Success breeds contentment and contentment is the enemy of success. Jalopnik has exceeded any dreams we had of what it could be, which means we need to dream bigger. We also need to realize that car culture is still in danger and that we don't serve everyone who deserves to be served. Thus we need to know: Why do you care about cars? What aren't we doing?
This isn't a manifesto, because a manifesto would imply that I have all the answers (or any of the answers). I do not.
At the center of our problem is the simple question: Why do you care about cars?
I know why we like cars and I've hired people who, to some degree, have the same kind of passion for cars that I have. A passion you're born with but can't always articulate. A known thing. As we've added people and added sub-blogs we've definitely widened our perspective a bit, but I wouldn't exactly call us diverse. Pluralistic, maybe, in that we're accepting of a lot more variety, but our viewpoint is similar.
By telling us why you care, I'm hoping to get at understanding the perspective you bring with you. I want to understand why car culture is important to you, what it means to you, and why it's worth saving.
That leads to my next question: What aren't we doing?
I know we've added a lot with our awesome mix of sub-blogs like Foxtrot Alpha and Truck Yeah!, and with over 7.5 million unique visitors a month we're certainly serving more enthusiasts than just about anyone, but I'm not convinced that the depth we've added in those areas is enough. I sense there's something essential to the experience of loving cars that we're leaving unserved.
This is a lot to ask, I know, but the thing I treasure most about the community that we've built here is that we can have frank conversations. That we trust each other enough to listen and that I can admit that we're not perfect so we can get better.
I'll be in the comments all weekend, so take your time if you need it.
Photo: AP Images