X Enters the Death Spiral

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses Elon Musk's recent comments at the DealBook conference, where he told advertisers on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to "go fuck themselves" if they try to "blackmail" him with advertising money. The article analyzes Musk's behavior, his apparent lack of a plan for the platform, and the consequences of his actions, including the potential collapse of the company due to an advertiser boycott.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Musk's Comments at the DealBook Conference

1. What were the key points of Musk's comments at the DealBook conference?

• Musk began with nervous laughter and self-deprecating jokes, but then made controversial comments
• When asked about recent antisemitic posts on X and the advertiser boycott, Musk told advertisers to "go fuck themselves" if they try to "blackmail" him with advertising money
• Musk also directed a threat at Disney CEO Bob Iger, telling him "Hey Bob, if you're in the audience"
• Musk's comments were described as "absolute, pure and utter cringe, nothing short of embarrassing"

2. How did Musk's comments reflect his attitude towards the platform and its advertisers?

• Musk appeared to be "channeling his inner Tony Stark" and displaying an appearance of confidence, but was actually "rattled" by the consequences of the ad boycott
• Musk admitted that if advertisers don't return, "it's going to kill the company" and that "the whole world will know that those advertisers killed the company"
• However, instead of taking responsibility and trying to fix the issues, Musk would rather "ride the coattails of the ideology surrounding him" and blame others

3. What does Musk's behavior suggest about his leadership and plans for the platform?

• Musk's behavior suggests he "didn't want to buy Twitter, he certainly doesn't want to own it, and he's never had a plan for the platform, working off whims and moments of 'inspiration'"
• His "rudderless leadership" is leading to the consequences of his actions, which the author describes as "rotten apples"
• The author suggests that Musk has become the "problem that needs fixing on the platform", but as the owner, it's unclear who will "lock him out"

[02] Advertiser Boycott and the Future of X

1. What are the potential consequences of the advertiser boycott for X?

• Musk admitted that if advertisers don't return, "it's going to kill the company" and that "the whole world will know that those advertisers killed the company"
• The author suggests that if X does "make its way to the bottom of the death spiral", it can't be blamed on the advertisers, but rather on "the man-child who bought the company after making a lousy weed joke"

2. How does the article view the role of advertisers in the platform's future?

• The article acknowledges that while it would be ideal to "break away from that stranglehold" of platforms being "beholden to" advertisers, for now, advertisers make up "huge percentages of media companies' income, and you can't recklessly tear them down publicly"
• The author suggests that if X ends up failing, it will be due to Musk's actions, not the advertisers who chose to boycott the platform

3. What is the author's overall perspective on the situation with X and Musk's leadership?

• The author is "trying to understand why" Musk is behaving this way, suggesting the "simplest explanation" is that Musk "didn't want to buy Twitter, he certainly doesn't want to own it, and he's never had a plan for the platform"
• The author sees Musk's behavior and leadership as "unhinged" and believes the "facade he has created of being some all-knowing entrepreneurial god is cracking"
• Overall, the author is critical of Musk's actions and leadership, and believes he is the "problem that needs fixing on the platform" rather than the advertisers.