People vs Algorithms

The Coldplay Protocol 03.07.2026 1h 10min

We dig into the tangled collision of journalism and the creatory economy. Emily Sundberg’s Zuckerberg interview, Brian’s christening as the Matt Belloni-of-advertising, and why guys like Scott Galloway and Gary Vaynerchuk get a pass to cash in while "real journalists" get side-eyed for it. We also unpack AI's creeping presence in music and writing — can you love an AI song, what happens to "providence" when anyone can fake authenticity, and why lo-fi, bathtub-recorded music is having a moment as a rebellion against it. Along the way: the AI spending bubble, token bills gone wild, the Comcast/Versant breakup, the great AC debate, and a working theory that once you're successful enough, you inevitably become Coldplay.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:56 PvA Travel Log* 26:37 AI Costs and Dumb Pipes* 42:39 Comcast Spins Off NBCU* 48:12 Hollywood Meets Homelessness* 52:44 Personality Media Fatigue* 01:03:31 Fake Podcast Aesthetics* 01:05:19 Good Product* 01:10:00 Credits This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Cannes is CES with Rosé 26.06.2026 59min

This week’s episode leans heavily into Cannes, which is a world where everyone is selling and many are lying. Creators are the cool kids of Cannes, while the site of a drone show by a mobile ad network is considered normal. Plus: Ana Andjelic on what makes A24 unique.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:23 Welcome* 01:45 Reporting From Cannes* 08:25 Retail Media Makes Content* 13:46 Creator Con* 23:42 Smart Glasses Arms Race* 29:26 AI Empire Leverage* 31:59 A24 Money And Mystique with Ana Andjelic* 37:58 Publishers vs Google* 45:49 Cannes Cool Kids* 47:41 Good Product* 54:08 PVA Notes Updates* 55:45 Fan Feedback* 58:24 Credits This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Americamaxxing, AI Taste Wars, World Cup Soft Power 19.06.2026 1h 6min

We debate whether Anthropic painted itself in a corner with its safety messaging, if Snap Specs pass the taste test, Elon as American icon, and the World Cup and Trump’s UFC fight showcasing the profound weirdness and contradictions at the heart of the American experience. Plus: Anonymous Banker on why Fox paying $22 billion for Roku makes sense and Troy says someone will buy Semafor.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:23 Welcome* 01:52 Field Notes Update* 07:38 PvA Mixers and Cannes* 11:05 Anthropic Export Controls* 18:57 Who Controls Intelligence* 22:29 Snap Specs Taste Test* 31:38 Media Ads Are Over* 38:18 World Cup Soft Power* 45:50 Elon The Trillionaire* 49:11 Fox Buys Roku* 56:30 Post Text Media Future* 01:02:58 Good Product* 01:05:37 Credits This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

The Abundance Economy 12.06.2026 1h 22min

Seen one way, AI has democratized the creative process. Seen another, we are swimming in a sea of mediocrity that inevitably crowds out attention to human-led creativity. Plus: Handicapping Hot AI IPO Summer, YouTubers as Hollywood's saviors, GLP-1s vs impulse manipulators and Breaker's Lachlan Cartwright on assesses the characters in the 60 Minutes dram that’s like Viagra for media newsletters. Finally, an ode to the old-standby of cocktail parties: pigs in a blanket.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:40 Welcome* 02:11 AI Design Pet Peeve* 06:25 What Field Notes Is* 14:47 Abundance Versus Quality* 24:34 Taste Process* 32:19 YouTube IP Breakout* 39:09 Fable 5* 48:27 GLP-1 Economy Shock* 50:58 PvA Overtime with Lachlan Cartwright* 55:20 60 Minutes Drama* 01:12:15 Good Product* 01:21:48 Credits This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

The AI Pushback 05.06.2026 1h 17min

ChatGPT is advertising it as a souped-up Clippy to help with date-night recipes and sibling road trips. What happened to superintelligence and curing cancer? Disruptive forces always invite pushback, as Bari Weiss is learning at CBS. In PvA OT: Anonymous Banker on People Inc's AI-hedge with MGM and why YouTube ecosystem events are far better than typical media events.* Ballgame* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 01:06 Welcome* 01:36 Ballgame* 05:19 PvA Corrections* 06:27 AI Regulation Arrives* 11:10 Why Everyone Hates AI* 18:14 Work Slop* 26:40 Portable AI Memory Moats* 35:26 60 Minutes Media Drama* 45:36 AI Slop Culture War* 52:50 World Cup and NBA Summer* 54:55 PvA Overtime with AB: People Inc Eyes MGM* 01:03:47 YouTube Events and Networking* 01:10:51 Good Product* 01:16:23 Credits This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Homines Contra Algorithmos 29.05.2026 1h 18min

We debate the commodification of the human experience, why the upside-down token economics is a more pressing near-term concern, the religious zeal behind SpaceX's valuation, and why HR is the new boogeywoman of the aggrieved and powerful. Plus: Ana Andjelic on why not carrying a phone and having a personal philosopher are new luxury status symbols.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:47 Welcome* 02:33 Pope Leo on AI* 13:35 Capitalism vs Humanity* 23:32 SpaceX IPO Faith* 29:44 AI and HR Backlash* 41:42 Counterculture to AI* 45:38 Euromaxxing With Billionaires* 49:38 New Status Symbols* 59:41 Ferrari EV Identity Crisis* 01:05:10 China Rewrites Luxury Rules* 01:11:35 Good Product* 01:17:24 Credits This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Steroid Olympics 22.05.2026 58min

This week, we discuss the chaotic transition to an AI-augmented era, the roiling backlash trying to slow it down, and how we’ll come to terms with a weird new world. Plus: The dénouement of the scale era in publishing and beginning of the “inversion” era of media brands.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 01:33 Welcome* 04:55 Graduation Speech AI Backlash* 05:46 Pope AI Encyclical Buzz* 07:40 Why People Distrust AI* 13:23 AI Book Quote Scandal* 15:16 Steroid Olympics for Creators* 19:23 Flood of Synthetic Content* 22:31 Human Only Platforms* 27:53 LLM Confidence and Hallucinations* 31:55 Breaking the AI Loop* 32:38 Google Ends Link Search* 36:39 Vox Deal and Glue Factory* 40:30 Inversion Strategy at People* 43:52 Monetizing Brands via SKUs* 46:04 Supernatural Comeback Economy* 48:44 Good Product* 57:52 Credits This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Clauditis 15.05.2026 1h 10min

Meanwhile, Anthropic is on a $50 billion run rate and raising at a $900b valuation. We look back to the dawn of the assembly line, when workers suffered from “Forditis," a condition of despair caused by a lack of agency and the pressure to keep up with a pace set by machines. Plus: learning from Ferrari, Ryan Cohen's use of the information space for his long-shot takeover bid for eBay, the decline of drinking as structural phenomenon, the end of the road for BuzzFeed, and Italian rock bands.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:38 Welcome* 04:14 Ferrari Scarcity Mythology* 11:27 From Ferrari To Anthropic* 21:33 AI Backlash And Forditis* 27:19 Thinking Machines New Interface* 38:13 Narratives Beat Policy* 41:23 Ryan Cohen Media Populism* 48:01 BuzzFeed Byron Allen Deal* 58:37 Good Product* 01:09:08 Credits This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Monkey Business 08.05.2026 1h 2min

While some of this is cover for overhiring during the ZIRP era, there's clearly a move to cut the "coordination tax" that exists within companies. And what starts in tech always moves downstream. Plus: Ted Turner and the end of the media mogul archetype, James Murdoch's move to buy Vox Media's podcast network and New York magazine, and how to tell fake fakes from real fakes at the souk.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:18 Welcome* 02:02 Brian in Marrakesh* 04:43 PVA Vibe-Coding: RingRing & Field Notes* 09:18 AI Is A Job Killer* 16:48 AI Native Orgs and Jevons* 26:34 Permanent Underclass Fears* 31:23 The Last of the Moguls* 35:32 Murdoch Buys Vox* 40:49 AI Private Equity* 42:24 GameStop Targets eBay* 48:14 Met Gala Tech Takeover* 50:33 Tech Villains* 52:40 Good Product* 01:01:39 Credits This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

The Clipping Economy 01.05.2026 1h 5min

This week we dig into how the clip has become the unit of cultural currency and whether it's creating a mass delusion about what people actually want and what is popular. Also: a Waymo hostage situation, a vibe-coded group-texting platform, Apple vs. the interface doomers, Uber's super app survival play, Ben Sasse's deathbed honesty about young people's anxiety, and what the rise of Graham Platner says about the need to be a legible character.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 01:05 Welcome* 04:31 Vibe Coding Field Notes* 07:55 Fan Feedback* 11:56 AI Power Games Trial* 20:51 Next Interface* 29:06 Can a New AI Phone Win* 33:28 Why Super Apps Fail* 38:10 Media’s Next Chapter* 41:43 AI Replacing Media Work* 44:51 Clipping And Fake Popularity* 51:20 Gen Z Nostalgia Anxiety* 54:23 Politics As Characters* 59:08 Good Product* 01:05:00 Credits This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Spooning the Gravy 24.04.2026 1h 15min

Troy’s vibe coding project has moved into high gear, as institutional and personal memory becomes the point of leverage with media’s ultimate goal shifting to how to get the right people in the saloon. Claude Design and GPT-Image 2 reinforce the same message: You’re either high-end craftsman or you’re orchestrating AI systems, like it or not. Plus: Tim Cook hands over the CEO reigns after Apple’s boring decade, why media is about artists, suits and engineers, the dismal fate of much of Vox’s publishing assets, the emptiness of cloned media assets and why there’s leverage in coming out of the kitchen to spoon the gravy, no matter how much you’ve accomplished.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:52 Building on Top of LLMs* 03:41 Welcome* 04:31 Vibe Coding Costs* 09:00 Memory as Moat* 13:38 Wiki Maintenance Problem* 16:41 Workers Training Replacements* 18:13 McClatchy Content Scaling* 25:25 Community as Real Value* 32:43 Monitoring the Situation Review* 35:20 Are Designers Cooked* 37:58 Dotcom Agency Flashback* 40:19 AI Kills The Agency Model* 42:36 Displacement And Value Stack* 45:38 Farm To Table Humans* 47:13 Apple’s Boring Decade* 51:47 Nvidia Chips And China* 55:40 Event Format And Layers* 57:29 Vox Sale And Media M&A* 01:01:27 Media Notes And Widgets* 01:06:59 Collectibles As Asset Class* 01:09:12 Good Product* 01:14:43 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Humans in the Loop 17.04.2026 1h 6min

Troy unveils his vibe-coded media system that produces a daily briefing based on his entire media diet, underpinned with a memory layer that acts as a second brain of PvA thinking. This would turn media from a game of speed to one of accumulated worldview. We also unpack the rise of fakes, from the clip economy to Allbirds pivot to AI; handicap the Pope vs Trump battle; and get a report from an international journalism festival in Italy.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:34 Welcome* 02:48 Troy The Vibe-Coder* 11:54 Takeaways Process And Limits* 17:52 AI Slop And Meme Warfare* 25:37 Clips Economy* 32:32 Allbirds AI Pivot* 37:37 Anthropic vs OpenAI Chart* 47:02 Journalism Hierarchy* 49:30 LinkedIn Is a Sad Place* 54:01 Vibe Coding and API Economy* 57:56 World Economy Summit* 59:48 Good Product* 01:05:34 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

The Great Media Reorientation 10.04.2026 1h 13min

B2B is a refuge; see the Acquired ad rates. The Boston Globe's TikTok star Emily Sweeney proves a Dorchester accent is leverage when the internet has flattened everything. The next newsroom brawl will be over AI use. Political figures now have to be expert content creators. Even geopolitics aren't immune: Iran is beating the U.S. with its AI Lego video trolling. In tech, Sam Altman lies a lot and might be a sociopath, but it could be these are required traits in his field. Vibe coding Big Hot Take has turned Troy into an AImaxxer who believes company structure will change. Finally, a hypothesis that the true emblem of American wealth is getting a boat.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:41 Welcome* 03:10 Media Business Reset* 07:05 B2B And Niche Wins* 10:30 Altman Narrative Wars* 13:18 CEO Archetypes Debate* 18:31 OpenAI IPO Reality* 20:58 Mythos Model Hype* 24:04 Building Hot Takes* 31:15 Vibe Coding Impacts* 36:48 Politics As Creators* 39:04 Trolling As Statecraft* 40:34 Boston Globe TikTok Accent* 44:13 Artists Versus Engineers* 46:43 Midas Touch Deal Breakdown* 51:27 Copycat Creator Acquisitions* 56:23 NYT Reporting And AI Newsrooms* 01:02:23 Clipping Economy Explained* 01:07:42 Boats As Status Symbol* 01:10:48 Good Product* 01:12:57 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

New Media Energy 03.04.2026 1h 18min

Troy and Brian react to OpenAI buying TBPN: It pays to have viewpoints and approaches that are preferred by the powerful. FeedMe's Emily Sundberg joins as a guest this week. We discuss why new media like TBPN is beating legacy media not by distribution hacks or aesthetics but in energy. Legacy media relies on structural energy that’s dissipated while new media is built on earned energy, which is more organic, relatable and even fun. Plus: Puck vs Vanity Fair, Troy's vibe coding addiction, and why venture capital isn't cool.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:28 OpenAI Buys TBPN* 08:13 Welcome* 10:11 Vibe Code Corner: PVA Hot Take* 17:17 Agents and Future Org Charts* 22:08 Emily Vibe Coded Side Apps* 25:18 Future of Media Trends* 33:11 Feed Me Business Overview* 37:39 Events Merch and Energy Thesis* 43:32 Scaling Feed Me carefully* 47:34 Why TBPN works* 53:01 Defining new media* 56:43 Vanity Fair vs Puck* 01:01:20 Aspirational media and detachment* 01:06:15 Events business reality* 01:09:37 Cool or Not Cool Corner* 01:15:05 Good Product* 01:17:25 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

The War on Slop 27.03.2026 1h 6min

OpenAI is pivoting to the enterprise, Kentucky farmers are modern folk heroes by not selling their land for a datacenter, and Meta and YouTube get the Big Tobacco treatment. Plus: Troy gives a progress report on his vibe coded Personal Intelligence Media Platform, AB’s take on Vox Media’s podcast business and MarketBeat’s profitable fin-pub hustle, and Wired’s reinvention as a Big Tech critic.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:44 Reptile Rescue* 03:08 Welcome* 04:39 PVA Mixer* 06:17 PageMaker nostalgia* 09:12 Building PIMP* 20:52 AI slop and media value* 33:21 UI Design on Trial* 36:47 Tucker vs The Economist* 38:29 Vox Podcast Sale* 45:11 LinkedIn and Social CRM* 47:26 Wired Subscriptions and Tech Scrutiny* 49:53 Atlantic Cruise Events* 51:52 Zombie Franchises and Propaganda Ads* 55:02 Reality TV Loses to UGC* 57:15 MarketBeat Subscription Arbitrage* 01:03:28 Good Product* 01:06:07 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

First Principles Meet the Real World 20.03.2026 1h 23min

But physiotherapists still use accountants, dentists are in great shape and our own vibe coding experiments run into snags. Plus: The return of Travis Kalanick and the Mount Rushmore of tech titans, Google Stitch, who lost BuzzFeed, The Trade Desk’s woes, the Oscars as reflective of the end of the old Hollywood model, why The Economist is catnip for billionaires, and why mass layoffs and rapid rehiring are the new corporate norm.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:57 Welcome* 01:18 Who’s Cooked* 04:28 First Principle Thinkers* 15:02 PvA Claude Projects* 27:11 Finest Act of Self Mythologizing* 31:06 PvA Mount Rushmore Lineup* 37:15 The Economist Deal* 43:17 Buzzfeed End is Near* 48:48 Trade Desk Failures* 54:21 Oscars* 01:03:05 Good Product* 01:22:32 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Systems Are King 13.03.2026 1h 9min

YouTube became a $550 billion juggernaut by building the infrastructure: the algorithm, the ad stack, the creator revenue share, the living room app. It spent more on content than almost anyone else without producing it. Meanwhile, legacy media companies that bet everything on premium content are pivoting to events, harvesting their websites for ad yield, and watching their audiences migrate to platforms they don't control. X tells the same story: a product that isn't even particularly good has become the most influential information network in the world because of the raw, unmediated network it sits on top of. On an individual level, those who can build personal systems are establishing leverage. The lesson: Power is durable power doesn't come from what you make, it comes from the system you build around it.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:26 Cool Things* 03:52 Welcome* 11:44 AI Writing and Newsrooms* 15:27 Epstein Grammar Power Flex* 21:11 Wealth Shifts to Older Audiences* 25:19 Iran War and X as Truth Feed* 32:35 Barry Diller Eyes CNN* 38:27 YouTube Becomes Media King* 50:30 Everything Is Cooked* 01:04:00 Takeaways* 01:05:51 Good Product* 01:08:21 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Hating the Player and the Game 06.03.2026 59min

Block’s 40% employee purge says more about Jack Dorsey’s CEO skills than AI. David Zaslav gets only a PE golf clap for making Warner Bros shareholders money. McDonald’s CEO becomes a symbol of out-of-touch financializers. But hope is on the way as Cal AI’s teenage founders bootstrapped their way to riches.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:47 Welcome* 01:45 Human Computer’s Ballgame* 06:46 AI & Game Dev* 08:51 Anthropic Pentagon Clash* 14:04 AI Narrative Wars* 17:37 War News Fragmentation* 28:43 Layoffs & AI Excuses* 32:36 Holding CEO’s Accountable* 44:29 Cal AI Exit* 48:09 SXSW Nostalgia* 53:53 Good Product* 58:12 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

The AI Reckoning 27.02.2026 1h 7min

Data shows widespread trepidation over the AI, whether it’s datacenter construction or possible job displacement, yet little public discussion has taken place. We discuss how that’s changing as AI becomes a political issue. Meanwhile, another reckoning is happening with a return of cancel culture in a new and improved version; the open web faces its own reckoning as grotesque user experiences lead it into a doom loop; and private capital faces a squeeze that will hurt M&A.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:50 Irish Hospitality* 04:37 Intro* 07:30 AI & The State of the Union* 24:21 Cancel Culture* 35:19 Death of the Open Web* 42:43 Private Capital* 50:38 Money Making Opportunity* 01:00:30 Good Product* 01:06:26 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Best/Worst of Times 20.02.2026 1h 4min

They unpack the "orality thesis" and what the shift from written to spoken culture means for how we think, communicate, and vote. On the media side, they map out what's actually working right now: audience-first elite brands, B2B trojan horses like Hearst, expert creator newsletters, and the relentless pull of performance marketing, and AI-generated monkey content on YouTube. Plus: a report from the Swiss Alps.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:39 Welcome* 05:13 Orality Thesis* 08:42 Writing vs Talking* 12:07 Doom-Maxing* 22:58 Leadership Crisis* 33:16 The Best and Worst of Media* 52:06 Synthetic YouTube Content* 56:36 Good Product* 01:03:41 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com