Thanks to the rise of the open social web, it’s more viable than ever for creators to take back ownership and control of the distribution of their work, their connection to their audiences, and their livelihoods overall. Real alternatives to walled-garden platforms aren’t just theoretical ideas — they’re here, and getting stronger every day.

No one knows this better than Molly White, the researcher, writer and software engineer behind the Citation Needed newsletter and the project Web3 Is Going Just Great. Molly’s not only an outspoken advocate for an open, ethical web, she’s also cracked the code on being a successful, autonomous creator herself. During this conversation with Flipboard CEO Mike McCue, recorded live at SXSW 2025 on March 9, 2025, White explains her setup, philosophy, and learnings, and takes smart questions from the audience at the end.

Highlights include discussions of:

• Importance of owning your online identity
• Strategies for digital ownership
• Moving content freely without platform constraints
• Monetization and sustainable models
• Video content, e-commerce, surveillance capitalism 

You can find Dot Social on PeerTube, YouTube, Flipboard, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere else you might listen to podcasts.

This is the second time Mike’s interviewed Molly. The first was back in May 2024.

We will continue to bring you new episodes with fascinating leaders as we record them. The best way to never miss an episode is to subscribe to the show. Please also rate, review, comment and share, especially if you like what you hear. 

See you on the social web!