Escaping Algotraz

A couple weeks ago, Colin and Samir (podcasters) sat down with Hasan Minhaj (comedian) to discuss escaping the algorithm. Here are some of my favorite takeaways:

1. Gauging the success of a piece of content is about studying the average. There’s always going to be disproportionately weighted outliers – people leaving a show early, or when it comes to social media, people screaming in the comments - that can skew data. It’s disproportionately loud, so it gets disproportionately noticed, and disproportionately distributed by the algorithm. Ditch the algorithm. Study the average.

2. Laughter is involuntary. Making someone laugh immediately creates shared sense of identity. It's a gateway to finding common ground. In social media, this is critical for organic community development.

3. Longevity as a creator is about focusing on depth, then width. You need texture. You need composition. You need substance. Start with the art, then build things around it.

4. Don’t chase your audience. Good content is about delivery. Give room between each piece for people’s curiosity to develop. Create a vacuum of information that pulls people in.

5. Chasing the algorithm is a disservice to your unique artistry. It's no different than chasing validation from strangers. You’re liable to do whatever just for another bump of clicks and likes. Ignoring the algorithm is necessary for authenticity.