Big Technology and You

Reader survey: I’d like to learn a bit more about you, and how this newsletter can better serve you.

The top line: Thank you for reading Big Technology! I am thinking about ways to improve the newsletter and would love your input. So I put together a short reader survey. Would you be willing to help me by sharing your thoughts? You can find the survey here, it will only take a few minutes:  

https://forms.gle/AMpMzUUrUguVVk3W9

A bit more: The Big Technology experiment is about six months old. So it’s time to step back, reflect, and ask for your feedback.

In a few short months, Big Technology has swung hard. It’s published an internal memo revealing severe underfunding inside the Federal Trade Commission; an investigation into a tech startup whose pay promises to African tech workers didn’t match reality; an exposé on tech firms’ manipulation of American op-ed pages; and analysis on Big Tech’s various scuffles with U.S. government. The work here is done with a single purpose: To cue you into the story behind the story, revealing the systems operating behind the headlines. 

Early on, the response has been encouraging. More than 7,000 people subscribe to Big Technology, and more than a third of you open it each week. Starting from zero in July, the Big Technology Podcast recently hit 28,000 downloads, and it reached into the top three on Apple’s charts for tech news last month. Partnerships with CNBC, OneZero, and RedCircle have made this work joyful, turning a solitary newsletter life into a vibrant one. 

My interactions with you, the readers, have been particularly special. Each reply to the newsletter helps me learn a bit more about you, and the topics I’m writing about. Each email forward and social media share brings the newsletter to a broader audience, which helps meaningfully (thank you). Your notes about the podcast, which I’m just learning to do, have inspired me to keep it going. 

That said, I am looking at ways to make Big Technology better. I want to write stories you’re interested in, and I want to deepen our relationship. I am also thinking about how to sustain Big Technology long term — whether through advertising, subscriptions, or both — and would love your feedback. 

And so, the moment calls for a reader survey. I put a short one together. It’s one page, anonymous, and should take a few minutes. Responses here will go a long way into determining Big Technology’s future. Would you be willing to help me improve Big Technology by checking it out?

Here’s the link: https://forms.gle/bLXX3DpQb9bbgAJV9

Thank you so much for reading. Have a great Thanksgiving!

Yours,

Alex