Gillmor Gang: Trick or Treat

Political and Tech Currents

During a recent recording session in early October, prior to the arrival of our first grandchild, an attempt was made to instigate discussion regarding the challenges faced by Democratic Progressives in securing passage of two Infrastructure bills. The efforts of moderate lawmakers, particularly Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, were seen as potentially hindering the Democrats’ prospects for maintaining control of both the House and the Senate. This situation, however, is hardly unprecedented.

In the realm of technology, Facebook was actively navigating a delicate situation, responding to increasing scrutiny from whistleblowers, former venture capital investors who initially benefited from the company’s growth, and a Congress and media seeking a new prominent narrative following the diminishing influence of Donald Trump. Current Facebook advertisements highlight discussions surrounding Section 230 reform and the establishment of clearer regulations for the company’s operations. The scope of the Infrastructure plan has been reduced by 60%, with a goal of enacting it before the Virginia gubernatorial election.

Reflections from CCE

As of late October, attendance at Ray Wang’s CCE conference in Half Moon Bay provided a unique perspective. The Ritz-Carlton’s atmosphere fostered a sense of detachment from current events, with the sounds of the Pacific Ocean dominating the surroundings. Similar to the hotel, conferences serve as a testing ground for principles of the previous economic climate against the emerging trends of the next. This new era could be termed Work from Anywhere, Build Back Better, or even likened to a final Beatles recording, but a deeper examination of the fundamental shifts is warranted.

We are entering an era where individuals with modest resources and a smartphone can actively participate in new media. While achieving a substantial audience isn’t guaranteed by existing cloud tools, the available resources are sufficient to begin: free newsletter platforms, free social audio tools for broadcasting and promoting editorial content, and access to a wide range of streaming services for content distribution. This landscape, often called the creator economy by vendors, is arguably more accurately described as a consumers economy.

The Evolution of Media

This pattern mirrors the rise of blogs and podcasts, initially enabled by RSS and its extension capabilities. RSS readers empowered individuals to aggregate desired content in a format resembling both email and newsgroups. Twitter then introduced a social graph layer, allowing for the broad or narrow dissemination of preferences within an emerging social cloud. This sphere of influence aggregated media while simultaneously integrating users into the media flow. Having experienced access to the technology press before the advent of blogs, I recognize the significant potential of this new technology, observing similar patterns in the current newsletter landscape as certain nodes establish a hierarchy of perceived value. Social signals offer clues and trails to identify, amplify, and access what I consider the new post-pandemic conference experience.

During CCE, a Salesforce colleague expressed a disinterest in continuing to listen to the Gillmor Gang due to the focus on political discussions. While acknowledging the saturation of podcasts, it’s worth noting that Trump’s prominence has largely been superseded by figures like Manchin. However, the core issue remains the media’s struggle to define coverage that avoids conflict and the promotion of anxiety-inducing content for ratings. This situation could be beneficial for new economic models, but there’s a subconscious desire to emulate established media, leading to similar editorial approaches. Therefore, my concerns about conflicts of interest in the media are, in a sense, as insignificant as worrying about Trump. The solution, if dissatisfaction arises, is to create an alternative.

Waiting for Record/Replay

The realization of this alternative, however, requires the full implementation of features like Record/Replay on platforms such as Clubhouse and Twitter. While recording capabilities have been available for some time, widespread access to the marketplace is crucial. Talent, encompassing not only verbal communication and podcasting but also marketing, analytical insights, promotion, and actionable ideas, will emerge. This necessitates accountability from platforms regarding their promised features. Clubhouse indicated a release “within weeks” over a month ago.

Recently, Twitter announced new features for its Twitter Labs early access subscription, currently limited to Canada and Australia. A monthly fee of $4.95 would be gladly paid to test these features, and importantly, others would likely do the same. Twitter has since announced that record tools are now in beta and will be available to creators and listeners shortly. The question now is, what will Clubhouse do?

The Future of Live Streaming

At CCE, I spoke with Paul Greenberg, who, alongside Brent Leary, is developing a series of live streaming shows under the CRM Playaz banner. Paul expressed his appreciation for this column/newsletter and encouraged more frequent contributions. I recognize their work in live streaming as a leading indicator of the current moment, and understand their encouragement. These tools, combined with accumulated experience and a network of colleagues, provide an exceptional opportunity to expand upon ideas, styles, and the essence of what consumers desire. When successful, I find the results rewarding, and it has consistently been my guiding principle when engaging with an audience, regardless of its size. The potential rewards are substantial.

The Grateful Dead’s concerts famously encouraged audience recording, even allowing some to connect directly to the band’s live mixing board. By the late 1980s, the band, primarily a touring act, had surpassed the record business in revenue, becoming the highest-grossing live act globally. This success was fueled by the Dead’s micro-community, rather than the other way around, and resulted in a hit album and single, “Touch of Grey.”

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The Gillmor Gang — Frank Radice, Michael Markman, Keith Teare, Denis Pombriant, Brent Leary and Steve Gillmor. Recorded live Friday, October 29, 2021.

Produced and directed by Tina Chase Gillmor @tinagillmor

@fradice, @mickeleh, @denispombriant, @kteare, @brentleary, @stevegillmor, @gillmorgang

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