The Vergecast Vergecast, part two | The Vergecast

Intro 0s

• The Vergecast is the flagship podcast of The Verge, and the host, David Pierce, is outside for the first time in a while after being sick and spending most of his time on the couch watching shows he's seen before 0s.
• David Pierce is doing the intro while on a walk outside, which is something he always does, and has done in various locations in the past, such as on a train, in a paint shop, and while putting together Legos 26s.
• Some listeners have questioned the purpose of the intro, suggesting that it's unnecessary and that the show should just focus on tech news, but David Pierce plans to continue doing the intro 59s.
• The show will be answering questions from listeners about The Verge, The Vergecast, ads, and the media industry, and will feature discussions with Helen Havac, the publisher, and Nilay Patel, the co-host 1m11s.
• The topics of discussion will include the business and editorial sides of The Verge, how they think about what they make and who they make it for, and how they charge for it 1m30s.
• The conversation may get wonky and detailed at times, but David Pierce believes it's an important story about the internet and the challenges of making it work 1m42s.
• The Verge is not the only one navigating these challenges, and David Pierce hopes that sharing their experiences and thoughts will be interesting and informative 1m59s.
• The show will be split into two chunks, with the first part featuring a conversation with Helen Havac about the business side of things 2m37s.

Business Insights 2m44s

• The Verge and The Vergecast are kept as separate as possible, with Helen discussing financial aspects and Nei discussing broader topics such as show production and The Verge's overall strategy 2m45s.
• Helen is the publisher of The Verge, acting as a buffer between the newsroom and the business side, and is responsible for overseeing the newsroom and ensuring The Verge makes enough money to support its journalism 4m31s.
• As the publisher, Helen's role is to be the "firewall" between the business and editorial sides, ensuring the independence of The Verge's journalism while keeping the company financially sustainable 4m55s.
• Helen's job involves managing the company, working on strategy, and communicating with Nei, with her most important task being to maintain the separation between the business and editorial sides 5m23s.
• Helen's responsibilities are divided into three main areas: management headaches (30%), maintaining existing businesses such as advertising (30%), and developing new businesses such as subscriptions (30%) 5m40s.
• Helen's role requires her to be both high-level and detail-oriented, working on both big-picture strategy and day-to-day management tasks 5m35s.
• One of the key topics Helen will discuss is subscriptions, which has been a major focus for The Verge this year 6m7s.

Subscription Mode 6m16s

• The Verge has been considering a subscription model due to pressures on media businesses, including the dominance of companies like Facebook and Google in digital advertising, and changes in distribution. 6m18s
• The Verge has its own adtech stack called Concert, which has helped insulate the company from some of these pressures, but a subscription model is seen as a way to further protect the business. 7m13s
• The rise of generative search is changing the way people consume content, and The Verge is preparing for a future where it may not receive as much traffic from other platforms. 7m50s
• A subscription model is seen as a way to build a loyal audience and insulate the business from changes in the industry, with the goal of creating a healthy subscriptions business. 9m2s
• The decision to launch a subscription model now is seen as a necessary step, with the idea that the best time to launch such a business is 10 years ago, but the next best time is tomorrow. 9m17s
• The ultimate goal is to have a diverse business model that includes advertising, subscriptions, and a large and dedicated audience, rather than betting on just one of these options. 9m23s
• This approach is seen as a way to avoid the pitfalls of other media companies that have focused too heavily on one revenue stream, and to create a more sustainable business model. 9m51s
• Businesses used to focus on total traffic and page views, but it has become clear that true audience engagement is different from page views, and true audience is the key to a successful business model 9m55s.
• The true audience of a media brand, such as The Verge, is made up of people who come to the site directly, form habits around the brand, and care about the content, and this audience is the single biggest asset for the brand 10m20s.
• A direct, loyal audience can support various business models, including advertising, subscription-based, and commerce businesses, and is essential for a media brand's survival in the next 13 years 10m52s.
• A subscription-based model aligns the media brand's interests with those of its audience, as it creates a direct relationship between the brand and its readers, who become clients that the brand is accountable to 11m45s.
• Nick Thompson, former boss at Wired, noted that a paywall system aligns the media brand's interests with those of its readers, creating a sense of direction and purpose 11m17s.
• A subscription-based model can deepen the relationship between the media brand and its audience, making the brand more accountable to its readers and aligning editorial and business incentives 12m2s.
• Advertising can reward good journalism, but a subscription-based model provides a more direct and loyal relationship with the audience 12m31s.
• The Verge's audience has been asking questions about the subscription model, with the most asked question being about ad-free podcasts, including The Vergecast 12m48s.

Ad-Free Podcasts 13m10s

• The current state of the media industry is described as a "blood bath" with competitors cutting jobs, newsrooms moving away from reporting, and journalism jobs disappearing, making it challenging for The Verge to continue existing 13m29s.
• The success of The Verge and its subscription product is not about making media executives rich, but rather about being able to continue existing and potentially hiring more journalists in the future 13m41s.
• The media business is not a highly profitable industry, and The Verge's goal is to sustain itself and create better content, rather than generating significant profits 14m3s.
• The reason PR people outnumber journalists 6 to 1 in the country is that journalists can often make more money in other industries, and The Verge has lost reporters to companies like Google 14m32s.
• The Verge's subscription product includes a premium ad experience, rather than an ad-free experience, because the company still relies heavily on advertising revenue and needs to take care of its ad business 15m7s.
• The premium ad experience was chosen because it addresses users' concerns about having fewer ads, better ads, and no "chum boxes" that interrupt their reading experience 15m39s.
• By removing third-party ad units, The Verge can sell ads directly to advertisers and keep all the revenue, rather than giving a cut to third parties 16m10s.
• VOX Media, the company behind The Verge, makes its own adtech, which is a unique aspect of the business 16m33s.
• The premium ad experience on the website allows for serving own ads without giving anyone else a cut, potentially providing a powerful tool to do better in the ads business and streamlining the page for a better audience experience 16m36s.
• The website's ad business may benefit from the premium ad experience, making more people read and have a better experience, which can lead to reading more pages 16m47s.
• The podcast was not included at launch due to technical and business barriers, with the best time to launch a subscription being 10 years ago 17m3s.
• Technical barriers to podcast advertising include not controlling the platforms where people listen to podcasts, making it hard to have an ad-free podcast feed 17m25s.
• Most people create a separate ad-free feed for subscribers, which can reduce total numbers and take engaged audience out of the main feed 17m51s.
• Apple Podcasts subscriptions are available, but they own the customer relationships and credit cards, which is not good for business 18m21s.
• The business issue is a bigger problem, as podcast ads are currently worth more than website ads and are a more engaging ad format 19m29s.
• The Verge wanted to keep the subscription price point low to be accessible to as many people as possible, but podcast ads being more expensive makes it challenging 19m7s.
• Advertisers love The Vergecast, and podcast advertising is outperforming other forms of advertising, making it very expensive 19m53s.
• The Vergecast is grateful for its engaged listeners, but taking ads out of the podcast for them would be costly, exceeding the revenue generated from subscriptions 20m1s.
• Two possible solutions are being explored: an ad-light experience with fewer ads, or a separate tier of Verge subscription that would allow for ad-free podcasts without harming the business 20m15s.
• The goal is to continue producing the Vergecast while hiring more journalists, but the business realities of podcasting ads make it challenging to remove ads entirely 21m15s.
• Listeners' feedback on ads and chapters in the podcast is appreciated, and their concerns are being considered 21m27s.
• Regarding Apple News, The Verge now charges for its content, giving less away for free on other platforms, and the best way to support The Verge is to subscribe and use its website 22m17s.
• The Verge is participating in Apple News Plus, and readers will need to be subscribers to access its content on the platform 22m39s.
• Some loyal readers were sad to see The Verge leave Apple News, but it was surprising to see how many people noticed and were loyal to The Verge specifically within Apple News 22m51s.
• The Verge is now charging for content on its website, and to support the platform, users can either subscribe to The Verge or to Apple News Plus, which also features Verge content, providing a win-win situation 23m52s.
• Supporting The Verge through subscription is the best way to help the platform, as it allows users to access premium content while also contributing to the website's revenue 24m15s.
• Adding a subscription model to an ad-supported platform can change how ads are sold, the value of ads, and the demographics of free users, ultimately reducing the value of ads 24m37s.
• The Verge has implemented a premium ad experience instead of an ad-free model to maintain a strong advertising business, as advertisers want to reach the platform's super fans who are willing to pay for the content 24m58s.
• The decision to maintain ads is also driven by the need for advertising revenue to pay the bills, as the advertising business can coexist with the subscription model 25m45s.
• The balance between ads and subscription revenue is crucial, as too many ads can alienate users, while not charging enough for subscriptions can lead to revenue shortfalls, as seen in the case of Netflix 26m0s.
• The Verge aims to strike a balance between providing a good user experience and generating revenue through its premium ad experience and subscription model 26m31s.
• The Verge's subscription price is set at $7 a month or $50 a year, which was determined by considering affordability and the desire to reach people who have a personal relationship with the platform 26m37s.
• A survey was conducted to understand how people would categorize their subscription to The Verge, and the majority considered it a personal expense rather than a business expense 26m52s.
• The Verge did not want to charge hundreds of dollars per year, which is typical for subscriptions that are billed back to workplaces, as they wanted to target people who personally love the platform 27m2s.
• The price was determined by conducting competitive research, calculating the costs of running the platform, and considering the cost of turning off ads 27m48s.
• The annual subscription is significantly cheaper than the monthly subscription, and it also comes with exclusive magazine content 28m5s.
• The goal is to make The Verge a fun place to hang out online, in addition to its journalistic ideals, and to make it a part of people's regular budget 29m13s.
• The new website was designed to create a homepage that is fun to visit and refresh throughout the day 29m34s.
• The team's goal is to make The Verge a platform that people want to visit regularly, and to make it a part of their daily entertainment 28m45s.

Maintaining Journalistic Integrity 30m45s

• Fundrise Venture Capital is considered one of the most lucrative asset classes, with nearly every tech company on the S&P 500 list once funded by Venture Capital firms, producing billions of dollars in profit in the process 30m49s.
• The biggest Venture funds are almost entirely funded by institutional investors, leaving individual investors out of the pre-IPO growth of blue-chip companies 31m6s.
• The Fundrise Innovation fund is changing this by offering a more than $125 million fund designed specifically for individual investors, holding some of the most exciting pre-IPO companies in the world 31m20s.
• Stripe payment management software handles the complexity of financial infrastructure, offering a seamless experience for business owners and their customers 31m54s.
• Stripe supports millions of businesses around the world, including companies like Uber, BMW, and DoorDash, and offers a suite of specialized features and tools to power businesses of all sizes 32m27s.
• Nei Patel, Verge editor-in-Chief, joins the conversation to discuss how things are made and how the world is thought about 33m19s.
• Nei is given the nickname "The Fire" and is expected to live up to the standard set by previous guest Helen, who called herself "The Firewall" 33m50s.
• The conversation with Nei will cover various themes and answer as many questions as possible, with the topics becoming more random as the conversation progresses 34m6s.
• A listener, Jessica from Massachusetts, expressed appreciation for the separation between The Verge's sales department and newsroom, and asked how the team will maintain journalistic integrity now that the team is aware of the sponsors for the Lightning Round segment 34m46s.
• Max wrote an email questioning why Nei keeps a firewall between the newsroom and ad team, but David is allowed to do ad reads for The Vergecast, and why that is considered acceptable 35m14s.
• The difference between Nei and David doing ad reads is that Nei is the one who has to maintain the firewall between the newsroom and ad team, while David's role as a producer and occasional voice on the show allows him to do ad reads without compromising the firewall 35m40s.
• Knowing who the Lightning Round sponsors are is not seen as a compromise of the firewall, as the team can see the advertisers on their website and it does not affect their coverage 36m1s.
• The rule is that the advertising team does not get to tell the news team what to do, and vice versa, which helps maintain the firewall and journalistic integrity 36m40s.
• The team is aware of the advertisers and assembles the whole product, including the Lightning Round segment, but the advertising team does not have control over the content 37m9s.
• The Lightning Round segment is new, and the team is still working out how to handle the sponsors, but they believe it is a familiar expression of the firewall and will not compromise their journalistic integrity 37m21s.
• The role of protecting the user experience of a website involves making decisions about what advertising is allowed, and this can sometimes put the person in charge at odds with the sales team, who may be pushing for more advertising revenue 37m32s.
• The separation between the editorial and business sides of the company is important, with the editor-in-chief and publisher having a relationship that includes a healthy amount of tension, which is necessary for maintaining a firewall between the two 39m21s.
• The firewall is not a physical barrier, but rather a separation of knowledge and influence, where the editorial side does not know the details of the advertising deals and the business side does not interfere with editorial decisions 38m9s.
• In the past, when printing magazines, the advertising was physically included in the magazine, and the editorial team had to decide where the ads would go, which sometimes led to accusations of bias 38m51s.
• The relationship between the editor-in-chief and the publisher is built on a foundation of old-school journalism, where the editorial and business sides are separate, and the editor-in-chief has control over the content 38m43s.
• The host of the podcast has less of a problem with podcast ads, and wants to discuss the issue further, as they see it as a gray area, whereas the separation between editorial and branded content is clear-cut 40m6s.
• The line between editorial and branded content is important, and the company does not make branded content, which is a clear and important distinction 40m14s.
• The host wants to press the issue of podcast ads, as they see it as a less clear-cut issue than the separation between editorial and branded content 40m1s.
• The approach to advertising in podcasts is different, with some hosts sharing personal experiences with products, which can be more expensive for advertisers, but this approach is not taken as it can be seen as less genuine 40m37s.
• A middle ground is taken where hosts read ads, which can be a common part of the podcast format and feels less intrusive than in other forms of media 40m59s.
• The decision to read ads is made on a case-by-case basis, and the advertiser must not be someone the organization would typically cover, with the goal of maintaining a clear separation between advertising and content 41m22s.
• Working with David Pierce can be challenging due to his willingness to take on a wide range of tasks, but this is also seen as a positive aspect of his work style 41m37s.
• The concept of nuance in journalism is seen as being lost, particularly among younger audiences who have grown up with influencer culture and may not understand the traditional separation between advertising and content 41m57s.
• The organization is rebuilding its ecosystem from scratch, with a focus on maintaining a clear separation between advertising and content, and this may involve being harsher in its approach to advertising 42m33s.
• The organization competes with creators who have decided that there is no need for a separation between advertising and content, and instead rely on their own internal guidelines to determine what they will and will not promote 42m40s.
• The organization's approach to advertising is seen as being very different from that of other creators, and this may lead to confusion among audiences who are used to a more blurred line between advertising and content 42m58s.
• The organization's subscription model is seen as a way to offer a clear and transparent approach to content, with the promise that the content will not be influenced by advertising 44m7s.
• The internet can destroy nuance, making it necessary to be harsher to preserve the clarity of a message, particularly when it comes to how journalism is made 44m18s.
• The goal is to focus on the journalism rather than over-communicating about advertising and its potential influence 44m51s.
• The publication is making a conscious effort to be transparent about its processes, which may seem excessive to some, but is necessary to counter the prevailing tide 45m19s.
• Traditional newsrooms may view this level of transparency as unnecessary, but it is essential for the publication's audience 45m31s.
• The publication's ethics policy was initially based on Walt Mossberg's policy at the Wall Street Journal and has since been iterated upon 45m42s.
• The journalism industry's failure to communicate how information is made is a significant issue, unlike other industries that often showcase their production processes 45m56s.
• The lack of transparency in journalism can be attributed to the industry's failure to effectively communicate its processes, making it essential for publications to be more open 46m15s.

The Value of Credibility in Journalism 46m16s

• The New York Times is often presented as a credible source without being questioned, and this credibility is something that should be highlighted and communicated more effectively in today's media ecosystem 46m18s.
• Many creators on social platforms are powerful and influential, and they often discuss their methods and policies, which can make traditional media outlets seem less transparent by comparison 46m25s.
• Traditional media outlets can differentiate themselves by emphasizing their independence and adherence to established policies and standards 46m31s.
• New competitors in the media landscape are emerging with similar policies to those of established outlets, which is not entirely unexpected but still requires a strong response 46m40s.
• In order to effectively communicate their values and distinguish themselves, media outlets need to clearly and loudly draw lines and simplify their message for a modern internet audience 46m54s.

The Challenge of Ad Revenue 46m59s

• The decision to not treat ad revenue as a sliding scale is a deliberate choice, as it can be a slippery slope that is hard to explain, and once started, it's difficult to stop 47m16s.
• Reading ads would generate a significant amount of money, and if the hosts were individual creators, they would personally benefit from it, but as a media company, the revenue is used to fund the newsroom 47m42s.
• The company's structure allows it to use the revenue to pay for the newsroom, which is essential for creating journalism jobs and supporting the work of the hosts 48m1s.
• The goal is to continue making journalism jobs and hiring young people to work in the newsroom, which has been possible due to the revenue generated over the past 13 years 48m19s.
• Making individual deals or trade-offs for more money could potentially destroy the core value of the newsroom, as seen in competitors who have made similar choices and no longer exist 48m36s.
• The hosts, including David, prioritize the value of the newsroom and the journalism jobs it creates over personal financial gain 48m9s.

The Role of Subscriptions 48m38s

• The primary product being sold is credibility, and once it is lost, it is gone for good 48m40s.

Deciding Who Reads the Ads 48m49s

• The decision to implement a subscription model was made to align the interests of the people consuming the content with those who pay for it, creating a more clarifying and helpful system 48m50s.
• This approach is challenging, and it means forgoing potential revenue from reading ads, but it's considered a cost too high to pay as it would lead to competing with others who might do worse things 49m22s.
• The more the company stays harsh and differentiated, the more stable the demand remains, with big brands wanting to buy advertising on the site because they know they can't buy the company 49m45s.
• Many companies want to come on the show Decoder because they know they can't tell the host what to do, and some want to prove to their teams that they can take the heat 49m59s.
• The podcast ecosystem is often criticized for being too branded and programmed, but this show is not, and its loudness about it has led to a long list of incoming guests 50m31s.
• Subscriptions are part of the plan to make the business healthy and resilient, diversify revenue, and ensure the company is still selling independence 50m47s.
• The decision to have Liam read ads is not explicitly stated, but it's implied that it might be to create some distance between the hosts and the ads 51m52s.
• The company's approach to ads is different from others, and it's something that the caller is considering as they start to think about paid partnerships and what that looks like 52m2s.
• The goal is to get more people's voices onto the show, and Liam is a character on the show who is a familiar voice but also the producer, which insulates him enough from the editorial process 52m5s.
• The reality is that the show would make more money if the hosts read ads, as that is what advertisers want - personal experience and host reads to trade on the trust listeners have with the voices they're hearing 52m38s.
• Advertising fundamentally works by having a trusted person sell a product, which is why random celebrities often sell products on TV, and this is not a moral complaint but rather how the industry works 52m53s.
• However, as journalists and product reviewers, it's essential not to endorse products, and the solution is to have Liam read ads without having editorial control or writing product reviews 53m27s.
• The rule is that Liam only reads the copy delivered to him, without any back-and-forth, to maintain a clear division between the editorial and advertising processes 53m57s.
• This approach is believed to match the experience of other podcasts and creates enough of a product for the sales team to compete in the market without causing downstream problems 54m16s.
• The goal is to maintain a clear division between the editorial and advertising processes, and feedback is welcome on whether this approach is successful 54m34s.

Behind the Scenes 54m49s

• The concept of an "OnStaff influencer" is discussed, where the person lives on the hype desk, creates branded content, and is isolated from the newsroom to maintain a wall between the two, which is considered the loneliest job in America 54m49s.
• The idea of this job is to find ways to be competitive in the market while preserving credibility, but it's unclear if it will ever happen 55m12s.
• Liam mentions that he receives ad requests regularly, but doesn't communicate them to Nei or David, creating a boundary between the ads and the show's content 55m29s.
• Liam enjoys reading emails from people complaining about ads, which often informs him about who advertises on the show, and believes it proves that people can't tell the difference between ads and content 55m45s.
• The discussion touches on the idea that some creators, like Michael Fischer (Mr. Mobile), have laid out their ethics policies and are transparent about what they will and won't do, but still take money from brands 56m28s.
• The challenge of maintaining a clear ethics policy at scale is mentioned, with the need for simplicity and clarity for the audience 56m52s.
• A question from a listener is shared, asking what happens during ad breaks, and whether the hosts chat for a few minutes before resuming recording 57m9s.

Engaging with The Verge Community 57m28s

• The Vergecast is not recorded in real time, and there are pauses in the recording that are edited out, with the hosts sometimes taking breaks and then resuming the conversation in the same breath 57m51s.
• Some people have requested a live, unedited version of the Vergecast, but the hosts believe it would be too much for listeners to handle 58m4s.
• The hosts compare the recording process to how Jeopardy is filmed, with multiple episodes recorded in a short period, which has ruined the show for one of the hosts 58m22s.
• The hosts discuss how they are not prone to believing in conspiracies, as they believe too many people would have to keep the secret, using the moon landing as an example 58m52s.
• The hosts joke about the secrecy surrounding Jeopardy, imagining a fully autonomous show with a room that is always recording 59m10s.
• The hosts warn listeners who enjoy The Great British Baking Show not to look up how it's made, as it may ruin the show for them 59m24s.
• A listener, John Ros, writes in to say that they loved the Vergecast more when it was concise and only had a Friday episode, but now there are too many podcasts to keep up with 59m40s.
• The hosts discuss how they think about the Vergecast now, with one host joking that their old episodes were not concise, referencing their "first album" as a quadruple-sided prog rock exploration 1h0m24s.
• The Vergecast team used to record episodes in a studio, leaving them physically exhausted, but now they appreciate the concision that has been added to their list of qualities, allowing them to be more focused and not cram every idea into one episode 1h0m40s.
• Having more episodes enables the team to be more focused and create products that can find their audiences, as different platforms, such as TikTok, homepage, and YouTube, have distinct content and audiences 1h1m7s.
• The Friday show has a big audience that doesn't want significant changes, while the Tuesday show is allowed to tell more narrative stories and build its own audience, providing a way for the team to grow their audience by offering different content 1h1m26s.
• The team's goal is to grow their audience, particularly new listeners, by providing focused stories that can bring them into the fold, rather than extracting more from their existing audience 1h1m58s.
• A listener, Leo, called in to ask about the Vergecast's theme song, which was redesigned and rebranded a couple of years ago but was later trimmed down, and the team explained that the change was made to match the YouTube and audio feeds 1h2m21s.
• The team plans to revisit the theme song and refresh it to make it less jarring, with the possibility of publishing the full theme song once a week or selling ads against it 1h3m28s.
• The revamped Vergecast theme song was created by Breakmaster Cylinder, who also did the Dakota theme song, and the original Vergecast theme was written by Josh Chowski 1h3m45s.
• The original theme song for the show was created by Josh using GarageBand overnight, but it was lost to the "Mists of Time" and had to be remade, providing an opportunity to create more content and improve the show's music beds and theme song 1h3m57s.
• The new theme song was created with the help of Breakmaster Cylinder, and it features a saxophone break that was specifically requested by someone on the team 1h4m29s.
• The team is happy with the new theme song, but they acknowledge that it may be too aggressive and could be used more often in the show 1h4m41s.
• The process of creating the new theme song was a good experience, and it allowed the team to work with Breakmaster Cylinder and create more content for the show 1h4m20s.
• The team also discussed the challenges of working with YouTube and its music policies, which can be frustrating and affect the show's content 1h5m5s.
• The show is sponsored by ServiceNow, an AI platform for business transformation that helps remove friction and frustration for employees, supercharge productivity for developers, and provide intelligent tools for service agents 1h5m23s.
• The show is also sponsored by Grammarly, a communication platform that delivers a consistent experience across an organization's ecosystem and helps teams work more efficiently and effectively 1h5m58s.
• Grammarly provides a range of benefits, including faster time to resolution for support tickets, less time spent writing sales emails, and potentially saving 19 days per year per employee 1h6m41s.
• The host of the show personally uses Grammarly for every email they send to guests, and they appreciate the peace of mind that comes with knowing they haven't made any typos 1h6m52s.
• The Verge redesign was a huge change that aimed to make the homepage more useful by aggregating content from other sources, similar to Ben Thompson's aggregation theory, and it has been over two years since the redesign was implemented 1h7m26s.
• The redesign was influenced by surveys that showed the most loved tech companies, such as Google and Amazon, were utilities that people used every day, and the goal was to make The Verge's homepage as useful as possible 1h8m55s.
• The idea is that by making the product more useful, people will come back, and this approach has been successful, with time spent on the homepage increasing by minutes, a number that is typically difficult to move 1h10m1s.
• The redesign has also led to an increase in the number of places to go and things to look at on the homepage, which has contributed to the increase in time spent on the site 1h10m12s.
• The concept of a homepage was once an open question, with some considering whether it was worth having and caring for, but The Verge's approach has shown that it can be a valuable part of the user experience 1h10m22s.
• The Verge is happy to link out to other sites, including competitors, and is exploring ways to make this process more seamless in a world with paywalls 1h9m45s.
• The success of the redesign has been influenced by the idea that sending users away to high-quality content can actually increase the likelihood of them returning to the site 1h9m36s.
• The importance of owning one's distribution is highlighted, as seen in the success of homepages and email newsletters, which allow creators to directly reach their audience without algorithmic interference 1h10m41s.
• This approach is valuable because it allows creators to showcase their work without external influence, and it is a trend seen in various media outlets, including newsletters and homepage redesigns 1h11m26s.
• A question from Clemente is discussed, asking if The Verge would ever consider publishing a print edition, similar to The Economist, which is admired for its print quality and art 1h11m45s.
• While there are no concrete plans for a print edition, the idea is not entirely ruled out, and it is acknowledged that creating a print product would require a significant amount of work and resources 1h12m7s.
• The possibility of starting with smaller print projects, such as zines, and building up to a larger print edition is considered, but it would require allocating time and resources away from other tasks 1h13m21s.
• The appeal of print media is discussed, including the desire to create print covers and layouts, and the enjoyment of reading physical magazines, such as The Economist 1h12m47s.
• The challenges of creating a print product from scratch are acknowledged, including the need to develop a new workflow and allocate resources, but the idea is not entirely dismissed 1h13m17s.