Sloponomics: Surviving the AI Content Flood with Rudeness | Mostly Growth
Description
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In this episode, CJ Gustafson, Kyle Poyar, and Ben Hillman dive into the concept of “sloponomics”—a tongue-in-cheek look at the overwhelming flood of mediocre AI-generated content and what it means for creators, startups, and investors. They discuss how unique voices and genuine creativity will stand out in an AI-saturated landscape, the economic parallels between modern content creation and startup growth, and the tricky dynamics of building sustainable momentum in a world of noise. The trio also unpack the “$10K MRR” meme, pricing psychology, and the difference between chasing vanity metrics and building lasting value. With humor and real-world insight, they explore how AI, distribution, and early-stage investment are reshaping what success looks like in tech and media.
Timestamps:
00:00 Preview and Intro
00:35 Being Mean to AI and Early Banter
02:05 When You’re Rude to AI: The Penn State Study
04:57 Sponsor – Metronome
06:02 The Rise of AI-Generated “Slop” Content
07:15 The Creator “Haves and Have-Nots”
09:00 Losing Credit to AI Models
11:20 Feeding the Beast: 400 Posts Later
13:13 “Slop Talk” and Human-Made Slop
14:27 The $10K MRR Meme and Startup Momentum
15:49 Pricing Psychology and Product Traction
17:42 Hunting Mice, Buffalo, and Elephants
20:19 Venture Funds, Bubbles, and Ecosystem Investing
23:39 When Startups Invest in Startups
26:25 Slack, Lattice, and the Platform Play
30:39 Wrapping Up and Late-Night Insights
33:12 The Hemingway Story and CJ’s No-Instagram Lifestyle
36:10 Electric Boats, Group Discounts, and Sign-Off
Episodes Referenced:
Slop Talk (coming soon)
https://www.youtube.com/slackerstuff
Why Only 2% of Startups Make It
When startups burn cash faster than they learn | Ivan Makarov:
996 Culture, Exploding AI Bills & SaaS Chaos
Links:
https://www.usg.edu/galileo/skills/unit07/internet07_02.phtml
https://futurism.com/altman-please-thanks-chatgpt
https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/over-50-percent-internet-ai-slop
https://www.axios.com/2025/10/14/ai-generated-writing-humans
https://x.com/madhuraaa_/status/1978390720881819884
https://www.mostlymetrics.com/p/eat-what-you-kill
https://christophjanz.blogspot.com/2014/10/five-ways-to-build-100-million-business.html
https://www.growthunhinged.com/p/how-to-build-your-early-gtm-strategy
https://www.mostlymetrics.com/p/startups-investing-in-startups-peak-bubble-behavior
https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/10/10/are-barefoot-shoes-good-for-runners
https://x.com/ivanomaksf/status/1978852000298320068?s=46
https://www.mostlymetrics.com/p/is-ltv-to-cac-the-nickelback-of-metrics
https://christophjanz.blogspot.com/2014/10/five-ways-to-build-100-million-business.html
https://www.theinformation.com/articles/ben-horowitz-hires-jensen-vercel-starts-venture-fund
https://www.instagram.com/chasemytail/
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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cjgustafson.substack.com
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