2023 in Review: Subscriber Insights and a Glimpse of 2024
Hello, everyone! Year 2 of the Psychedelic Blog has come to a close. I'd like to offer a brief recap of 2023, share some insights on the subscriber model, and provide a sneak peek of what's in store for 2024.
Most Popular Articles of 2023:
When analyzing the content that has resonated most with my audience in a post-mortem evaluation, I've come across an intriguing revelation: the top-performing pieces from the past year exhibit no discernible correlation. There are no specific themes or topics that consistently outshine others. If I were to categorize the best-performing pieces by subject, the breakdown would appear as follows:
A Trip Report
A Piece on Loss & Regret
An Ode to a Philosopher
A Piece about Fear
A Piece about Psychology
There's no discernible theme that connects these five topics, and that's actually a positive aspect. One of my guiding writing principles is to avoid the temptation to write with my audience in mind. Doing so would be pandering. I focus on topics I believe are important and can be handled with the care they deserve.
I'd like to briefly touch on the changing landscape of content consumption. The era of the Mainstream Media, now often referred to as 'the Corporate Media' partly due to its declining prominence, seems to be behind us. We're witnessing a shift from viewership in the hundreds of thousands (compared to the millions of listeners multiple podcasts receive) to a culture that no longer settles for soundbites & platitudes but instead craves long-form content. Additionally, the public is increasingly aware of the influence of advertisers on news content & its presentation, as highlighted by this viral clip.
As I write this, media empires of the future are in the making. However, I have some reservations about the 'subscriber' model:
From a practical standpoint, expecting people to allocate $5 per month to support their 70 favorite content creators is simply not feasible.
Audience capture. The rise in independent journalism & podcasting came from a public tired of half truths & platitudes being served to them by the legacy media. However, if a creators income is solely reliant on subscribers paying them, we may end up creating the same dogmatic echo chambers we are trying to move away from. As the late Charlie Munger said, “Show me the incentive, I’ll show you the outcome”.
Being reliant on advertising money could create the same problems we dislike about the legacy media. Despite this, I see this as the best option. In this revenue model, at least the creator has some control over who they let advertise on their platform (for example — as a Psychedelic advocate, rest assured I would never take a dime from Pfizer).
The Subscriber Model creates a shitty reader experience. Hitting a 'Paid Subscribers' paywall a few paragraphs into a captivating article can be frustrating, as is the frequent 'request for upgrading to paid' prompt. It often feels like digital panhandling. To enhance the reading experience, I have chosen not to hide new articles behind a paywall, with only one prompt for upgrading to paid, deliberately positioned at the bottom of each article. My goal is to facilitate an uninterrupted reading experience for my audience.
The emergence of Artificial Intelligence. Here's my perspective on AI's inexorable journey toward ubiquity, which can be divided into three phases: 1) lack of understanding 2) uncertainty/unrest 3) abundance. It appears that we are presently navigating the latter part of the first phase.
As we progress into the second phase, I postulate that the proliferation of online think pieces may become so commonplace that individuals might begin to opt out (due to the speed at which AI can assist in generating this type of content). Only those possessing an exceptional talent for stimulating critical thinking will endure. Sam Harris & Jordan Peterson serve as excellent exemplars in this regard. If we successfully navigate phase 2, a world of abundance awaits us. This future holds the promise of accessible healthcare & treatments, having a business & tax expert at your fingertips through a simple app on your phone, and the potential to address intricate challenges such as disease, poverty, and climate issues.
Turning our focus to what the future holds — the blog is here to stay. I remain committed to delivering thought-provoking pieces on a weekly basis. Drawing from the wisdom of my former colleague & solopreneur, Justin Welsh, there are four types of content that effectively build a following:
This particular think piece aligns with Bullet #3 (or at least I aspire for it to do so). I will continue to publish weekly; however, I will be building upon the success of the blog by exploring new avenues of content creation & distribution.
Directionally, here is my mission for 2024:
Take the blog out of stealth mode. Until now, I've made minimal efforts to promote my work & have primarily relied on word-of-mouth to achieve a level of growth I couldn't have envisioned when I started the blog two years ago. It's time to step out of the shadows & share my content across various channels.
A Fresh Approach to Trip Reports: Sharing my experiences with Psychedelics serves a dual purpose: it helps me integrate these experiences & provides valuable insights for those interested in embarking on their own journeys. However, I believe that relying solely on written narratives falls short of fully conveying the depth of these experiences. Therefore, in 2024, I'm excited to introduce video content to complement my trip reports. I have some compelling Psychedelic ceremonies on the horizon, and I'm eagerly looking forward to sharing this new dimension of trip reports with all of you.
I'm embarking on a journey to broaden the scope of my content in 2024. While I'll continue to explore the fascinating realm of Psychedelics, it's the art of storytelling about the human experience that truly ignites my passion (and Psychedelics represent one of the most intriguing facets of this experience). Anticipate a richer tapestry of content in 2024, including discussions on philosophy, the essence of consciousness, the enigma of death, the fabric of reality, the dynamics of culture, and the complexities of relationships.
I'll be diversifying the channels through which I create & share content. The limitations of the subscriber model have catalyzed a curiosity about alternative monetization strategies. This is an ongoing conversation I'm presently engaged in with trusted advisors. One thing remains certain, though — I'm committed to expanding both the variety of content I produce and the platforms through which I share it.
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for accompanying me on this journey over the past year. I hope the content has been enlightening & engaging for you. Thank you very much.
Wishing each and every one of you a joyful New Year! May 2024 bring an abundance of love, meaningful connections, and profound moments of bliss into your lives.
If you enjoyed this piece, please do me a favor & ‘Like’ it. I have learned the amount of ‘likes’ a piece gets directly impacts where it ranks in the Substack algorithm. Thank you!
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