Articles by John
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John Battelle shared thisIt had been more than three years since I’d turned that phone on. A lot changes in that amount of time. I felt like a time traveler landing in the Spring of 2023. There were most of my familiar apps, but many were stuck in amber. Suddenly I was still halfway through The Covenant of Water on Audible. Long forgotten texts reminded me of relationships I’ve neglected to tend. My old Recount account was still integrated into my email app (we had just sold the company, and I was still consulting for the new owners). And apparently, the 2023 version of me thought Threads merited a place on my home screen. (That didn’t last long).
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John Battelle shared thisMeta "capitulated" and settled with 47 states on child endangerment, according to the NYT. But what I can't quite determine from coverage is whether the company accepted that it is responsible for its algorithms, which make editorial decisions and therefore should be seen as outside of Section 230 protections. From my initial read, it appears the section 230 defense remains intact. Anyone have thoughts/insights on this? https://lnkd.in/gsfgwUGSMeta to Pay Up to $17.1 Billion in Landmark Settlement Over Social Media Addiction ClaimsMeta to Pay Up to $17.1 Billion in Landmark Settlement Over Social Media Addiction Claims
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John Battelle shared thisOne topic dominated the conversations I’ve had at countless dinners, soirees, and fundraisers this summer. Yes, it’s “AI,” but that was true last summer, and even the summer of 2024. This year, however, the discussions turned from wonder and anticipation to something…darker. A central question came up over and over again: Is this technology – and the leadership behind it – fundamentally out of our control?
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John Battelle shared thisBy purchasing Spirit's data, Google has enclosed decades' worth of information about how an industry sector prices, markets, and engages with vendors, customers, and employees. No one else will benefit from that information - and many of us may well be harmed. After all, Google runs a massive marketplace for flight information, and it could use Spirit's proprietary data to tune that marketplace for its own gain. That alone justifies why Google was willing to pay $10 million for Spirit's digital carcass - but I'd argue it was worth far more.
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John Battelle shared thisBravo to the journalists advancing this lawsuit. “A president selling priority access to news he himself generates for the benefit of a private company he controls is so blatantly corrupt and unconstitutional that it would have been hard to even fathom just a few years ago,” said Seth Stern, chief of advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, a plaintiff in the case along with news outlet The Intercept. https://lnkd.in/gxHaYcd5Lawsuit seeks to ban Trump Media from charging for early access to president's posts on US policyLawsuit seeks to ban Trump Media from charging for early access to president's posts on US policy
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John Battelle shared thisThere’s a lyric in the Grateful Dead’s seminal “He’s Gone” that’s always stuck with me: “Nine mile skid on a ten mile ride.” I’ve never been certain what Robert Hunter meant when he wrote that line, but I’ve referenced it several times over the years, usually to reflect on how hard it is to change a long-held habit. Every time I think about hitting the brakes on something, I wonder about that tenth mile. Did the train start skidding at mile one, and come to rest at mile ten? Or did the engineer hit the brake too late, with catastrophe the inevitable result? I’ve been trying to hit the brake on having one big project define my life for what feels like a “nine-mile skid.” First when I moved to New York, then after The Recount’s sale, and now again after hiring my replacement at DOC. I’m pretty sure I’m near the end of the line, at least when it comes to being the chief bottle-washer at a newly created company. But that big question – what now? – remains uncertain. Does that sound familiar to you?
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John Battelle shared thisAnyone saying that the software industry is over is failing to pay attention to what software is actually good for: Driving products and services that enterprises and consumers find valuable. The idea that somehow AI is going to replace all that with a chatbot interface - "build me a new supply chain system, Claude" - strikes me as ludicrous. Today I'm going to think out loud about why.
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John Battelle shared thisEven though I ran a political media company for four years, I've largely avoided writing about politics, and I'm not about to make a habit of it now. But the politics around data centers has come to dominate coverage of AI, and how those politics play out over the next few months will likely determine not only the course of Trump's final two years in office, but who inherits the Presidency in 2028.
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John Battelle reposted thisJohn Battelle reposted thisA scientist who develops peptide drugs, a physician immunologist, and a fourth-generation pharmacist walk onto a stage. There is no punchline. That is roughly the problem. Further stoking the news is the recent decision by an FDA panel recommending approval of six new peptides for delivery by compounding pharmacies. DOC is convening a conversation on peptides, and we found three people — Dr. Ruth Gimeno, Ph.D., Helen Messier, M.D., Ph.D. and Alec Ginsberg, Pharm. D. — who look at the same molecules and reach different conclusions. Join us at DOC 2026 (https://lnkd.in/eUtd-__P) this year to be in the room when this conversation, and many more like it, happens live. https://lnkd.in/g8bjbJwU John Battelle Neil Parikh Jordan Shlain, MDThe Peptide Boom Is Missing One Thing: A Real Debate - DOCThe Peptide Boom Is Missing One Thing: A Real Debate - DOC
John Battelle replied to a comment
4d
Richard Gingras There's curation, then there's editorial decisions. My argument is that algorithms make editorial decisions, which is not part of 230. Moderation yes, editorial decisions no. 230 allowed for moderation according to community standards. That's a far cry from algorithms based on engagement goals. I was hoping this might clarify.
John Battelle replied to a comment
1w
Brad Templeton Indeed. But as we come to realize the true value of data that we previously left to spoil on the ground, we might want to look for public use/good in there. That's a role for good governance/government. ...
John Battelle replied to a comment
2w
Paul Burchard, PhD I chose journalism exactly for that reason - Anthro was too slow for me at 22 years old! Good advice, well taken.
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John Battelle liked thisJohn Battelle liked thisBravo to DOC 2024 Faculty Dr. Tony Wyss-Coray! Time Magazine named him as one of their 12 Longevity Leaders for 2026 for employing protein markers to calculate the biological age of organs in the body. His talk at DOC 2024 focused on this point: how our organs age at different speeds, and by measuring these differences, researchers can estimate whether people may develop disease 10 to 15 years later. You can watch his DOC talk here: https://lnkd.in/gpvtqmi6 https://lnkd.in/d2ZDrV-9Tony Wyss-Coray Is Measuring Biological Age One Organ at a TimeTony Wyss-Coray Is Measuring Biological Age One Organ at a Time
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John Battelle liked thisJohn Battelle liked this😢 𝙹𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝙾𝚗𝚎 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐! 𝚂𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚄𝚙 𝐈'𝐦 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥. My dear friend Evan (61) has a brain tumor. His doctors gave him six months. He is a legend - look him up! CEO of the first internet IPO, member of Australian Parliament, badass drummer, philanthropist, father, brother and and and. Two weeks earlier, my friend Owen (56) died. Owen Van Natta was a one-of-a-kind, the one who always showed up. First early VP, Amazon under Bezos, COO of Facebook, and and and always showed up: the dinner, the hospital, the ordinary Tuesday. If you needed a body in the room, Owen’s was there. Read on - lots in here, including an amazing Bread Song, "Anything I own" https://lnkd.in/g4_RpZqX
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John Battelle liked thisJohn Battelle liked thisCongratulations to DOC 2026 Faculty Dr. Nir Barzilai for being named as one of Time magazine’s 12 Longevity Leaders for 2026! The magazine highlighted the SuperAgers Initiative he co-leads, and its work to uncover genes that may help extend our ability to live longer, healthier. At DOC 2026, Dr. Barzilai will talk about his current research at the Institute for Aging Research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. You can learn more about the talk here: https://lnkd.in/eUtd-__P https://lnkd.in/eAbJvV5pAn Antiaging Medicine Could Already Exist. Nir Barzilai Is On A Mission To Find ItAn Antiaging Medicine Could Already Exist. Nir Barzilai Is On A Mission To Find It
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John Battelle liked thisJohn Battelle liked thisIf you are not following John Battelle, you should.
Experience & Education
Publications
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The Search: How Google and It's Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Changed Our Culture
Penguin
Projects
Honors & Awards
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Forbes Tech Influencer
Forbes Magazine
Named a top tech influencer for global CMOs by Forbes.
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LinkedIn Top Influencer
LinkedIn
Thrilled to be named #3 most influential "LinkedIn Influencer".
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Digital Hall of Fame
Media Industry News (min)
Inducted into min's "Best of the Web" Digital Hall of Fame.
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EY Entrepreneur of the Year - Northern California
EY
Finalist for NorCal
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World Economic Forum Young Global Leader
World Economic Forum
Twice named a YGL (or GLT) by the WEF in Davos.
Languages
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Spanish
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