How BeReal Missed Its Moment [Content Made Simple]
How BeReal Missed Its Moment [Content Made Simple]
Issue #308: Meta's AI scramble, YouTuber shoes, and more.
TOP OF THE WEEK
How BeReal Missed Its Moment
Quote:
I had hoped BeReal would take its twist on “appointment television” to other mediums — adding a group chat that was only active for a designated period each day, say, or collaborative videos that you could only add to at certain times. That, to me, feels more in the spirit of what the company was trying to build in the first place.
Instead, at least in the United Kingdom, it just looks like a more restrictive version of Instagram stories.
Commentary:
Casey is on point as usual. BeReal was the next big thing until it wasn’t. And it’s a really good picture of just how hard it is to compete in the social media landscape these days. Which speaks to the amazing success of TikTok, really.
THE TRIVIA QUESTION
Which city is home to the largest movie theater in the world? (Meaning it has the most screens)
Answer at the bottom.
HITTING THE LINKS
Link #1: Find Your People…Offline
Good thoughts here from Brett.
Why is finding our people so hard today? Because we’re looking in the wrong place. You’ll find oodles of fans, “friends,” followers, subscribers, and avatar interlocutors online. But most likely, you won’t find “your people” there. At least not the ones who will transform your life in positive and long-lasting ways.
Link #2: Inside Meta's scramble to catch up on AI
There’s some humor to be found in one of the world’s former leaders of internet innovation chasing every new technological trend and falling behind everyone else. People in tech circles have said for years that Zuckerberg struggles to innovate, and it sort of comes into view here.
As Zuckerberg pivoted the company toward the metaverse - a set of digital worlds enabled by augmented and virtual reality - its capacity crunch was slowing its ability to deploy AI to respond to threats, like the rise of social media rival TikTok and Apple-led ad privacy changes, said four of the sources.
The stumbles caught the attention of former Meta board member Peter Thiel, who resigned in early 2022, without explanation.
Link #3: YouTuber Marques Brownlee Gets Into the Sneaker Game
I’m a huge fan of MKBHD, who runs one of the best YouTube channels on the planet. Fascinating to see him get into this new bit of product/merch.
Brownlee’s sneakers are an unapologetic piece of collaborative merch for the YouTuber thanks to little easter egg customizations that nod to his YouTube career. The shoe feature Brownlee’s signature on the tongue, as well as a red back loop. Most notably, the upper is embroidered with a “251” —the number represents the length of Brownlee’s first YouTube video (2:51), which launched his career.
THE FUNNY PART
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Trivia Answer: Madrid, Spain (25 screens—I’m honestly surprised there isn’t one bigger.)