Every Things, Everywhere, All at Once with Dan Shipper - [Making Media, EP.61]

23 snips

May 16, 2024

Dan Shipper, Co-founder of Every, discusses the evolution from business newsletters to a daily essay on tech, AI, and productivity. He shares insights on entrepreneurial spirit, AI focus, launching a podcast, and chatGPT. Topics include the challenges of media companies, balancing writing with business, and the power of AI in creativity and productivity.

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ADVICE

Writer Alignment and Incentives

Long-term alignment with writers is crucial, focusing on those fully committed to consistent output.
Consider alternative models like audience equity for incentivizing writers beyond profit sharing.

INSIGHT

Puck's Model and Challenges

Puck's success comes from leveraging professional writers with existing audiences.
The challenge lies in managing multiple newsletters and potential focus dilution.

ANECDOTE

Incubation as a Core Strategy

Every incubates products internally, leveraging their product development DNA.
This strategy allows diversification and adaptation to changing market conditions.

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Our guest today is Dan Shipper, the co-founder and CEO of Every. Every started at the beginning of the pandemic as a bundle of business newsletters written by different authors. While writing is still at the heart of the business, the model has shifted focus to a daily newsletter that is an essay on technology, productivity, or AI.

Dan and his team have also built adjacent business lines and even incubated a startup called Lex that they spun out last year. We talk through the evolution of Every, which really gets to the core of what's both great and challenging about media companies. He goes into detail about his entrepreneurial spirit that started way back in fifth grade, how he's become laser-focused on AI recently, launching a great podcast on the subject, and chatGPT specifically. Please enjoy this conversation with Dan Shipper.

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.

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Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com).

Show Notes

(00:00:00) Welcome to Making Media

(00:02:10) Dan Shipper's Entrepreneurial Journey From Fifth Grade to CEO

(00:06:06) Embracing Writing: A Founder's Shift in Identity

(00:11:13) Major Pivots and Growth for Every

(00:13:11) Challenges and Innovations in Building a Newsletter Business

(00:18:10) Analyzing Puck's Business Model and Its Future

(00:21:03) The Power of Incubation and Diversification in Media

(00:27:59) Balancing Creative and Operational Roles in Leadership

(00:30:51) The Deliberate Focus on Chat GPT

(00:32:39) Challenges of Specialization in Content Creation

(00:35:40) Impact of AI on Creativity and Work

(00:41:22) The Unique Dynamics of Chatbots vs. Search Engines

(00:45:43) Exploring Think Week and Creative Processes

(00:48:28) Debrief