Why I'm changing the name of this newsletter and podcast
Coming real soon! Jan 20!
Hey! Next week the podcast and newsletter gets a new name!
Why?? Well, for a long time, I didn't want to "go here" but for a mix of practical, personal, and philosophical reasons... it's time for a change.
The tl;dr is that a past tense verb (crafted) is a poor way to describe a show that (cue exciting music!) is really about the future. More specifically, how we, builders, can steer the future in the right direction.
So, on Tuesday January 20th, you’ll see a new name, website, art, trailer, and email platform. I’m really excited to share this all with you very soon!
I’m not going to reveal that name today, but I do want to share a bit of why I’m changing the name of a show that’s been honored three years straight by the Webby Awards — and what is not changing.
If you prefer: watch the video below or listen to this update as short (2m) podcast on Spotify | Apple | etc…
There are three reasons for the name change:
Practical: “Crafted” is really hard to find in search. I’ve literally stood next to people who are looking to subscribe and they can’t find the show. I swear this wasn’t the case when we launched three years ago, but today there are several shows that are either called crafted or something close to it.
Personal: The second reason is more personal: the show is mine now — and that wasn’t always the case. You may recall the show launched when I was with a high craft software consultancy doing product and client work. (Launching a podcast was not on my bingo card!) When I left and got full ownership of the show I didn’t want to change too many things all at once. Also, I like the name crafted, but, and this leads to the *real* reason I’m changing, it no longer fits the show.
Philosophical / the real reason: CRAFTED. is a past tense verb. and it perfectly described the original incarnation of this show, where founders, makers, and innovators would look *back* on things they’d built and we’d do a sort of case study that would help other builders learn from their mistakes and understand how that great product or company they built got so great... So here’s the thing... I’m not really doing that sort of case study thing anymore. And I haven’t for a while. Creating explicitly educational content is not favorite thing. I’m not exactly a “here is a framework” kind of guy.
So I’ve been following my interests...
For a while now, this show has been much less concerned with teaching case studies and much interested in what comes *next.*
What are the implications of new tech?
How will AI change how we live, work, play, teach our kids...?
Should we get ready to live with humanoid robots?
How are stablecoins changing the world of money?
And what about quantum computers?
And what do builders need to know about these things so that we can build a future we actually want???
That’s the part is not changing: the show is still for builders. And you can take that literally, as in people who make software, or a bit more broadly, as in people who putting in the work to build a better future.
Sorry if that’s a bit cheesy, but it’s true. Because while I’m optimistic that we will build an amazing future, there is... uh... a lot going on right now in tech and in the world. And I believe that, together, we have power to steer the future in the right direction.
This show will still feature the world’s top technologists. And we’re going to get into all of these future-forward things. Of course, we’ll talk about things they’ve done in the past, because if we don’t learn from history... well, you know how that expression goes.
So, get ready to see some new art and a new name -- I’ll give you a hint, it’ll have the word future in it -- on Tuesday.
And I would love your help spreading the word. When the new trailer and website drop, please share them with all your builder friends.
So stay tuned... and please get ready to share with friends and help this endeavor — and our future — grow!
Onward!
Dan
On Tuesday, you should get an email from me with the new name and it should come from a new email provider (Beehiiv, not Substack), so let’s hope that all goes smoothly. If anything weird comes up or you don’t hear from me at all, please drop me a line: dan@modernproductminds.com