Sources with Alex Heath

Earlier today, Substack CEO Chris Best and I chatted via in-app live video. We discussed why I started Sources and the current state of tech media. Hope you enjoy!

After spending over 10 years as a tech reporter for other newsrooms, I’m excited to launch my own publication here on Substack. I’m calling it Sources, and it’s about the tech industry’s inside conversation.

In my previous role as deputy editor at The Verge, I took readers inside some of the world's most powerful and secretive tech companies, including Meta, Google, Amazon, Apple, OpenAI, and X. I’ve leaked many internal meetings and product roadmaps. I’ve been among the first to cover big storylines, such as the AI talent wars. I’ve also published exclusive interviews with many of the tech world’s most influential leaders.

Over the years, my scoops have won awards, been cited in congressional hearings, ruined board meetings, and even sparked jokes on Saturday Night Live. I broke the news of Facebook’s rebrand to Meta, Sam Altman overturning an attempted boardroom coup at OpenAI, and key details of how Elon Musk took over Twitter.

Sources is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

I’ve never experienced such a wild and exciting time covering tech. The biggest companies are as powerful as ever, but the ground under them is shifting fast. The rise of AI leaders like OpenAI and Anthropic has compelled Big Tech incumbents to scramble. AI remains brittle and buggy, but millions of people are still forming relationships with chatbots. LLMs are quickly reshaping how software itself is created. Who controls talent, distribution, and compute in the years ahead will define the next era.

One of the best parts of my job is getting to try new products that push the boundaries of what technology can do. On the hardware front, smartphones may seem boring, but a wide range of fascinating, AI-enabled wearables is proliferating. Billions of dollars are being invested in the development of brain-computer interfaces and humanoid robots. The world feels like it’s going to look very different in a few years, and even the people building this future have a difficult time predicting the shape it will take.

The media industry, meanwhile, is also undergoing a massive upheaval. Individuals are becoming more influential than brands, and I expect this trend to only accelerate thanks to AI. The story of media is bundling and unbundling. We’re living through a great period of unbundling right now, and I’m excited to be on this adventure with all of you.

I started The Verge’s first paid newsletter, Command Line, over two years ago because I wanted to build a relationship with my readers. I plan to expand on what I covered there at Sources. Going forward, one issue of Sources per week will also be republished on The Verge’s website, where I’ll remain a contributor.

As Axios covered today, I’m also partnering with Vox Media to launch ACCESS, a new tech podcast with my friend Ellis Hamburger. Our first episode airs on Thursday, September 18th, featuring an interview with Mark Zuckerberg. Our second episode will feature Figma CEO Dylan Field. I hope you’ll subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

The first paid issue of Sources will be published tomorrow, September 17th. It will feature an exclusive preview of my recent interview with Zuckerberg, which is airing in full on ACCESS the next day.

Going forward, I’ll be publishing at least two issues of Source per week. A paid subscription unlocks everything, plus the ability to interact in the comments and with me via DMs. Free subscribers will receive one issue per week.

I’m launching Sources without any outside funding. My goal is to build a sustainable, profitable publication, and that’s not possible without making something worth paying for. I believe that the best reporting comes from going out into the world to attend events, meet people, and actually experience products firsthand. I’m excited to get going with all of you.