The challenge of building a right CMS for the right people

Matt Monahan is the President of Arc XP, the CMS technology that powers the Washington Post and many other publishers.

On this episode of CRAFTED., we discuss why making media is hard, and distributing it to the right audience is even more so.

And how GenAI can help.

We dig into the core technology of any media company: the content management system (CMS), why they’re so hard to build right, and how new GenAI tools can reduce the toil required for journalists to get their stories to the right audience. Matt also shares more on the challenge of commercializing an internal tool for others to use.

It’s a tantalizing idea – turn that cost center into a profit center! — but it’s not for the faint of heart. Plus, lessons from Jeff Bezos, the owner of the Washington Post, including how the Post uses key Amazon practices, such as the “six-page memo” and “one- and two-way doors.”

Key moments:
The challenge of a print-to-digital world
Why the CMS is where it all comes together
Commercializing an internal tool: Selling Arc XP to other publishers
AWS and the impact of Jeff Bezos on the Washington Post
The famous six-page memo and how the Post benefits from it
GenAI: New features Matt is building to reduce toil for journalists
How to pick the right model and fine-tune it
Matt’s a pilot! What flying has taught him about running a business
Being nimble: Why there are more “one-way doors” than you think

—

CRAFTED. is sponsored by Docker and produced by Modern Product Minds.

—

Subscribe to CRAFTED.

Where to find Matt Monahan:

Where to find the host, Dan Blumberg:
X: @dblums

Where to find Docker:
X: @docker
Instagram: @dockerinc

#crafted #ai #genAI