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"Brand is important. Community is important. In a sea of dramatic change where up is down and this is the situation today and that's the situation tomorrow, people cling to beliefs. They cling to community. They cling to names and brands and places that they trust, and trust is important in this world. And so, if you're in the business of producing content and information and trying to grab people's attention, the mere act of producing it is not special. Oh great, you're a photographer. You take pictures. So do I. So does everybody with a camera phone. That's no longer special. Building community around that is a little more special. Building a special sensibility and brand and sort of signature and hallmark is special.
So you look at, I don't know, McSweeney's, as a literary brand that has live events and a highly tactile experience with some of their printed products and a design aesthetic that signals to a community: this is what we are; we're more than just words on a page or on a screen; we are an intentional community; we are a perspective on the world.
And the more you send out more than raw data and information but actual intention and sensibility and perspective, the more people will self-identify and find that, especially if you give them chances to also feel like they're a part of that as well. Because you're not special just because you can make things. I think it's very important for people to realize that. Everybody can make things. So what else can you build beyond the raw thing, beyond the bits that you publish?"
