John Watson of "The Radavist" Spills #HowToWinTheInternet
@TheRadavist
Barely 10 years ago, John Watson was working in an architecture firm in New York City. Today, he runs The Radavist, an influential cycling blog that produces enough revenue for it to be his day job, and to pay contributors, too.
Watson, now based in Austin, Texas, has had unusual staying power in social media, where personalities or memes tend to get hot quickly and burn out just as fast. His longevity derives from two primary assets: Rather than chase other people's notions of a trend, he focuses on themes and ideas that are important to him personally, which themselves change, which then refresh the site. He's also open to reinventing his approach, such as when he abandoned the popular Prolly Is Not Probably blog title and format in favor of the more expansive, but unknown, The Radavist.
"I was tired of Prolly being narcissistic, this site about one cycling experience," says the 34-year-old Watson. When he created The Radavist, he consciously chose the title because it wasn't specific to cycling, and he opened the platform to other contributors. "I wanted a mix of voices and opinions," he says.
RELATED: The 17 Best Cycling Instagram Accounts to Follow
More contributors also means more content. Watson spends pretty much all day, every day, working on the site, but says, "I can't do it all myself." He doesn't plan the site's long-term vision or approach, preferring to focus on simply creating. "People say there's a balance between quantity and quality," he says. "I don't agree with that at all." But the lesson isn't just to throw content up; Watson routinely rejects submissions that don't meet his standards.
Few who stake a high-profile digital claim avoid controversy—and Watson has not been immune. Last fall, he was involved in a spat that spiraled out of CrossVegas, where he photographed fans spraying pro racers with beer from the sidelines, and posted the images on Instagram. Although Watson insists he was a) sober, and b) just shooting photos, things quickly got personal on both sides. His takeaway: Be positive, and if the discussion degenerates, just disengage. "Nothing good comes from arguments on social media," he says.
John's Favorite Instagrammers
@fyxo: Down Under is a long ways away, yet Andy White of FYXO brings us right into what Melbourne's cycling culture has to offer.
@rmdub: With his impeccable eye for roadscape photography, Ryan Wilson's stream relays a feeling of isolation to the comfort of your home.
@shifterbikes: Danny Hale exists on Instagram because your mechanic needs inspiration for how to route his cables.
@ultraromance: There are very few nomadic souls these days and Benedict is the poster child for the revival that's needed to free all of us from our possessions.
You Might Also Like
