[Author’s Note: Today’s presentation is exclusive for PARQOR Platinum subscribers. To upgrade your subscription to Platinum, click here.]
Outline
[02:30] Update on PARQOR
[10:22] The Future V1
[12:29] Reader Question #1a: How should I be thinking about AI as a senior media executive?
[19:27] Reader Question #1b: How should publishers play defense against AI?
[30:50] Reader Question #2: Can Agentic AI solve for discoverability in shows / games / movies / creator content?
[30:50] Reader Question #3: “The Netflix Problem”
[43:18] The Future V2
The $20 Decision That Is Reshaping Media
Over the past 18 months, I have conducted hours of interviews with entrepreneurs building at the intersection of AI and media—from Samir Chaudry of Colin & Samir to Secret Level’s Jason Zada to AiMation's Tom Paton. These conversations revealed hidden patterns about how AI technology is restructuring the entire media landscape around what I call "interchangeability."
Netflix spent $17 billion on content last year, yet millions of consumers are opting to pay $20/month for ChatGPT over adding another streaming service. This signals an ongoing, fundamental shift in what it means to be “delighted” by digital entertainment.
Platforms from distinct categories now compete directly for the same monthly subscription budget. Netflix competes with Fortnite, which competes with ChatGPT, which competes with YouTube. They all fight for the same prize: Capturing $20-per-month of your attention.
Why This Matters Now
This presentation—exclusively for PARQOR Platinum subscribers—connects three critical trends that most media and technology analyses miss:
The Interchangeability Crisis: How AI has made premium streaming content as forgettable as your last McDonald’s Big Mac, forcing every media company to rethink their value proposition.
The “Natural Content” Defense: Why smart publishers should consider adopting a "Whole Foods strategy"—positioning themselves as the antidote to mass-produced "AI slop" by focusing on experience-driven, human-authored content.
“The Netflix Problem”: How the streaming giant's own success still comes big with a big caveat: Will it ever capture 10% of monthly TV consumption?
These are not abstract, hypothetical trends. These are reshaping billion-dollar companies and creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs who understand how technology shapes media consumption patterns.
What You Will Discover
This analysis synthesizes insights—scattered across multiple essays—into a comprehensive view of how AI is shaping future digital media business models. You will learn how the market mindset that created Whole Foods and Trader Joe's in the natural foods movement could help publishers find wins against AI, why a single data point undermines Netflix's growth story, and how agentic AI might solve—or worsen—the discoverability crisis plaguing entertainment platforms.
You will understand why the future may belong to companies mapping authentically human perspectives to generational shifts in consumption habits in an AI-saturated landscape.
