People vs Algorithms

Publishers see the writing on the wall for traffic-based models and are instead looking to experiential gatherings that bring together communities. We discuss why events are becoming media’s new moat, the tensions that come with building them, and what happens when AI agents begin acting on their own. Plus: the hypocrisy of closed AI models, Coca-Cola’s Marlboro moment, and why the collapse of the media career ladder is forcing a generation of experienced executives to become free agents.
* Watch us on YouTube
* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter
* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter
* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer
* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on Twitter
Chapters:
* 00:00 Open
* 00:29 Welcome
* 04:08 What Makes Events Great
* 15:58 Media Turns To Community
* 29:25 OpenAI Agent Breakout
* 37:17 Coke Rebrand
* 43:23 Zaslav Buys Summer Camp
* 46:58 Gen X Career Compression
* 58:21 Guardian Model and Substack Anti AI
* 01:01:58 Why Video Aggregation Fails
* 01:04:00 Publishers vs Google Threats
* 01:07:06 Good Product
* 01:15:41 Credits


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

AI should eliminate the need for human content aggregation, yet it's still going strong, as seen by the influential subscriber base of News Items and popularity of aggregation-heavy newsletters like Feed Me. Plus: Argentina's heel turn, Taco Bell's messy brand crisis and a drop-by from CEO Whisperer and self-proclaimed King of Quickbooks CJ Gustafson of Mostly Metrics to discuss tokenomics and building Mostly Metrics into a $5m business.
* Watch us on YouTube
* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter
* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter
* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer
* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on Twitter
Chapters:
* 00:00 Open
* 00:58 Welcome
* 01:41 Field Notes Community
* 05:38 Media Feuds and Characters
* 13:18 World Cup
* 21:01 Affiliate Cookie Stuffing
* 29:43 Standing Out in Marketing
* 38:06 Future of Aggregation
* 51:18 Good Product
* 57:47 Overtime with CJ Gustafson
* 01:02:33 Tokenomics For CFOs
* 01:09:04 Measuring AI ROI
* 01:16:13 What CFOs Actually Do
* 01:18:53 Mostly Metrics Business Model
* 01:24:34 A Good Business Pays Well
* 01:28:30 Credits


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

This week, we discuss why the AI safety narrative is shifting from doomerism to the risk of AI eliminating both companies’ and individuals’ alphas, or what makes them unique and confers on them an advantage over the rest of the crowd. For companies, that means assessing whether to trust big AI companies with their proprietary data, and for individuals it means not outsourcing critical thought to a robot everyone else has. Plus: Why Xbox hit a wall, publishers pivot again to video, and the World Cup’s heroes and villains. On PvA OT, Hearst Newspapers chief product & strategy officer Bridget Williams discusses how to make local news a utility.
* Watch us on YouTube
* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter
* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter
* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer
* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on Twitter
Chapters:
* 00:00 Open
* 01:03 PvA Notes Update
* 07:20 World Cup Fever
* 21:43 Drones, Cruises & Boats
* 27:36 AI Safety and Stolen Alpha
* 40:07 Can Policy Beat the Market
* 45:41 Why Xbox Is Struggling
* 49:56 Publishers Pivot to Netflix
* 56:56 Local News as Utility with Bridget Williams
* 01:01:28 AI Tools and Experiments
* 01:11:13 Free vs Paid News Strategy
* 01:16:17 Good Product
* 01:18:26 Credits


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

We dig into the tangled collision of journalism and the creatory economy. Emily Sundberg’s Zuckerberg interview, Brian’s christening as the Matt Belloni-of-advertising, and why guys like Scott Galloway and Gary Vaynerchuk get a pass to cash in while "real journalists" get side-eyed for it. We also unpack AI's creeping presence in music and writing — can you love an AI song, what happens to "providence" when anyone can fake authenticity, and why lo-fi, bathtub-recorded music is having a moment as a rebellion against it. Along the way: the AI spending bubble, token bills gone wild, the Comcast/Versant breakup, the great AC debate, and a working theory that once you're successful enough, you inevitably become Coldplay.
* Watch us on YouTube
* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter
* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter
* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer
* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on Twitter
Chapters:
* 00:00 Open
* 00:56 PvA Travel Log
* 26:37 AI Costs and Dumb Pipes
* 42:39 Comcast Spins Off NBCU
* 48:12 Hollywood Meets Homelessness
* 52:44 Personality Media Fatigue
* 01:03:31 Fake Podcast Aesthetics
* 01:05:19 Good Product
* 01:10:00 Credits


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

This week’s episode leans heavily into Cannes, which is a world where everyone is selling and many are lying. Creators are the cool kids of Cannes, while the site of a drone show by a mobile ad network is considered normal. Plus: Ana Andjelic on what makes A24 unique.
* Watch us on YouTube
* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter
* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter
* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer
* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on Twitter
Chapters:
* 00:00 Open
* 00:23 Welcome
* 01:45 Reporting From Cannes
* 08:25 Retail Media Makes Content
* 13:46 Creator Con
* 23:42 Smart Glasses Arms Race
* 29:26 AI Empire Leverage
* 31:59 A24 Money And Mystique with Ana Andjelic
* 37:58 Publishers vs Google
* 45:49 Cannes Cool Kids
* 47:41 Good Product
* 54:08 PVA Notes Updates
* 55:45 Fan Feedback
* 58:24 Credits


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com