Startups Attempting to Reinvent the Magazine Industry

Ever since pg put magazines out as a fund-worthy idea, I've kept an ear open to see if anything innovative had been started, because it sounded like an interesting challenge. But these ideas are a bit obvious and sound like they've taken the TV playbook and tried to apply it to magazines: Add a cable tv subscription model! Add an interactive tv model with a chat box and games! Put TV on a different device!

So, here's an idea I'll throw out there: Someone create a magazine where the content is controlled by the subscriber base. Basically, take the idea of a sprint planning meeting into consumable media. Or, call it micro-commission media.

This would probably be easiest to start with a review type magazine, like a Consumer Reports. I often notice that the reviewed products aren't the ones I'm interested in learning about. Instead, upfront, you can let each subscriber allocate a set of points to review product X. Get enough points, and the product is reviewed. If you get manufacturers buying up a bunch of points to ensure their product is reviewed, so what--all that means is the product is bought and reviewed fairly.

It takes away the hope that the article is something that someone will want to read--the readers have already indicated this by putting their money down on it. It takes care of a revenue model, and it melds a methodology that many people are passionate about into a different world.

It's all about the advertising partners...