Alex Young, Consequence
💭 Thoughts on the future of supporting independent publications, Alice Merton, and Bluesky the app.
Thought Enthusiast is an AdHoc Project where we chat with fascinating thought leaders across various facets of music, tech, and culture whose work we admire, simply asking “what’s on your mind?” and “why do you care?” 💭
Alex Young founded Consequence (then known as Consequence of Sound) as a student at Fordham University in 2007. Some 17 years later, he (and the publication) are somehow still alive and kicking. As the publisher of an independent, digital publication, Alex's roles and responsibilities vary on an hourly basis, but in general he is responsible for overseeing Consequence's editorial operations and serving as a liaison between editorial and the company's marketing and partnership teams. He currently (and begrudgingly) lives in Philly (go Mets!) and is the father of a wonderful three and half year old daughter (who he wishes was still watching Bluey, but has moved on to Paw Patrol).
🎯 Future of supporting independent publications
We are actively looking for ways to work with and support other independent publications. Given the recent developments in our industry, I am of a strong belief that, now, more than ever, it's essential that we view each other as partners and not competitors. As such, over the last month I've been speaking with a number of independent publications to explore the possibility of creating a "coalition" that works together on a variety of different projects. If you're interested, please do not hesitate to reach out!
🦋 Bluesky the app
I wish more people would use Bluesky so we can finally abandon Twitter. And as much as it pains me to admit it, Twitter is still my number one way of consuming news. That said, I am a big newsletter guy.
📺 TV meets history
I am a history buff and am very much enjoying Masters of the Air on Apple TV+. I also recently started watching For All Mankind, which I think is terrific.
🎶 Alice Merton's "Run Away Girl"
On the music front, Alice Merton's "Run Away Girl" is my favorite song of the year (thus far).
🗣️ Wise words of Joe Strummer
I have a Joe Strummer quote, "The future is unwritten," tattooed on my left arm. I consider each day a new opportunity to set out on a path to success.
💪 Recognizing the best in the biz
Beth Knobel, one of my media professors at Fordham who taught me everything I know about journalism and was one of my earliest champions.
John Leland, one of my all-time favorite music critics who also gave me the time of day early on in my career.
Steve Hyden, who is the best music critic actively writing today.
Sajan Shiva, my business partner of 10-plus years who oversees our sales and partnership teams and found ways to keep us afloat during a global pandemic and a media recession. He's the reason Consequence is still around today.
Michael Roffman, who I worked alongside for more than 10 years and helped lay the foundation for what Consequence is today.
Sasha Geffen, who is probably the most talented writer I ever had the pleasure of calling a colleague.
My current team, led by Ben Kaye, Spencer Kaufman, Wren Graves, Liz Shannon Miller, and Eddie Fu. They are some of the best in the business and I am lucky to work alongside them on a daily basis.
🗞️ Puck News
I think Puck News is one of the most exciting media brands to come along in recent memory. They do some incredible reporting and their newsletter strategy is bar none. In particular, I enjoy listening to Matt Belloni's podcast, The Town.