As usual we’re also covering other exotic bits of wisdom, in particular with two articles. The first one is about the decay of online content due to the structure of the WWW (aka some links from this reading list will be broken in less than 2 years). The second one is about feminist blockchain.
Marketing, community and newsletter tips & tricks are also on the menu.
And one interesting list of products to help you sleep better
Internet
The Internet Is Rotting
“By making the storage and organization of information everyone’s responsibility and no one’s, the internet and web could grow, unprecedentedly expanding access, while making any and all of it fragile rather than robust in many instances in which we depend on it… Society can’t understand itself if it can’t be honest with itself, and it can’t be honest with itself if it can only live in the present moment.”
- theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2021/06/the-internet-is-a-collective-hallucination/619320/ :: Jonathan Zittrain
Blockchain
Why We Need a Feminist Manifesta of the Blockchain
“Social media conditions us to produce fluid adaptable selves, made to maximize herd approval. We become performers for an all-seeing eye, our on-board computer cameras; we are the objects of its patriarchal gaze; in our digital representations we are formed by it. Our ability to adopt an effective, algorithmic internet self seems to be an adaptive requirement, necessary to succeed in an era in crisis, experiencing pandemics and high-speed social change. Selfies are an illustration of the precarious balance between using a new technology and being used by it.”
Business
Business Travel Is Coming Back
“A handful of high-profile events, like the TED conference, are returning in-person this summer, luring business travelers on flights. Industry trade shows are coming back to the Las Vegas Convention Center in June. In a survey by the U.S. Census Bureau conducted in May, 35% of small-business owners said they expect to have travel expenses in the next six months, up from 31.5% in April and 26.5% in mid-February.”
Marketing
10 Marketing Lessons for Every Early-Stage Founder
“How do you go about building a loved brand and community? At Spotify, I always wanted us to be personal, honest, generous, and fun in our communications. If you think about the characteristics that set a friend apart from the crowd and why you feel great when spending time together, it’s about sharing — and daring — to be personal and, at the same time, generous and fun.” – Sophia
- slush.org/article/10-marketing-lessons-for-every-early-stage-founder/ :: Sophia Bendz + Christian Meermann
Events
IAB MICE Industry 2021 – IAB Advice report
International Advisory Board (IAB) report on the future of the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conference, Exhibitions) industry.
2021 Event Tech Directory
Very comprehensive/convenient list of event tech providers, downloadable a .csv file.
- audiencerepublic.com/event-tech-directory :: Audience Republic
Community
How (and Why) to Build an Authentic Community Around Your Product
“You should also aim to separate community-building goals from your explicit sales goals. Many companies today are creating a Chief Community Officer role to oversee their open-source communities. This role should ideally not be part of a sales or marketing team. Your community needs to stay authentically open-source in spirit in order to keep users engaged.”
Newsletter
Should you sell newsletter sponsorships?
“The entire subject of sponsorship success can be boiled down to a single word: alignment. When there is alignment between your newsletter topic and a sponsor’s product or service, everyone wins. Your audience gains access to a relevant deal, your sponsors achieve a positive ROI on their investment, and you solidify your publication as a valuable resource for both parties.”
VR
Tribeca Film Festival Was A Win For The XR Industry This Year
“With hopes that festivals, conferences, and conventions stay open to hybrid versions of their former selves, audiences and industry personnel can bet that mixed reality events are almost back and will be better than ever.”
It’s time for brands to embrace the metaverse
“As we usher in a new chapter of the experience economy, with it comes a shift in the way consumers and brands interact. Brands are no longer the totality of all the things they say about themselves; they’re now the sum of every single customer touchpoint and interaction… Intuitive brands will see the complexities of navigating multi-platform, hybrid consumer journeys as the next CX frontier, adapting to purchase funnels that straddle both digital and physical universes to enhance the experience for audiences.”
Sleep
The big business of helping people sleep better
“By augmenting their products and services with technology, sleep brands are able to improve the way they recommend items to customers, or empower them to track their own sleep metrics.”