People vs Algorithms

After two decades of scale chasing, feed optimization, and platform dependence, the industry is rediscovering older mechanics that actually work: events, newsletters, sponsorships, classifieds, and direct audience relationships. Plus: The difficulty of changing legacy media organizations; micro-dramas as modern media format; and field notes from CES, the Affiliate Summit and an Ojai turtle sanctuary.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:34 Welcome* 03:44 CES 2026* 10:40 Semaphore and Media Business Models* 15:18 CBS News and Media Transformation* 29:48 Creating New Products from Great Talent* 32:48 Retro Media* 42:35 Affiliate Summit* 52:54 Good Product* 59:17 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Troy and Brian talk about agentic advertising and why it’s being sold as salvation, the quiet consolidation happening across media and tech, and the shift from institutional power to systems, platforms, and legible individuals. We discuss sovereignty in an automated world, and why “finding leverage” has become the defining challenge for media, marketing, and anyone trying to stay relevant.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:28 Welcome* 07:06 Agentic Advertising and AI* 11:23 Semafor’s $30 Million Raise* 18:54 The Future of Yahoo* 24:12 The Rise of YouTube and Influencers* 31:08 The Future of Digital Publishers* 34:23 Media Personalities and the Creator Economy* 37:47 The Ethics of Content and Prediction Markets* 47:14 The Future of Major Cities and Job Market Predictions* 50:21 The Role of AI and Robotics in Society* 55:14 The Battle for Sovereignty and Media Independence* 01:01:42 Good Product* 01:06:10 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

This week, we wrap up the year with our picks for the biggest narratives, deal guys, hustlers and tech oligarchs.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:17 Welcome* 03:22 Vanity Fair Is Back* 05:56 Is Weiss good at media?* 13:51 Oscars On YouTube* 18:03 PvA 2025 Awards* 18:28 Personality of the Year* 25:31 Media Brand of the Year* 30:10 Innovation of the Year* 37:29 Overlord of the Year* 40:38 Hustler of the Year* 43:47 Deal Guy of the Year* 45:45 Word of the Year* 48:34 Narrative of the Year* 54:25 Good Product This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Underneath the narrative, the main plotline is the end of Hollywood’s already ailing business model built around scarcity and cable economics. That’s why the big winner of this deal, no matter who ends up owning the asset, is David Zaslav, the consummate Deal Guy. Netflix owning Warner Bros would be a fitting end, as streaming upended the reliable bulwark of Hollywood’s business model and firmly put tech in control. Plus: The social stigma of AI-generated content, Kalshi’s uninspiring mission to financialize everything, Marco Rubio’s war on woke fonts, Shopify’s agentic commerce play, a new Scorsese documentary, and sad SaaS-vertising invading the NYC subway.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:36 Welcome* 04:18 Warner Bros Deal* 17:07 Deal Guys* 37:59 Font Wars* 47:09 Australia Banning Social Media For Teens* 54:16 Shopify & AI* 01:00:13 Good Product This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

This week, Sam Altman shutters side quests to chase speed, reliability, and personalization, and we ask whether he’s a deals guy or a wartime leader in a world where Gemini 3 and Anthropic are catching up. From there we get into the Olivia Nuzzi saga, the New York Times vs David Sachs accountability drama, and another round of Silicon Valley vs East Coast media grievance airing. We close on Bending Spoons’ island of misfit apps, DealBook’s new CEO archetypes in a media world running out of leverage, and Good Product featuring Waymos and Japanese toilets as the most dependable robots in everyday life.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:39 Welcome* 07:54 OpenAI Code Red* 22:56 Sachs vs NYT* 30:02 Olivia Nuzzi Saga* 35:07 DealBook Summit* 45:16 Bending Spoons* 50:24 The Distribution Trap* 01:03:33 Good Product This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

We get into why America attracts them, how the term was coopted and branded, why competitive instinct sits at the center of real hustle, and how the changing nature of the economy will put a premium on hustling, for better or worse. Plus: Troy’s ‘eggsellent’ adventure at a Holiday Inn Express.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:41 Welcome* 02:19 Google Ascended* 14:24 AI Slop* 25:34 Hustlers* 44:10 Deal Talk: Warner Bros Discovery* 53:02 Good Product* 01:01:58 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

With institutions losing their distribution edge, main-character energy now determines who captures attention. The Olivia Nuzzi spectacle to Michael Wolff’s improbable Epstein cameo show why legacy media suddenly needs characters again. We also cover the Gemini 3 narrative flip, Google’s structural advantages, John Malone’s tax-efficient empire building, Apple News’ strange success despite its bad UX, and the rise of chessboxing as peak Slavic content.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:46 Welcome* 01:30 Aura and Lore In The Information Space* 16:17 Gemini 3* 26:52 Financializing Aura* 35:15 John Malone: Last of the cable cowboys* 41:05 Good Product* 51:15 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

We argue that true media people are troublemakers with taste. They’re people who understand narrative, tension, and how to make others feel something. Michael Wolff and Olivia Nuzzi are Media People. Scott Galloway and Silicon Valley People are not Media People. The media industry has been downsized in the Information Space, with media personalities rewarded more than Media People. Media People will endure.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:44 Welcome* 06:42 Job Displacement Tsunami* 16:10 The Problem With Men* 27:57 Media People* 56:14 Netflix Immersive Experience* 01:00:49 Justin Bieber A Twitch Streamer* 01:03:13 Good Product* 01:08:27 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Meanwhile, the New York Times has proven to the exception to the rule in publishing, as most publishers are dealing with “toxic” pageview assets. Plus: The Great Compression has arrived for ad agencies.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:29 Welcome* 01:47 New York Mayoral Election* 11:51 AI Bubble Check* 22:53 Job Shifts* 26:13 The Great Compression in Ad Agencies* 35:37 New York Times: Exception to the rule* 44:06 Vox* 52:49 Puck-Air Mail Deal* 55:36 Good Product* 57:14 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Plus: Anonymous Banker breaks down the logic of Warner Brothers Discovery’s sale, why celebrity investors are rarely additive, and the extractive logic of AOL’s $1.5b sale.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:21 Welcome* 01:48 Age Of Wonders vs What Is This S**t* 12:11 The Goon Squad by Daniel Kolitz* 14:53 Interview Assassin* 17:54 Performative Interview Format* 19:43 Making A Good Product* 37:19 Warner Bros. Discovery Deal* 43:50 Travis Kelsey Activist Investor* 50:23 AOL $1.5Bil Deal* 54:23 Good Product* 58:26 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

This week, Alex has a hard stop, AB is lost in Tokyo, and Brian and Troy go deep on sovereignty — who has it, who’s lost it, and whether it’s even possible to get it back for publishers and everyone else downstream of Big Tech.They debate whether Substack-style independence represents true sovereignty or just a different kind of dependency; ad tech’s extractive economics, and why “agentic ad buying” won’t fundamentally change a usurious system; and how OpenAI’s march toward becoming the next Google signals another era of centralization.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:24 Welcome* 06:35 How do publishers reclaim sovereignty?* 22:29 AdTech* 40:00 OpenAI In Browser Wars* 57:57 Good Product* 01:04:02 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

This week, we talk about how the information space rewards vibes over verification, the second-order effects of video swallowing social media, and how institutions lost the narrative war to influencers, memelords, and politicians who understand that truth is optional so long as the narrative is upheld.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:28 Welcome* 01:49 Old Internet Is Truly Dead* 06:44 Authentic Media Relationships* 10:11 The “Social” In Media* 20:16 AI In Commerce* 23:03 OpenAI Is A Better Google* 32:28 Who wants fake?* 35:33 Anemoia* 38:19 What is our next reality?* 49:51 Rapping “Fat” Troy* 50:21 AB On Rich People & Media Companies* 56:17 Hasan Piker Shock Collar* 01:00:12 Good Product* 01:01:40 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

This week, we talk about Anthropic’s humanist branding, the fading idea of cool in a fractured culture, and why Gen Z’s nostalgia for the analog world might be the real rebellion. Plus: Anonymous Banker joins to break down why the math behind Paramount buying The Free Press for $150 million includes “free severance” as it will push out many CBS News workers.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:29 Welcome* 00:58 Listener Feedback* 07:32 Milan Aesthetics* 11:46 Taste vs Slop* 21:51 Gen Z Nostalgia* 27:28 Claude’s “Brand Residency”* 29:23 Can AI be cool?* 36:45 The Free Press Deal* 48:21 Good Product* 52:25 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Sora 2’s selfie-movies, Meta’s Vibes, and OpenAI’s Pulse point to shorter, agentic, video-first habits—and a shrinking role for text. Even The New York Times is saying newsletters are too wordy and need more video.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:21 Welcome* 03:09 Aux Bons Crus* 07:42 Gen Z & Find My* 09:18 Sora 2 & Vibes* 20:43 Pulse* 23:57 AI In Commerce* 30:46 NYT World Newsletter* 37:18 People Inc. Acquired FeedFeed* 39:40 New Creator Tools On YouTube* 46:07 CloudFlare Metadata Signals* 50:57 Good Product* 56:33 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Plus: the evolving role of communications officers in the information wars, OpenAI’s new Pulse, Kimmel’s comeback, and the New York Times’ super app ambitions.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young’s People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey’s The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer’s Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:42 Gaming in Japan* 08:02 CCO Role In The Information Space* 13:48 Kimmel Comeback* 21:51 Good Racket* 41:00 New York Times’ Super App* 45:59 ChatGPT Pulse* 55:16 Good Product* 01:01:08 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

This week: Trump’s war on the media expands and intensifies; AI doomers vs AI maximalists; and Anonymous Banker on what’s behind the Puck-Air Mail deal.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young's People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey's The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer's Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:31 Welcome* 01:10 Trump's War On Media & Free Speech* 24:25 AI Doomerism* 36:00 Puck-Air Mail Deal With AB* 46:05 TBPN* 52:56 Good Product* 01:00:33 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Troy surveys the media landscape and finds a rich buffet of options and many admittedly smaller models that are working just fine, notwithstanding the gloom that shrouds large swathes of institutional media. Perhaps a sign of the times: renewed interest in niche print titles, particularly ones that cater to the affluent and can play a convening role. Alex laments Google's great escape from a structural antitrust remedy. Anonymous Banker weighs in on the logic behind Paramount buying The Free Press and why other Substack deals are coming. Plus: The case for $100 chicken nuggets topped with caviar box at the US Open, padel's rise and AI creativity's ick factor.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young's People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey's The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer's Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:32 Welcome* 02:19 Everything is Fine* 22:45 Vogue* 28:21 Google* 40:12 J.Crew AI Models* 42:57 US Open With AB* 55:34 Paddle vs Pickle* 01:00:07 Where's the money going AB?* 01:05:55 Good Product* 01:11:12 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Plus: the demise of cultural criticism, publishers embracing apps again, and an activist investor taking on The New York Times.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young's People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey's The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer's Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:33 Welcome* 01:02 AI & Coffee* 19:39 Re-brands* 28:13 Decline Of Cultural Criticism* 36:39 Apps Are Back* 50:54 NYT Activist Investor* 55:54 Good Product* 01:04:29 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

Plus: the case for media cooperatives and aperitivo, and why running agencies inside publishers is tough.* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young's People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey's The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer's Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:31 Welcome* 01:41 Summer Stories* 02:30 Food 52* 13:17 Newsette* 15:46 GenZ vs AOL* 18:07 GPT 5* 20:16 Chatbots vs Loneliness* 32:30 Travel Log: Italy* 35:41 Media Co-ops* 42:28 Good Product* 46:26 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com

We explore how new tools like Snipd and AI chat bots promise frictionless access to knowledge, but may be trading comprehension for convenience. Along the way: the slow death of the open web, the rise of moral disgust with AI-generated culture, and the parallel media worlds being built by tech and alternative voices. At the center of it all is a question: are we getting smarter, or just better at pretending we are?* Watch us on YouTube* Troy Young's People vs Algorithms newsletter* Brian Morrissey's The Rebooting newsletter* Alex Schleifer's Human Computer* Follow Alex, Brian and Troy on TwitterChapters:* 00:00 Open* 00:35 Intro* 05:12 Welcome* 08:30 Quick Hits: Google Traffic* 15:43 Processing Information* 37:27 Moral Disgust With AI* 46:44 Parallel Media Worlds* 54:42 Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peoplevsalgorithms.com