ahmed (Whoop CEO) quote tweeted the same Diplo health video that Derek's referencing, and said something along the lines of "we're seeing this trend of younger people turn to more active leisure...
Know When to Exit: Cool Factor Vanishes Fast
Prominent media investor told me something a while back that stuck with me (paraphrasing): "two types of founders - ones who know when to sell and ones who hold on for too long. If your company trades on cool, better...
Depression Often Appears as Anger, Not Just Sadness
I don’t know how to correctly word this so bear with me, but re: this trending topic regarding The Pitt this season — there’s something so refreshing in seeing the characterization of functional, severe depression through the lens of its...
Calling Layoffs “Efficiency” Earns Swift, Repeated Backlash
New rule: if you use the word “efficiency” to try and sound better/smarter/more caring than saying “layoffs” or “jobs lost,” immediate big kick in the butt. Immediate. And repeated.
Mass Media and Tech Layoffs Threaten Economic Stability
Genuine q as I’m no economist: seems like plenty more media/tech layoffs incoming — Paramount/WBD, big tech w/AI, decline of trad media, etc — so an abundance of well paid people fighting for no jobs in markets that don’t want...
Focus on Churn Retention, Not Just Cost Cuts
the only analysis on this, imo, outside of "efficiency savings" through mass layoffs (🤮🤮🤮🤮) and tech stack consolidation is what percentage of "churn and return" customers from these two cohorts would extend their subscription lifetime with very little CAC increases.
CNN's Streaming App Fails; Merge Back to HBO Max
If CNN can't get a decent sub growth push with the recent strikes in Iran, it should be a sign that a standalone CNN streaming app is a Bad Idea, and should be brought back into HBO Max. Then again,...
Mega‑Corp Era Ends: Companies Must Downsize First
The difficult thing is managing the reality that all these companies need to become much smaller to reflect new reality + sell-offs need to happen before expansion. But self-fulfilling profit wheel that allowed for mega co's isn't coming back to...
Low‑budget Procedural Outsells Big‑budget Dramas, Audience Craves Sad Doctors
Streaming executives watching as a $5M an episode procedural beats out their $10M+ an episode shows. The people* desire good hospital shows about sad doctors. *I am people https://t.co/rmuvyhpc0B