new metrics

institutions — held shared context, conferred legitimacy.

gatekeepers — decided what was credible, what mattered.

shared context — the stuff everyone just knew.

social contracts — unspoken agreements about how we operate.

mainstream media — told the shared story.

third places — hosted community without anyone organizing it.

you didn’t have to think... See more

Perhaps being pointedly low-key on Instagram speaks to a different kind of hustle: the effort to escape the allure of the screen and build clout in physical spaces. Keeping your follower count down is its own kind of discipline.

Said differently, we try to measure what we value.

But we inevitably end up valuing what we measure.

And what can be measured tends to be...the mechanical stuff.

Not only do numbers not capture what matters, they are also extremely open to manipulation.

While stepping into new platforms and niche digital communities is a long-term game, the initial focus shouldn’t be on direct conversions. Instead, the immediate KPIs should centre on building brand affinity, engagement, and traffic. In other words, these early efforts are vital for laying the foundation, fostering a community, and ultimately... See more

we need to remember that we produce culture merely by existing in it . The people who are in the photos and dancing to the music are just as important as the people making them; it’s indisputably a symbiotic relationship. And besides, culture also emerges from the everyday. That book club you started with your friends, that’s culture. Seeing the... See more

Your business exists in the context of a marketplace, but also in the context of your lived experience.

Defaulting to the norms of your industry will shape your business to be similar to the rest, where the best entrepreneurs zero-in on their self expression. Do you have an eye for good design? Inject design into a tasteless industry. Do you have a... See more