State of independence

Hype Decoder came about as a wish to set up an independent publication.

While I’m an analyst trying to decipher or predict market trends, I will be adhering to good journalistic practices (where I have a degree in) when it comes to research, sources and transparency.

More importantly, they make sure you can rely on well-researched findings from an analyst who takes his role seriously.

How do you handle facts & sources?

I use reality/science-based facts from verified sources to come to conclusions.

Ideally I want to have at least 2 independent sources for a claim. If that’s not feasible and writing about it is a must, I will disclose this in the article.

When I have to use opinions as sources, these will be clearly labeled as such.

Lastly, I’ll protect any confidential sources. If any data is sensitive, I recommend contacting me via Signal: hypedecoder.42 and be smart about the devices and networks you use. Spammers will be reported immediately.

What if you are verifiably incorrect about a fact?

Although I take verifying data & sources very seriously, mistakes can slip through. If you spot an error, just contact me via Signal: hypedecoder.42 Add the link to the article so I can investigate the matter in detail.

Who pays the bills?

I’m fiercely independent. I own the brand, I’m paying the hosting bills and devoting my time writing the newsletter.

The goal is to become fully reader supported in the longer term via subscriptions, donations, sponsorships and affiliates. Keep in mind that independence and reader experience is leading for me. So no sponsor will ever dictate what I write and it will never be an ugly ad-fest.

That said, the more of you subscribe or donate, the less sponsorship I need to get. And at this rate, it's just 0,27 eurocents per day for the current annual plan. That's a rounding error of your daily coffee.

What about stocks?

I currently own a tiny portfolio of individual stocks. If any of the companies I write about is part of an analysis, I’ll disclose it in the article. Furthermore, some stocks are locked away in 2 pension funds I can’t touch. I don’t even know the specifics.

Either way, it doesn’t affect how I write about anyone or anything.

Which CMS do you use?

I’ve chosen Ghost as a CMS/publishing tool because it's open source. Another massive bonus is that they aren’t beholden to any investors or other corporate influences either.

What about ex-clients/employers?

I’ve worked with and for quite a few tech and media companies. This doesn’t affect my analysis at all. Nobody has any influence about what I write or don’t write.

What about using GenAI?

When it comes to GenAI, the use cases differ.

Writing: no

I don’t use LLMs to write my analysis. Why? Simple, I don’t need to. One of my roles is being a bilingual conversion copywriter. I’ve written millions of words in 2 languages. Since writing equals structuring your thoughts, I’m not outsourcing my thinking to anyone. There is enough mindlessness going around already.

Designing/diagramming: it depends

While I intend to keep the design minimal and mainly use the Affinity suite, I may end up having to use tools from say Adobe, Canva or data visualization vendors that have forms of GenAI in them.

Researching: yes

I’m using Perplexity as one of the many search tools available. Yet, I’ll always verify the sources and the claims it makes.

There are a variety of data research and analysis tools out there that come with some form of ML/DL, be it more traditional ML or DL/LLMs. That includes run-of-the-mill spreadsheet tools. I may use some of them to help structure data or sort it. I will always double check the outcomes.

Shooting photos/videos: no

The pictures/videos I'm using are all physically shot and edited by me. It means I travelled there, walked there and pressed the shutter button on that exact spot.

I'm currently sticking to a theme of using significant places that made a serious dent in history: be it via geopolitical events or innovation in tech.

I'm a Sony shooter. Most come from the A7C, AC7R or A7R V. It all depends how far back into my archives I'll go. Other gear includes iPhone, DJI Osmo Pocket 3 and the DJI Mini Pro 4.

Don't expect talking head videos anytime soon. In the immediate future the focus is on building the newsletter.

Later this year, you can purchase some as exclusive prints or wallpapers via Carian, my fine art company.

Voiceovers: TBA

Another goal is to create audio versions of the newsletter. How and when it will be implemented is TBA.