Welcome to another edition. Here are today’s entries:
01. Peaks and Troughs in Long-Running TV Shows
What does this show?
Television shows rise and fall, but mostly they just slide from a strong start.
Why does it matter?
There is this idea in sociology that is often called Lindy’s Law, and it’s the idea that the future life expectancy of certain things is proportional to their current age. If it’s been around for five years, a reasonable guess is it might be around for five years more. While Lindy’s Law applies to television shows—long-running shows are likely to be around a while longer—but it doesn’t say anything about how good they are as they continue running. And the reality is, with rare exceptions, their quality decline in fairly predictable.
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
02. Technology Companies as Dead Parrots
What does this show?
It’s not your imagination: Technologies companies are letting employees faster than are other sectors.
Why does it matter?
The median publicly-traded technology company doubled employment between 2018 and 2023. That remarkable growth outpaced revenues in most cases, and was a function of free money, revenues pulled forward from future years, and companies thinking they needed to outpace one another to hoard “scarce” technical talent. Those all turned out to be transient ideas: people are no longer scarce, money isn’t free, and all that revenue pulled forward is gone. Technology, while maturing, is mostly getting cut by self-inflicted wounds.
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
03. Podcasts Aren’t Dead Yet
What does this show?
Podcasts can feel vaguely embarrassing and a little five years ago, but they are still strong and are growing in 2023.
Why does it matter?
There is a general sense that podcasts are past their due date, but the latest data suggests that’s not true. As a matter of fact, it seems like there’s an uptick in 2023 in terms of the percentage of the population back listening to podcasts. This could be because people are back driving to work, commuting to work, or whatever, but the upshot is the same: podcasts, while no longer the new-new hot-hot thing, are a viable and important medium in 2023.
<><><><><><><><><><><><>
Have graphs, figures, or data we should see? Click here and send them to us.
Forwarded this and want to subscribe for yourself? You can do that here.