[SIC] TALKS #79: Evan Armstrong

Summary per Riverside's AI: In this conversation, Ben interviews Evan Armstrong, the lead writer at Every, a next-gen media company. They discuss Evan's background and how he got into writing, as well as the mission of Every to provide accurate and insightful tech coverage. They also explore the role of AI in various industries, including voice replication and chatbots. Evan shares his million-dollar software idea and the potential impact it could have on the CRM industry. The conversation highlights the importance of understanding technology companies and their potential to shape the world. Evan discusses his career as a business writer and the challenges of monetizing writing. He shares his admiration for other writers such as Matt Levine and Ben Thompson. Evan also talks about his identity as a writer and his focus on craft rather than promotion. He mentions his love for film and how it provides a break from his writing routine. The conversation touches on the collapse of narrative network effects and the movie Deadpool versus Wolverine. Takeaways * Understanding technology companies can provide insights into how the world works. * AI has the potential to revolutionize industries, such as voice replication and chatbots. * Evan's million-dollar software idea involves reimagining CRM systems by automating data analysis and reducing the need for user interaction. * The value of advice and the parasocial relationship between creators and their audience is often undervalued in the digital media economy. * The goal of Every is to push the boundaries of what is possible and inspire others to build innovative solutions. Monetizing writing can be challenging, and many business writers end up pursuing other opportunities to make more money. * Craft and skill are important for becoming a successful writer, but marketing and promotion are also crucial for building an audience. * Finding inspiration from peers and admiring their work can push writers to improve and strive for success. * Engaging in activities outside of writing, such as watching movies, can provide a break and relaxation from the writing routine. * The collapse of narrative network effects in movies like Deadpool versus Wolverine can result in excessive self-referential jokes and references that may not resonate with all viewers. Sound Bites * "Understanding technology companies can provide insights into how the world works." * "Evan's million-dollar software idea involves reimagining CRM systems." * "The value of advice and the parasocial relationship between creators and their audience is often undervalued." * "I did the math once and last time I, this was probably a year and a half ago. So it's much bigger now, but it was something like $600 billion of capital was represented by my readers." * "The only way to make more money as a business writer is you offer adjacent products that are higher, uh, you know, higher skew values."