Why we Beta: Apocalypse edition
At Splice, we like to think that
things will break,
if things don't break, break them, and
destruction is an opportunity for new growth
This is our sixth Splice Beta, and nothing you see here today is anything like the last five.
But the reason Beta (and Splice) exists is the same: we thought it was time to break the clique-ish elitist recipe for how media events were cooked up around the world: take a grand windowless ballroom stage with some pompous old men interrupting each other in a panel manel talking about themselves, throw in a token woman moderator, and drone on about the future of media being all about newspapers radio the internet UGC apps social media conversational interfaces web3 NFTs AI. They were about speaker's lounges, platinum sponsors, hierarchy, status signalling, and the ability to give good grant application.
Beta is where you (and we) get to say "Fuck that. Let's break that system."
You have helped us build Splice Beta into a space that we are all proud to belong to. It's a space for those of us that have never been on a stage before; never been invited to speak before; never been asked to weigh in with an opinion; and have always been shut out of a seat at the table, either because of your passport or visa status, your work, or because English was not your first language. We're so honoured that, in 2019, at the first Splice Beta, one of you picked Beta and Chiang Mai as the inaugural destination for the first flight you ever took in your life.
We're all here to break things. And we have all suffered profoundly from the destruction: the media industry is confronting what some have called an “extinction-level event”. We've lost jobs, colleagues, funding, families, lives, health, hope. And that's why we're also here to help each other pick up the pieces, put them together, and build fresh new growth together — for ourselves, and most importantly, for our users and audiences: the people we make all this content for.
We think this moment in time provides a singular opportunity for us to renew and rebuild. Our central question for the next few days is: What good must come of this apocalypse?
Welcome to this community that is frequently described as being "like a warm hug. Always supportive, encouraging, and inspiring". If you have ever felt cynical, we hope Beta provides you with a renewed sense of hope and optimism. And zero speakers’ lounges.
And that whole "future of media" thing? It happened a while ago. Here it is: look around you, or, better still, just look in the mirror.
Thank you for coming. It means the world to us.
— Rishad and Alan, Splice