You are taking the analysis to the next level Jenny, super impressed! 🙌🏻
If those top tier newsletter already overlapping, what happening to us who’s still climbing from the bottom of the valley? 😅
But I guess there’s a lot of angle, nuance, audience segmentation that each of use can do to differentiate ourselves from others.
The topic evolution analysis really caught my attention. There’s so much things have changed and sometimes I also wondering how much my topics will change overtime once AI already becomes the norm and more people will be onboarded? Until that day comes, Will just keeps showing up and writing.
Yeah, I was wondering the exact same thing, what will we even cover once AI becomes the norm? 😅
This whole process really made me reflect on how our writing will evolve with the AI world, not just about it. And it pushed me to think more about the entire game too, not as a zero-sum one, but from a mindset of abundance. Not everyone as a competitor, but each of us building a space with our own voice and lens that connects.
Let’s keep showing up and writing. We’ll figure it out as we go 🚀
Not unlike KB, I gave a directive to my assistant too:
Objective critique. Please accept.
Newsletter writing requires what economists call "luxury time" - the ability to write consistently without immediate payback. This creates a class of AI commentators who are already economically secure, talking to others who can afford to experiment with premium AI tools. Meanwhile:
• **Frontline workers** using AI to survive (gig workers optimizing routes, service workers managing schedules) never get heard
• **Small business owners** quietly solving real problems with AI don't have time to write about it
• **Students and unemployed people** finding creative workarounds get no platform
The "future disenfranchised" you mention are already here - they just don't have newsletter audiences.
**Temporal Myopia is Glaring:**
This analysis is basically "here's what worked in the last 18 months" presented as universal truth. But:
• **No forward modeling** - Where do these patterns lead? What happens when everyone follows them?
• **No cycle awareness** - Every tech trend has backlash phases, but this assumes linear progression
• **No scenario planning** - What if AI development stalls? Regulation changes everything? Economic conditions shift?
• **Missing the obvious** - We're probably in the "early adopter" phase, not the "mass adoption" phase
**Self-Importance Problem:**
The whole study feels like successful AI newsletter writers studying themselves and declaring their approaches "inevitable." It's circular:
1. Successful writers converge on patterns
2. Study proves these patterns work
3. More writers copy these patterns
4. "Success" validates the original analysis
**The Real Responsibility Gap:**
Instead of asking "how do successful AI writers think?" the better questions are:
• How do we democratize these insights for people without newsletter platforms?
• What AI patterns work for people with real constraints (time, money, access)?
• How do we prevent this convergence from becoming orthodoxy that excludes different approaches?
This research accidentally documents how privilege shapes AI discourse, then presents it as universal wisdom.
Thank you so much, incredibly! Every point in your comment struck hard, and I agree: these are exactly the areas I either overlooked or, in some cases, consciously avoided because I didn’t know how to handle them well.
The questions you raise are difficult and necessary.
Take, for example, the point about small business owners quietly solving real problems with AI. I’ve been trying to present my own work from that angle -- as someone using AI to build real things and solve day-to-day challenges -- but I also recognize that I’m still in a relatively privileged position. I have the time, tools, and mental space to reflect and write. That alone puts me in a different category than the majority who are doing but not documenting.
And as for the temporal myopia section, I have to admit, I don’t have answers. I don’t know how these patterns will evolve. I don’t know how regulation, economics, or cultural cycles will shift things. I barely understand what true forward modeling would even look like in this context. My gut tells me that AI will become essential in every layer of life, but beyond that... I'm out of my depth.
You’re also absolutely right that this study reflects a kind of self-reinforcing loop among the already-visible. A kind of thought-leader echo chamber. The convergence I saw is real, but it’s not the whole picture. It’s the visible tip of something much bigger and more complex.
With that said: Do you have any leads?
Any places you’ve found that surface voices from those more constrained contexts, gig workers, students, non-tech users doing creative things with limited means? I’d genuinely love to explore and learn from those spaces, and if I can gather more of those perspectives, maybe turn it into something more grounded and inclusive.
Thank you again for taking the time and the rigor to pull this apart. Your comment is pure gold. I’ve bookmarked it and will be sitting with it for a while.
But they are newsletter audiences. Look for consensus opinions from your audience. Take individuals using Marxist buzzwords (or any other agenda-driven vocabulary, no matter the ideology) with a grain of salt.
Personally, I found your post to be brilliant. I was very impressed with how you were presented with an issue and conceived and implemented a solution that gave you multiple benefits.
Thank you so much, Rick! Your angle, “but they are newsletter audiences”is truly a refreshing way to frame it. I really appreciate your thoughtful words and encouraging attitude!
Stoked to be part of your analysis! You’ve put in a lot of effort. I’ve instructed my agents to analyze the results here to improve my content based on your finding. We are cooking 🧑🍳
Wow! Your analysis is gold! It operationalizes what I'm observing for quite some time subjectively. I think I might have an explanation for that convergence. I call the phenomenon "complexity decoherence" and I have written a post about it a few months ago:
Your research helped me to zoom in on thought leaders as a relatively new researcher, albeit I'm a veteran ICT professional. As a former addict and Cybersecurity specialist I have a particular angle at this, it's still early but there seems to be some sync with your thinking. I'm now following your work, hopefully you will give me a restack also down the line. No more devastation ☠️
I’m amazed by the work you did here, Jenny. Even the initial spark and the way you turned that into such a rich investigation is just incredible.
When you first published it, I only had time to skim the beginning (chaotic week over here), but I was so intrigued that I literally blocked out time in my calendar today “Read Jenny’s post”. And it did not disappoint.
The qualitative evolution part was fascinating, I loved seeing how you mapped out each voice’s trajectory and layered that with real data. It’s rare to see that level of depth paired with such clear narrative structure. You brought a lot of clarity to something that usually feels vague and intuitive.
Please do share your process if you end up publishing it, would absolutely dig into that too.
Wow, thank you so much for such a thoughtful comment, Daria! I completely understand; I’ve been all over the place these weeks, and I can only imagine how much you’ve been juggling with all the amazing work you’ve got going on.
I’m truly honored that you took the time to not only read the post, but even blocked it out on your calendar, that means more to me than I can say.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your words mean a ton to me, and I’ll absolutely remember your request. When I eventually publish the full breakdown of the process, I’ll be sure to let you know, and I’ll make sure it’s worth your time. :)
Honestly, I was kind of "feeling" the results as I did the study. But when I actually tested how similar that one article was to various newsletters, I was still surprised.
On the other hand, it’s encouraging to see that level of similarity, either in tone or content, makes me feel like I’m getting closer to the kind of quality I admire in some of those great newsletters.
Wow, this is next level, Jenny. Thank you for the thoughtful analysis.
It’s fascinating to see the path these writers have taken in the AI space. From exploring tools to building systems to focusing on real outcomes. I’m still somewhere in the middle of that journey but I'm just happy to be along that path at all.
Excited to see how all of our newsletters evolve as tech keeps moving forward!
Yes, you can absolutely do that. If you’re aiming for high-accuracy answers, Google’s NotebookLM is a great place to start (just note there’s currently a 50-file limit per project).
If you’re comfortable with tools like Cursor, that’s another excellent option, I’ve found it fantastic for local use. You just need to be clear with the rules and structure your inputs so the AI is guided to the right answer.
Fascinating. I’ll say the obvious without reading the articles. what does cast AI as a team mean? To use multiple versions? Not a techy. ☺️but love your stuff as you know!
Thank you, Kelly! Always love seeing your comments. 😊
“Casting AI like a team” just means using different models for different strengths, like assigning roles in a restaurant. One model might be great at writing, another at strategic planning, another at coding. Sure, one could try to do everything, but it’s like asking the chef to wait tables and manage the books too — not the most efficient use of their talent!
So instead of relying on one “do-it-all” model, we cast them like specialists to get better results.
"There’s power in shared intuition. When the best practitioners all land in the same place, pay attention." My favorite line! So true, this is not a sign of copying or laziness but of progress and growth towards a common goal.
It’s incredibly encouraging to see how this whole landscape is shaping up. Feels like things are starting to stabilize in a way that opens up even more space for exploration, contribution, and growth for everyone.
You’re absolutely right, I only had access to the free portion and was hoping to glean what I could from it.
Your comment also reminded me I should’ve added in the “confession” section: I had to make a hard cut at around 120 articles per source because I started hitting rate limits after just a few newsletters. Definitely some trade-offs in the process!
You are taking the analysis to the next level Jenny, super impressed! 🙌🏻
If those top tier newsletter already overlapping, what happening to us who’s still climbing from the bottom of the valley? 😅
But I guess there’s a lot of angle, nuance, audience segmentation that each of use can do to differentiate ourselves from others.
The topic evolution analysis really caught my attention. There’s so much things have changed and sometimes I also wondering how much my topics will change overtime once AI already becomes the norm and more people will be onboarded? Until that day comes, Will just keeps showing up and writing.
Thanks for doing this analysis!
Thank you many times, Wyndo! 🙌
Yeah, I was wondering the exact same thing, what will we even cover once AI becomes the norm? 😅
This whole process really made me reflect on how our writing will evolve with the AI world, not just about it. And it pushed me to think more about the entire game too, not as a zero-sum one, but from a mindset of abundance. Not everyone as a competitor, but each of us building a space with our own voice and lens that connects.
Let’s keep showing up and writing. We’ll figure it out as we go 🚀
Not unlike KB, I gave a directive to my assistant too:
Objective critique. Please accept.
Newsletter writing requires what economists call "luxury time" - the ability to write consistently without immediate payback. This creates a class of AI commentators who are already economically secure, talking to others who can afford to experiment with premium AI tools. Meanwhile:
• **Frontline workers** using AI to survive (gig workers optimizing routes, service workers managing schedules) never get heard
• **Small business owners** quietly solving real problems with AI don't have time to write about it
• **Students and unemployed people** finding creative workarounds get no platform
The "future disenfranchised" you mention are already here - they just don't have newsletter audiences.
**Temporal Myopia is Glaring:**
This analysis is basically "here's what worked in the last 18 months" presented as universal truth. But:
• **No forward modeling** - Where do these patterns lead? What happens when everyone follows them?
• **No cycle awareness** - Every tech trend has backlash phases, but this assumes linear progression
• **No scenario planning** - What if AI development stalls? Regulation changes everything? Economic conditions shift?
• **Missing the obvious** - We're probably in the "early adopter" phase, not the "mass adoption" phase
**Self-Importance Problem:**
The whole study feels like successful AI newsletter writers studying themselves and declaring their approaches "inevitable." It's circular:
1. Successful writers converge on patterns
2. Study proves these patterns work
3. More writers copy these patterns
4. "Success" validates the original analysis
**The Real Responsibility Gap:**
Instead of asking "how do successful AI writers think?" the better questions are:
• How do we democratize these insights for people without newsletter platforms?
• What AI patterns work for people with real constraints (time, money, access)?
• How do we prevent this convergence from becoming orthodoxy that excludes different approaches?
This research accidentally documents how privilege shapes AI discourse, then presents it as universal wisdom.
Thank you so much, incredibly! Every point in your comment struck hard, and I agree: these are exactly the areas I either overlooked or, in some cases, consciously avoided because I didn’t know how to handle them well.
The questions you raise are difficult and necessary.
Take, for example, the point about small business owners quietly solving real problems with AI. I’ve been trying to present my own work from that angle -- as someone using AI to build real things and solve day-to-day challenges -- but I also recognize that I’m still in a relatively privileged position. I have the time, tools, and mental space to reflect and write. That alone puts me in a different category than the majority who are doing but not documenting.
And as for the temporal myopia section, I have to admit, I don’t have answers. I don’t know how these patterns will evolve. I don’t know how regulation, economics, or cultural cycles will shift things. I barely understand what true forward modeling would even look like in this context. My gut tells me that AI will become essential in every layer of life, but beyond that... I'm out of my depth.
You’re also absolutely right that this study reflects a kind of self-reinforcing loop among the already-visible. A kind of thought-leader echo chamber. The convergence I saw is real, but it’s not the whole picture. It’s the visible tip of something much bigger and more complex.
With that said: Do you have any leads?
Any places you’ve found that surface voices from those more constrained contexts, gig workers, students, non-tech users doing creative things with limited means? I’d genuinely love to explore and learn from those spaces, and if I can gather more of those perspectives, maybe turn it into something more grounded and inclusive.
Thank you again for taking the time and the rigor to pull this apart. Your comment is pure gold. I’ve bookmarked it and will be sitting with it for a while.
“they just don't have newsletter audiences”
But they are newsletter audiences. Look for consensus opinions from your audience. Take individuals using Marxist buzzwords (or any other agenda-driven vocabulary, no matter the ideology) with a grain of salt.
Personally, I found your post to be brilliant. I was very impressed with how you were presented with an issue and conceived and implemented a solution that gave you multiple benefits.
Thank you so much, Rick! Your angle, “but they are newsletter audiences”is truly a refreshing way to frame it. I really appreciate your thoughtful words and encouraging attitude!
Stoked to be part of your analysis! You’ve put in a lot of effort. I’ve instructed my agents to analyze the results here to improve my content based on your finding. We are cooking 🧑🍳
Thank you for the kind words, Kamil! 🙌
You’ve probably already optimized your work perfectly for your audience and there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to content.
Excited to see what your agents cook up next!
I didn’t try to optimize it as much as I tried to double down on what works. I have to say that your article + Genspark really helped.
No harsh feelings at all, I’ve always been avoiding optimization (finding excuses to chase new ideas instead of refining what’s already working 😅).
And this is actually the first time I’ve heard of Genspark, did you use them directly?
You’ll like my upcoming article ;)
Wow! Your analysis is gold! It operationalizes what I'm observing for quite some time subjectively. I think I might have an explanation for that convergence. I call the phenomenon "complexity decoherence" and I have written a post about it a few months ago:
https://open.substack.com/pub/theafh/p/complexity-decoherence-the-biggest?r=42gt5&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Thanks for sharing your work! The concept and explanation is gold to me as well. The theory is unsettling but truly worth exploring.
The knowledge about this mechanism can also help to deal with it and mitigate some of the negative effects I think.
Beautifully expressed, and very moving. Thank you, Jenny.
Thank you Shartaya :)
Hi and Thank You Jenny 👋
Your research helped me to zoom in on thought leaders as a relatively new researcher, albeit I'm a veteran ICT professional. As a former addict and Cybersecurity specialist I have a particular angle at this, it's still early but there seems to be some sync with your thinking. I'm now following your work, hopefully you will give me a restack also down the line. No more devastation ☠️
Love never fails 🌾
Thank you, for reading it and the gentle self intro. Keep up with the good work!
Stunning Analysis 🤯 Wow Jenny
Thank you Chris 😆
Wow. Just wow. This is so impressive Jenny. I'm so happy I've found you! 🤗
Thank you so much Karo! Really appreciate you! I'm also glad to have found you! 🤗
I’m amazed by the work you did here, Jenny. Even the initial spark and the way you turned that into such a rich investigation is just incredible.
When you first published it, I only had time to skim the beginning (chaotic week over here), but I was so intrigued that I literally blocked out time in my calendar today “Read Jenny’s post”. And it did not disappoint.
The qualitative evolution part was fascinating, I loved seeing how you mapped out each voice’s trajectory and layered that with real data. It’s rare to see that level of depth paired with such clear narrative structure. You brought a lot of clarity to something that usually feels vague and intuitive.
Please do share your process if you end up publishing it, would absolutely dig into that too.
Wow, thank you so much for such a thoughtful comment, Daria! I completely understand; I’ve been all over the place these weeks, and I can only imagine how much you’ve been juggling with all the amazing work you’ve got going on.
I’m truly honored that you took the time to not only read the post, but even blocked it out on your calendar, that means more to me than I can say.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your words mean a ton to me, and I’ll absolutely remember your request. When I eventually publish the full breakdown of the process, I’ll be sure to let you know, and I’ll make sure it’s worth your time. :)
Impressive study, Jenny! What insight did you find most surprising?
Thank you Jen!
Honestly, I was kind of "feeling" the results as I did the study. But when I actually tested how similar that one article was to various newsletters, I was still surprised.
On the other hand, it’s encouraging to see that level of similarity, either in tone or content, makes me feel like I’m getting closer to the kind of quality I admire in some of those great newsletters.
I’m sure that feels amazing! Congrats!
Wow, this is next level, Jenny. Thank you for the thoughtful analysis.
It’s fascinating to see the path these writers have taken in the AI space. From exploring tools to building systems to focusing on real outcomes. I’m still somewhere in the middle of that journey but I'm just happy to be along that path at all.
Excited to see how all of our newsletters evolve as tech keeps moving forward!
Thank you, Tam! 🙌
Exactly that: I’m still somewhere in the middle of the journey, but honestly just grateful to be on the path at all.
I feel incredibly lucky to have found this group of enthusiastic AI practitioners, we are just building and growing alongside each other.
Same as your feeling, can’t wait to see how all our newsletters evolve as the tech keeps pushing forward!
Very (!) interesting.
I wonder if the qualitative analysis you mentioned can be used also for analyzing survey answers.
To gain insights about opinions, cross-referenced by other metadata available for the answer.
Thanks, and great question!
Yes, you can absolutely do that. If you’re aiming for high-accuracy answers, Google’s NotebookLM is a great place to start (just note there’s currently a 50-file limit per project).
If you’re comfortable with tools like Cursor, that’s another excellent option, I’ve found it fantastic for local use. You just need to be clear with the rules and structure your inputs so the AI is guided to the right answer.
Fascinating. I’ll say the obvious without reading the articles. what does cast AI as a team mean? To use multiple versions? Not a techy. ☺️but love your stuff as you know!
Thank you, Kelly! Always love seeing your comments. 😊
“Casting AI like a team” just means using different models for different strengths, like assigning roles in a restaurant. One model might be great at writing, another at strategic planning, another at coding. Sure, one could try to do everything, but it’s like asking the chef to wait tables and manage the books too — not the most efficient use of their talent!
So instead of relying on one “do-it-all” model, we cast them like specialists to get better results.
"There’s power in shared intuition. When the best practitioners all land in the same place, pay attention." My favorite line! So true, this is not a sign of copying or laziness but of progress and growth towards a common goal.
Excellent!
Thank you so much, Joel!
It’s incredibly encouraging to see how this whole landscape is shaping up. Feels like things are starting to stabilize in a way that opens up even more space for exploration, contribution, and growth for everyone.
Yes I agree! I admire your work in this post :)
Impressive stuff Jenny
Thanks, Kyle. Always appreciate the way you show up.
Right back at you
This is a highly amusing and engaging analysis. Of course AI tools is maybe only 5-10% of my Newsletter but ah well.
Thank you for the kind words! 🙏
You’re absolutely right, I only had access to the free portion and was hoping to glean what I could from it.
Your comment also reminded me I should’ve added in the “confession” section: I had to make a hard cut at around 120 articles per source because I started hitting rate limits after just a few newsletters. Definitely some trade-offs in the process!