Veteran tech podcaster Tom Merritt discusses the limitations of large language models for nuanced reporting with Rob Walling on Startups for the Rest of Us.
Insight
Merritt: Audience criticism is rarely about the literal grievance stated
“Usually what they're saying is not what they're mad at. When they're saying like, I hated that you called Apple great. They're not saying I hated that you called Apple great. They're saying you don't cover Android enough. So I try to look at like, okay, but wh…”
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Merritt: Patreon and Google Hangouts eliminated capital needs for indie podcasts
“I just want to do my show and things like Patreon. And at the time I was using Google Hangouts on air made it easy to do that without having to put a bunch of capital outlay to hire a bunch of producers or have a studio and all of that.”
Insight
Merritt: Creators remember praise for minutes, but criticism haunts them for weeks
“People say something nice to you, like your show is great. You're the best. And people do say that to me, you remember it for. 10:15 minutes. People say you screwed this up for me. I remember that all week and it just haunts me.”
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Merritt: Charitably responding to angry listeners diffuses hostility 75% of the time
“A lot of the times, I would say three quarters of the time, the person comes back with a sort of like,
oh my gosh, you know, I,
I came off so harsh.
What I meant was X or, oh, that's really helpful to hear.
Thank you.
And it turns it all around.”
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Merritt: Daily Tech News Show has never had an unplanned missed episode
“I don't think there's been a day without a show that wasn't planned. Like we take all federal holidays off. That's just, it's my way of not having to have to think about too hard about what days are off. So we're like, yeah, if it's a federal, it's on the fede…”
Insight
Merritt: Tech decisions look far more complex inside than knee-jerk outside criticism
“Human motivations are usually much more complex than that. And I've been on the inside at CNET Where people were accusing us of things and I was like, no, I'm here. I know we're not doing those things. Like, and so I also try to go like, okay, but what are the…”