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Okay, I’m almost done talking about this book. I just released v1.1.0 and I’m starting a new job on Monday. One of the last things I want to capture in writing is quite different: What do I think of Framed?
I’ve decided to go chapter by chapter and rank them. Providing an inside look at the writing process, how I organized the topics, and my own shortcomings is something I’m ready to approach. I’m also interested to hear from readers if they agree. Here’s the Framed Power Ranking!
#31: The Five Eras (S2 Ch11)
This is a reference chapter with a chronology of events.
#30: Introduction (S2 Ch1)
The chapter transitions section 1 into section 2. If you poll five editors, all five all would agree that my approach is amateurish. I ended up cutting 70% of this chapter in hopes that section 1 would be memorable and the connections would be clear enough.
#29: Terms and Term Sheets (S2 Ch5)
To spend such a large proportion of time talking about breaking terms of service, I almost forgot to introduce them. I combined that exploration another chapter I wrote about investor expectations and such. I find this chapter necessary but a bit rushed. I don’t think I wrote the part about the terms until some point in 2025, and it’s probably obvious that it was a bit rushed.
#28: “Instagress Alternative” Alternatives (S2 Ch17)
This chapter speaks to the trove of information that I had to exclude from the book. I had so much source material that I kept trying to wedge into other chapters. Eventually, it ended up here, and although this is a great resource for those who want to understand the full extent of things, it’s a bit rushed and I regret not being able to interview practitioners (I tried!).
#27: Why Instagram? (S2 Ch2)
I rewrote this a few times. At this length, it’s passable, and I’m happy that I got to share my story about Jumper Media. But, this is one where I admit that there are probably 20 other authors who could write a “Why Instagram?” type chapter
#26: Screengrabbing (S1 Ch6)
People like this chapter, but it was one I seriously considered cutting. I cut maybe 20,000 words from the manuscript of Screengrabbing. My disappointment here is that there is so much more I want to say to support my hypotheses, and I just couldn’t find the space. I even did deep dives and research into games written about game development.
#25: Say Hello to My New Gangster Friend (S2 Ch4)
The working title of this chapter was “What users want” or something equally generic. My buddy Kyle was helping me edit, and he didn’t think that this chapter really matched the quality of anything in section 1. I still don’t think it’s quite there, as this chapter involved quite a bit of compromise. However, the ideas here are important (and the “Gangster Friend” story really happened).
#24: Hackathon Hackers (S1 Ch5)
This is the most difficult chapter in the book. I considered it absolutely necessary to introduce APIs. But, there are some tech details here that will confust non-technical users. I had to do it. Originally, I had a guide on how to do API sniffing (with pictures too) but I scrapped most of it. Without the hackathon/api access angle, I’d probably throw away this chapter. It goes a long way to help establish the conflict between platforms and users.
#23: The Puppeteer Part II (S2 Ch20)
This is a sloppy essay, exacerbated by its size. The conclusion is particularly weak. I thought that the newness of the dead internet theory and genAI would make for a good read. I don’t think that it’s a good read, but it’s more than bloatware, so I’ve decided to keep it in the book. It’s worth mentioning that I’ve contacted over 20 journalists regarding things I wrote in this chapter, and most ignored me or said that they have no idea what I’m talking about. Maybe one day it’ll make more sense.
#22: Tapping Out (S2 Ch16)
There would be quite a few holes if I didn’t include this chapter, but it’s one of the least interesting for me to re-read. This was also a traumatic time in the life of any bot owner. Hopefully, I captured some of the anxiety and why those who knew how to program had such a big advantage.
#21: Organic Growth (S2 Ch13)
One irony of writing Framed was that by the time I built out what *should* have been the most central chapter, “Organic Growth,” it didn’t feel important. Of course, it is important, as it helps establish that I know what I’m talking about, but non-technical readers or those who don’t particularly care about the nuances of Instagram growth won’t like it compared to the heavier hitters in section 1.
#20: They Shut Off TikTok. Now What? (S1 Ch2)
This chapter was originally named “TikTok to the future; Or, why now?” and then went through a last-minute change with the TikTok shut down. It should be obvious to the reader that quite a few different ideas were smashed together here. Texts from an ex girlfriend, the fake follower debacle, an introduction to Instagress, a secondary intro passage…there’s a lot going on and the flow sucks. I think this is a passable Chapter 2, just not the hook that a bestseller needs.
#19: The Puppeteer Part I (S1 Ch7)
I admitted on a podcast that working at Cutlet and deciding to include it in my book as The Puppeteer Part I set back the publication of Framed by pretty much a full year. I’m happy I took the extra time, but, damn, I really wish this chapter could have been more. Unfortunately, without a huge extension of length or much more technical detail (or, fabricating experiments), I don’t know how much more I could have done.
#18: Broken-Hearted (S2 Ch18)
This details the bitter end of Shark Social. The crazy customer really existed, and if you could hear the voicemail, you’d be even more frightened. This is where I discuss facing reality that I thought I was the shit but really I was just spamming people.
#17: Algorithms and Truth (S1 Ch4)
The working title was “Software engineers, their algorithms, and truth.” I took out “software engineers” because I ended up writing a bunch of drivel about what developers do all day and why they make so much money. I’ve never worked at Big Tech, anyway, so what would the point have been of including that? I like the journalism angle here, but it’s a bit jumpy. I’m also proud of some of the fringe research. This was one of the chapters that made me realize the book needed to be two sections. The draft I was sending to people in mid 2023 was 35k+ words. Nobody gave me feedback on that. I wonder why.
#16: Safeguarding and Shadowbans Part I (S2 Ch8)
The conclusion to this chapter is awful (a weak setup for the hastily-arranged part 2), but the ideas introduced in the first 80% of it are things that I re-read and marvel at. Not in terms of the quality of writing (the flow sucks) but I think this is all important. This is one chapter that shines, despite being mediocre, because so many of the tangents have been addressed by other chapters by the time this is encountered.
#15: Influencers, Verifying Them (S1 Ch8)
Like Screengrabbing, this was a stream of conscious writing exercise that went through a lot of editing. I dropped over 20,000 words and then had to rewrite more if it because of how blue checkmarks changed in 2023. The conclusion to this chapter is a bit of a non-sequitor that happened to be personally gratifying (I got to use a picture of my buddy using a flamethrower in 2008) but may confuse some readers. Ultimately, I don’t know what the message is here, but I think this is a prime example of the “tragicomedy” of social media.
#14: Punishing Crime (S1 Ch9)
This chapter explores the spectrum of rulebreaking on the internet. I had to remove about 40% of the content because the book was too long, but probably for the better. I had so much more about BlackHatWorld. The transitions between Genius, hiQ, RadPad, and Gab, are rough, but this is a cruial chapter and I think it’s digestible enough. There’s something of a ramp here to Section 2, but I think the Dostoevsky reference might be a bit too much of a literary reach.
#13: Gitting Gud (S2 Ch7)
This was built up from a draft called “What customers do to grow” or something. This has been one of the most quoted chapters, despite it being something of a throwaway. There are some entertaining diatribtes here–I even found space to include my stint as a book reviewer.
#12: They Can’t All Be Number One! (S2 Ch15)
I was going to toss this, but at the last minute I figured that this title was enough to run with. There was so much deception. Journalists need to be covering this stuff. So many people are getting scammed and misled by these same practices today.
#11: Safeguarding and Shadowbans Part II (S2 Ch9)
This is a weighty chapter. This is what readers should have been expecting in the tenderloin of the book. How does this stuff really work? Who is lying to you, and why? Even after splitting the chapters, I cut quite a bit more from this one.
#10: Building Bots (S2 Ch14)
Originally, “Building Bots” was called “How to build a bot.” I view this as a good balance of technical material, research, and personal experience. I am confident in that this chapter does establish my expertise in the IG growth space. This may come at the expense of being memorable.
#9: Social Media Marketing Panels and Sockpuppet Botnets (S2 Ch10)
This is the ultimate follow-up to the NYT article The Follower Factory. This is the chapter I’ve sent to researchers, and I hope all readers understand its importance! There are some switchups as it progresses, and maybe there was a catchier title somewhere, but…I’m so glad I got to tell the Unidan story.
#8: Bulbs and Flowers (S2 Ch12)
Mislav’s interview was awesome. Here’s the admission: A lot of this stuff was learned while doing one of my final research passes. I can’t believe that I almost overlooked so many things from the early days of Instagram growth.
#7: Unfollowed (S2 Ch21)
The idea for this chapter (a “soft ending”) came to me pretty late in the writing process. It serves to close off some of the hanging narrative elements, but it also embeds a totally new story, one of the most relevant personal anecdotes from my time in Instagram growth. I introduce the concept of Gatsbying, which readers have told me that they really liked, but also serves to further complicate the book and what should be a lighter conclusion
#6: Blood in the Water (S2 Ch19)
Although I removed this chapter and replaced it with a passage explaining why, everyone who has read it has said it’s among the best chapters.
#5: Free Lunch (S2 Ch6)
This is one of the snappiest chapters of the book. It’s the main sample chapter that I’ve sent out for promo purposes. Chris Buetti is an interesting character in the Instagram growth space–someone who made honest work out of it, became a friend of mine, and referred me to Cutlet. For what it’s worth, the Cheddar (RIP) interviewers asked all the right questions. I wish more people had their understanding of and interest in this realm.
#4: Clout Chaser (S1 Ch1)
If I made a hundred more attempts, I don’t think I could write a better introductory chapter than Clout Chaser. It takes an bundle of ideas and introduces the book in a way that showcases my style (and, what you would call my credentials). Original title was “My Route to Clout.”
#3: Sharks (S2 Ch3)
If the rhythm of this chapter was better, it’d probably be #1. I struggled with my editor (and other volunteer editors) to figure out exactly what to write. The idea is important: I grew up cheating at videogames, I learned how to program so I could cheat at other things. This introduces the core of the book, my involvement with shark social, and I’m really proud of this one.
#2: Epilogue
I fell into a trap that many first-time writers fall into. I spent too much time writing the final chapter in my book. I probably spent ten hours working on it before I had more than a handful of “middle” chapters written. Although this helped me establish the book’s tone, and was useful as a writing exercise, it wasn’t a good use of time. It was very important to me that the final chapter, the epilogue, wasn’t sugar-coated. I didn’t want a dessert course. I wanted it to be like a final, satisfying bite of a filet mignon. Even now, I find myself returning to this concluding chapter and marveling at how well it ties off the book.
#1: A Place for Friends, Pimps, and Whores (S1 Ch3)
In June 2023, shortly after moving into my little West Village apartment, I dedicated a prime weekend to expanding this chapter, during which I came up with this title. Once I realized what I had here, I made major revisions to (or rewrote) about 80% of my existing material for the book. There were many tangents that didn’t make it into the final version (and plenty of interview requests that were ignored). I cut a lot of material. I’m still not thrilled with the flow, but this is the one chapter I wish everyone would read. I think it encapsulates what Framed is and what I loved about growing up with the internet.
Let me know if my power ranking matches with yours! Thanks for reading Framed.
