Can Gossip Be a Good Thing?
From the Menu archives. Originally published August 2021.
I once read (maybe in this book, I don't remember, sorry lol) that gossip serves an evolutionary function.
First, let's get this straight: I'm referring to gossip in the sense of conversation about other people. Not gossip that spreads malicious rumors or makes mean comments about someone's appearance.
By gossiping, you are warning your confidante of potential threats, strengthening bonds, and essentially sharing information about what is and isn't socially acceptable.
When you give and receive gossip... maybe you're helping each other become better people.
I'm thinking about ways to gossip effectively. How to raise red flags about people in a productive way, how to safely invite others to flag something to you, and how to broach an uncomfortable topic without seeming like you're just trying to talk shit.
🎡 Here's my idea flywheel...
I like to use Twitter to test ideas for content. Ok, so that sentence came across as a lot more boring than I thought it would. Hear me out:
Tweets → Gauge whether an idea is sticky
Polls → Test loosely held hypotheses or read the room
Threads → Collections of similarly-themed tweets, or mostly-fleshed out thoughts
And once I get feedback on those threads, or those mostly-fleshed out thoughts, I'll do some rewrites, add some extra insights, and turn it onto a blog post. And then maybe I'll write a new thread based on that post.
Here's an example:
I posted a thread on the 3 types of case studies that marketers write.
Then I wrote that up into a blog post, adding deeper detail about writing a high ROI case study.
And then I published a thread on how to write that super valuable case study.
Some of the tweets within that thread could make for nice standalone tweets, which I'll likely publish in the future.
I know this sounds like a lot of work. But guess what: it is. 😂
In doing all this, I'm publishing, getting feedback, iterating on that feedback, distributing my content, and clarifying my thinking. It's high effort, but also high impact.
🍰 Petits Fours
Four bite-sized blurbs linking to interesting content.
🔹 ScarJo suing Disney over Black Widow release: The thing about pursuing legal action is that it's not always about good vs bad or right vs wrong. Sometimes it's simply about what you're legally entitled to vs not. Fascinating breakdown by @ThatsMauvelous on Twitter.
🔸 Matt Damon thinks the age of the movie star is coming to an end: Linking to thread instead of the article that I did not read because it's behind a paywall. Sharing because it's representative of something that excites me: institutions breaking down and clearing the way for something better.
🔹 Is this... gaslighting? "These stories circulate and compete for imaginary points and trophies. Then those who feel 'less than' are triggered further by validation no one asked for."
🔸 A (recent) history of Pier 38 in San Francisco: This dilapidated building and pier was home to iconic Silicon Valley companies like Instagram, WordPress, Twilio, Gigaom and True Ventures before being condemned in 2011. I walked past this many times when I lived in SF 2014-2018, and I had no idea it had such a rich history.
🥘 Buffalo Tempeh Quinoa Bowls
Shoutout to my vegetarian friends.
Serves: 2
1/2 cup quinoa (and 1 cup water)
1 celery stalk
1 cucumber
2 radishes
2 bell peppers
1 red onion
8 oz tempeh
1/3 cup Buffalo sauce (or more, if you want)
Ranch dressing
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Add quinoa, 1 cup water, and a pinch of salt to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until spirals burst and water is absorbed, 12-15 minutes.
Thinly slice celery, cucumber, and radishes. (Carrots or lettuce would be good options too. Basically, use any crunchy vegetable you like to eat cold.)
Slice bell peppers and onions. Toss in olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until slightly browned, 15 minutes.
Heat olive oil or ghee in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble tempeh and season with salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Add Buffalo sauce and cook until warmed through, 2 minutes.
Plate it: Divide the quinoa between bowls and add Buffalo tempeh. Top with roasted vegetables, cold crunchy vegetables, and ranch dressing.
🗃 Add yourself to my rolodex
I often hear about awesome opportunities, mainly within marketing and sometimes throughout the creator economy. But I do a terrible job of keeping track of people and these opportunities.
Want to be in the know?
Click here to fill out my Airtable form and join my personal CRM. I'll reach out to you personally if I know of a cool job, a podcast guest slot, or an interesting co-creating opportunity.
And if you have ideas to make this rolodex more fruitful, please let me know. I'd love to make this better.