Issues
Act V
The creator economy has become very good at teaching people how to build an audience. But understanding the agreements that protect that audience
August 2026 · 8 min readRead the letter
The Water Cooler
Instagram Wants Your 90-Minute Video for Free
Instagram is inviting creators to post ninety-minute videos to conquer the living room TV. Meta forgot to include a revenue share in the invitation.
2 min read
Network Ratings, Penny Payouts
1 min read
The Independent News Renaissance Runs on Unpaid Bills
2 min read
Substack Built the Ad Server, You Make the Cold Calls
1 min read
The Tea Room
Ethan Klein Signs Away the Studio to Appease His Control Room
Ethan Klein found the one labor dispute that makes Hollywood strikes look simple. When your crew refuses to shoot until you sign away your own cap table, you sign.
2 min read
Two Clients, Two Bosses, and One Boutique Shell
1 min read
Holding Companies Keep the Strategy Decks While Creators Take the Retainers
1 min read
Omnicom Takes Coke's Domestic Cash While WPP Keeps the Poetry
1 min read
The Wine Cellar
A Cartoon Tooth Just Beat the Entire Media Industry
An animated tooth brushing its own teeth just cleared a billion views in seven days. Media buyers are still pricing Shorts inventory as if an adult were holding the phone.
1 min read
When the Sponsor Check Buys an Honest Review
1 min read
Microsoft Discovers the World's Cheapest Production House
1 min read
Where Forty Billion Dollars Goes to Avoid Real Money
2 min read
The Archive
Issues
Act IV
Your first brand deal feels like validation. But somewhere between being chosen and being paid, creators have to learn the difference between attention and value.
August 2026 · 4 min read
Act III
Everyone talks about what happens when a creator takes off. Fewer people talk about what can disappear along the way. This is the contamination risk.
August 2026 · 4 min read
Act II
We spend so much time talking about strategy that we forget the foundation. The strongest creators don't invent who they are, they recognize a perspective that's been there all along.
July 2026 · 4 min read
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