Author Archives: ivanagas

The untapped potential of the group chat is massive. It is how groups of friends hang out online but doesn’t come close to how they hang out in-person. No one ever plans to hang out on a group chat because there are fewer experiences to have together. The group chat doesn’t have the same feelingContinue reading “The Group Chat Could Be So Much More”

There are places in-between the spaces we live. We rarely “see” them, but they are there. I’ve realized many of my favourite writers, video makers, and photographers are constantly exploring this space in-between. They travel and then observe the space between where they start and finish. Their destination doesn’t matter, it is someplace you’ve neverContinue reading “Observers of the In-Between”

Incentives matter. We do what is incentivized, avoid what is disincentivized, and ignore what is not incentivized. A key way to set incentives is through rewards. Give someone a trophy for winning, and they’ll try harder to win. “Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome.” Charlie Munger Rewards shape everything weContinue reading “Say What?! Rewards for Communication in Internet Communities”

Communities, at their core, have a series of events that keep them moving. These events can be news, rituals, actions, announcements, and more. They create a community clock (imagine the numbers replaced by these events), and keep the community ticking. Without them, the community dies. The clock must be powered by either external or internalContinue reading “The Community Clock”

People want infinite amounts of the content they like. We want more episodes of the series we like, writing from the authors we like, and music from the musicians we like. The internet improved a creator’s ability to do this. The price of publication and distribution is basically zero, the only cost in this instanceContinue reading “The Infinite Remix of Kanye West”

An annoying fact about tennis is that every point matters. There are no “rest points.” The next point is always important. This is true for good and bad players, and regardless if you are winning or losing.  Writing is no different, it turns out. In tennis, a long point is worth the same as aContinue reading “Every Point Matters”

Nothing anyone says on Clubhouse matters. The whole point of Clubhouse is to be seen. It doesn’t matter who speaks or what they say. It matters that they are seen as high status people. Clubhouse rose to prominence when no one could be seen in person. Everyone was stuck in their homes. Someone with aContinue reading “Clubhouse Is a Cargo Cult”

Crypto is one giant game where people transfer both money or status to projects (coins, tokens, protocols) to try to win more money or status in the future. You’ve learned all about the money part, but not about the status part. Status is a combination of a person or project’s reputation, credibility, and value. ItContinue reading “Winning The Crypto Status Game”

People complain social media is “anti-social.” They are partially right; popular social media platforms optimize for “engagement.” There are many ways to create engagement without being social, and that is what happens. You become a tool that creates engagement for social media rather than using it for your own good. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,Continue reading “Social Media Is as Social as You Make It”

Do you ever wonder how internet communities persist despite trolls, grifters, bullies, and other undesirable characters? How do members persevere and remain positive despite these bad actors? Most communities don’t have employees to manage or create content. Most people are too busy or distracted to contribute, yet many communities still function well. Why doesn’t everyone’sContinue reading “Saints, Knaves, and Moralists of Internet Communities”