Dan Dissinger welcomes Tony Stubblebine, CEO of Medium.com, to talk about the power of authenticity in writing online and how Medium’s platform helps to create a space where authors of all levels can find and cultivate an audience. Tony dives into how he went from software engineer to the CEO of Medium.com. He shares his goals for Medium to create an online community where people create and share meaningful content and how Medium is a place where all people get to be teachers and students. The conversation touches on the transformative power of writing, the challenges posed by AI-generated content, and the importance of human connection in the digital age. This is the type of episode Writing Remix is all about, so sit back, take notes, and get inspired to put pen to paper (so to say). Share this episode with someone in your life that is an aspiring writer.
Approximate Show Notes
00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
01:09 Tony Stubblebine’s Journey to Medium
02:58 The Magic of Writing
05:14 Medium’s Unique Value
06:28 Authenticity in Online Writing
10:08 Subscription Model vs. Ad-Based Model
17:45 Writing as a Portfolio
21:42 The Importance of Continuous Writing
26:01 Navigating Online Spaces: Medium vs. Social Media
27:33 The Importance of Trust and Safety Rules
28:54 Encouraging Deep and Personal Writing
31:40 The Human Connection in Writing
33:33 Medium’s Role in the AI Era
35:38 Personal Reading Preferences and Inspirations
41:33 The Value of Personal Expertise
43:41 The Call to Be Authentic
47:44 Medium’s Social Publishing Experience
48:55 Final Thoughts and Encouragement
Tony Stubblebine is the CEO of Medium. Previously, he was the owner of some of Medium’s largest publications, including Better Humans, and is the co-founder and former CEO of Coach.me. He lives in New York.
People, Texts & Podcasts Mentioned in the Episode
Evan Williams, Founder of Medium
“How I’m feeling about horse stall mats for home gyms.” by Tony Stubblebine
“I always find that writing is kind of magical, and the people who do it well are so impressive to me.” -
Tony Stubblebine
“I think that question of what's worth bringing to it and really what's worth bringing to the world is almost like the most important question [...] I want Medium to bring something new to the world that isn't already there.”
-Tony Stubblebine
“I think what really does well on Medium is personal experience and that could be personal experience like in your life, but honestly, a lot of it is professional experience [...] an amateur writer sharing their professional knowledge is basically the most valuable thing on the internet right now, because no one else is doing that.”
-Tony Stubblebine
“Good writing changes people, it entertains them, it deepens their understanding, it's a chance for you to pass some wisdom that you've picked up on to someone else,”
-Tony Stubblebine
“Writing is about human connection; you just can't get past that [...] There’s something about your life experience that you're trying to articulate and pass on.”
-Tony Stubblebine
“By definition, you're an expert in your own life [...] there is no greater expert in you.”
-Tony Stubblebine
“Writing online is a chance to write about the big things, but also the literal smallest, most mundane things in your life.”
-Tony Stubblebine
“The difference between writing for your diary and writing online is that there's human connection.”
-Tony Stubblebine
“When I took over with Medium, my number one goal was to build different rules for distribution, different rules for who gets read, and make it much, much easier for anyone to come in and find an audience.”
-Tony Stubblebine
“I love that Medium is a place that anyone can come and be heard.”
-Tony Stubblebine
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