Welcome to This Does Not Bode Well
Beginning the newsletter journey
Why here? Why now?
For those of you who have followed my ranting on LinkedIn, this is a space to expand upon that “Old man yells at cloud” vibe and introduce some more features that aren’t available in a LinkedIn post.
You may have noticed I’ve begun to include some source material in the comments of posts (examples here and here.) So much of what I tend to write about and so much of what occurs in our lives everyday is related to other themes and phenomena. The mere ability to hyperlink in the texts is a big plus and I hope will help to contextualize the topics.
So that’s it? You just wanted to hyperlink?
No, that’s not the only reason we’re changing up venues. Social platforms like LinkedIn are double-edged swords. They provide a built-in audience, but at the end of the day that audience is not yours; it’s the platform’s. As are the posts themselves - LinkedIn has provided me a lot of exposure through their “LinkedIn News” feature, but there are also posts that get next to no exposure based on the algorithm. Substack subscriptions remove these exposure swings for a more even-keeled experience for all.
It’s also an insurance policy in case Elon Musk buys LinkedIn and brings his “management style” to that platform like he did with Twitter.
So what can we expect? Is this just LinkedIn posts on Substack?
No. Well, hopefully not.
The goal here is to post weekly on a variety of topics. Most of them will likely be work-related given that a lot of the initial audience will come from LinkedIn. But moving over to Substack also allows me to broaden the subject matter if the urge strikes me. It won’t be a Cheesecake Factory menu of topics, but will likely spread out beyond RTO (eventually - I have a lot of bitterness I need to expunge.)
The aim is to have something new weekly (aiming for Tuesdays), under 1000 words, littered with sitcom references, with some consistent sections at the end - what those will be is up in the air as this is a grand experiment for which we are all along on the ride.
Will there be paid subscriptions?
I know that’s what Substack is known for, but I don’t see that happening. Unless I get an unexpectedly large following and can actually make money off it, then I’ll sell out. But until then, no.
What is the “This Does Not Bode Well” reference?
The inestimable Jessica Walter as Lucille Bluth’s response to being greeted at Klimpy’s and being told “Wherever you like” after missing out on a reservation at a much nicer establishment.
Other shortlisters:
“Well well well how the turntables…” but it left a lingering tension.
“Litre of Cola” was a solid entry (can’t go wrong with Supertroopers)
Another classic Lucille quote: “I’ll leave when I’m good and ready”
At the end of the day, Lucille’s response to being forced to eat at Klimpy’s captures my slight pessimism (I prefer to call it realism) as well as a nod towards understanding the future (Lucille was, in fact, right later on in the scene.)
So welcome to This Does Not Bode Well. Anywhere you like.
