About Five Years

The series of posts I was writing last year ended up turning into a book in my head, and then much (much) later into an actual book that’s available on Amazon here.

Of course it’d be fabulous if you convinced your employer to buy 500 copies - but if you’ve resisted the urge to unsubscribe from Worth Every Penny, I consider you a contributor and as such would like to get you a PDF copy for free.

Here’s the blurb:

About 5 Years: How Content Businesses Will Navigate the Push Revolution

Content businesses face a fundamental shift from "pull-based" discovery—where audiences actively seek content—to a "push-based" paradigm where algorithms deliver content to passive consumers. This book examines how three converging disruptions—Google's evolution into an answer engine, short-form video dominance, and privacy-driven advertising changes—are creating an existential challenge for publishers.

"About 5 Years" provides both strategic frameworks and tactical approaches for building sustainable content models in this new landscape. It moves beyond simplistic solutions to show how newsletters, communities, specialized expertise, and innovative revenue streams can be integrated into coherent strategies that resist algorithmic disruption.

The window for controlled transformation is closing rapidly. Publishers have approximately five years to reimagine their businesses for a world where algorithms, not active human choices, drive most content discovery. This practical guide offers a roadmap for navigating this revolutionary shift—not just to survive but to thrive in the push-dominated future.

Just reply to this note if you’re interested and I’ll send you a pdf.

Thanks for sticking around!