Atlas Obscura founders removed from board

semafor.com

27 points·colinprince··4 comments

I'm amazed it is a company. I wonder how far it can run with its original idea, and what the next stages would be? Tours perhaps? There are plenty of interesting places out there but once they are publicised they become everyone's property. I have bought the Atlas Obscura book and watched their channel umpteen times. Like the Rare Earth they seem to have played themselves out.

That's too bad, Atlas Obscura is (was?) one of the good ones. It must be heartbreaking to watch capitalism eat your baby.

They exist precisely because of the market. Their aim was to make some money and they advertised.

From what it sounds like, this is just a classic takeover and consolidation of a power clique. I was at the inaugural meeting of a charity a year or two back. There were people already putting measures in place to try and exclude ordinary members from voting on certain matters... And the use of deliberately obscure language to exclude. Nowadays it barely resembles what it was set up to be, and is not run by the people who founded it. Atlas Obscura sounds the same but is in a slightly different arena. Also as I say above, I don't know what their long term strategy is... a subscription channel or tours etc?

Their new CEO fired (sorry "laid off") long-time loyal staff and kicked out the original founders, then described it as "a fond farewell to some colleagues". Complete sociopath.

I enjoyed many of their articles but it's a different company now, wearing the face mask of the old name. I will never read any new stuff from the company.

Curious to see what the original founders may start next.

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