3 ms·

There's also a really active community of really smart people posting takes and interesting viewpoints on Twitter. Most of them seem to have Substacks these day

There's also a really active community of really smart people posting takes and interesting viewpoints on Twitter. Most of them seem to have Substacks these days, so this makes sense from my perspective. If Substack is monetized long-form think pieces, then "super follows" could be monetized "smart people thoughts."

brod 5y ago
I was genuinely surprised your comment doesn't end with an "/s", but anyway, I'd be interested to hear the rationale of users who pay for "smart people thoughts".
- Swizec 5y ago
  > the rationale of users who pay for "smart people thoughts" I pay for the Economist all the time. So far it's been great. The news is completely useless on a personal value basis, but reading the insightful calm reporting without drama has been fantastic. Especially during the US election when it felt like the whole world was screaming at me 24/7. I'm also a big buyer of audiobooks from experts so that I can get their "smart people thoughts" on $topic.
- taylorlapeyre 5y ago
  Your comment implies that paying money to hear the thoughts & opinions of smart people is some sort of new concept that should be considered with skepticism. And yes, Twitter does contain more than just political shouting matches by random people. Here's a few examples: 1. I follow a few photographers that I greatly admire. Some of their best work is on Twitter. With super-follows, I can support these artists and get exclusive posts for things like gear reviews, etc. 2. I follow a lot of economists/scientists that often have really interesting insights. Noah Smith, Tyler Cowen, Ezra Klein, Scott Manley, to name a few. I'd happily pay a couple dollars a month for more in-depth content by them on Twitter. 3. I also follow some interesting writers and creators, like Craig Mod, Hundred Rabbits, and Kyle Chakya. I could see myself paying them a couple bucks a month if enough of their content was offered that way. They are also people I really respect, so I'd be happy to support them.
- rchaud 5y ago
  1. Buy subscription to several 'smart people thought' accounts 2. Copy/paste the content on to your own premium Twitter account and re-sell them as a "smart people thoughts bundle" subscription
- dudus 5y ago
  > ... I'd be interested to hear the rationale ... Is your interest enough for you to pay to hear it? If so you answered your own question. Otherwise just know some people would be willing to pay for it.
65 5y ago
I'm not sure I want to pay $3 a month, per person, just for some extra tweets. I don't think the value of a tweet is nearly as great as the value of a Substack post. Super follows seem wildly expensive to me. Seems more like a $0.99/month subscription (or lower).
- taylorlapeyre 5y ago
  Depends on what the tweets are. For a photographer, the tweets could be your entire work. For some scientists, their tweets are some of the most influential things that they write. And for an indie game developer, the tweets might be the medium for links to exclusive add-ons, etc.

brod 5y ago

I was genuinely surprised your comment doesn't end with an "/s", but anyway, I'd be interested to hear the rationale of users who pay for "smart people thoughts".

Swizec 5y ago
> the rationale of users who pay for "smart people thoughts" I pay for the Economist all the time. So far it's been great. The news is completely useless on a personal value basis, but reading the insightful calm reporting without drama has been fantastic. Especially during the US election when it felt like the whole world was screaming at me 24/7. I'm also a big buyer of audiobooks from experts so that I can get their "smart people thoughts" on $topic.
taylorlapeyre 5y ago
Your comment implies that paying money to hear the thoughts & opinions of smart people is some sort of new concept that should be considered with skepticism. And yes, Twitter does contain more than just political shouting matches by random people. Here's a few examples: 1. I follow a few photographers that I greatly admire. Some of their best work is on Twitter. With super-follows, I can support these artists and get exclusive posts for things like gear reviews, etc. 2. I follow a lot of economists/scientists that often have really interesting insights. Noah Smith, Tyler Cowen, Ezra Klein, Scott Manley, to name a few. I'd happily pay a couple dollars a month for more in-depth content by them on Twitter. 3. I also follow some interesting writers and creators, like Craig Mod, Hundred Rabbits, and Kyle Chakya. I could see myself paying them a couple bucks a month if enough of their content was offered that way. They are also people I really respect, so I'd be happy to support them.
rchaud 5y ago
1. Buy subscription to several 'smart people thought' accounts 2. Copy/paste the content on to your own premium Twitter account and re-sell them as a "smart people thoughts bundle" subscription
dudus 5y ago
> ... I'd be interested to hear the rationale ... Is your interest enough for you to pay to hear it? If so you answered your own question. Otherwise just know some people would be willing to pay for it.

65 5y ago

I'm not sure I want to pay $3 a month, per person, just for some extra tweets. I don't think the value of a tweet is nearly as great as the value of a Substack post. Super follows seem wildly expensive to me. Seems more like a $0.99/month subscription (or lower).

taylorlapeyre 5y ago
Depends on what the tweets are. For a photographer, the tweets could be your entire work. For some scientists, their tweets are some of the most influential things that they write. And for an indie game developer, the tweets might be the medium for links to exclusive add-ons, etc.