Sam Harris' Generous Subscription Policy
I am a huge fan of the Making Sense podcast which is hosted by Sam Harris. It is consistently ranked as one of the top 100 podcasts in the world.
The podcast is mostly interviews that Sam Harris has with interesting people. Interview might be the wrong word, because it makes it seem like the majority of the talking is done by the guest. It makes it seem like all Sam does is ask questions. It is much more of a conversation where both Sam and his guest get the chance to speak at length about their thoughts on any given topic.
And the conversations had in the podcast are on topics of consequence. Some podcasts merely talk about entertaining anecdotes with the intent of amusing listeners. Making Sense is an educational podcast that talks about science, religion, psychology, politics, and current events.
Sam Harris is one of the smartest people I have ever listened to or read. His vocabulary is immense and his ability to enunciate concepts is incredible. The guests he brings on to the show tend to be very smart also. I really feel intellectually stimulated by listening to this podcast. Whenever I listen to it, it tends to be a high point of my day.
The podcast is interesting and valuable.
Sam used to offer all of his podcast episodes for free, but he realized that he needed to find a way to generate revenue from his work if he was to be able to continue to do it.
He started charging for a premium subscription to the podcast which allowed paid subscribers to access bonus content. He offered "Ask Me Anything" episodes and bonus questions with the guests who came on the podcast.
At some point he decided to put most of his content behind a paywall, accessible to only those people with a premium subscription. Roughly the first half of every episode would be available for free, but to finish the episodes, you would need a subscription.
This is a reasonable thing to ask of his listeners. This is a viable business model. The work he does is very valuable, and he deserves to generate an income from that work.
But Sam Harris is a good and generous person. He says in his podcast and on his website that he wants to share his digital content with everyone. For those who can afford to pay for what he offers, it only makes sense that they pay for it. But he never wants a lack of money to be the reason why someone can't enjoy his work. He says that if anyone feels that they can't afford to pay for a subscription, they only need to email his support team to that effect and they will be given a premium subscription account for free.
How wild and inspiring is that? What other sort of business or content creator says that they will give their product away to those who genuinely can't afford it because they care about providing value to all? That is so rare. In fact, Sam is the only instance of that sort of generosity that I am aware of.
Most businesses have the attitude that if you can't afford what they sell that you don't deserve to have it. Sam really cares about people and their betterment, so he chooses to give away his digital content to those who could benefit from it but can't find the money to pay for it.
I love his attitude! While I doubt it will ever catch on, I hope that more companies and content providers adopt a similar stance. Let those who can afford to support something do so, and don't let other people's poverty be a reason to deprive them of something.
Sam Harris is a genuinely good person and he demonstrates that through his premium subscription policy.
I highly recommend his Making Sense podcast to you. I could not recommend it more highly. It is my favorite podcast, and probably my favorite media content of any sort (podcast, television, movie, book, etc.). And if you find that you cannot afford a subscription, do not feel embarrassment or shame, but simply fill out the form to his support team and request a free account. They do not ask further questions or require that you provide any sort of proof. They take you at your word that you cannot afford it.
Sam Harris also has a meditation app called Waking Up. As with anything else Sam does, it is very high quality and valuable. While I tried it and didn't really enjoy meditation, I could definitely see it being for other people.
The app contains guided meditations of various lengths and interviews with people on the topic of meditation and mindfulness.
Sam Harris has the same premium subscription policy for Waking Up that he has for Making Sense. If you cannot afford a premium subscription, you need only request a free account from his support team.
Please look into Sam Harris' work and support him if you enjoy it and have the money.
Do you have any opinions about Sam Harris or his work? What are your views on meditation? How do you feel about paying for digital content? Let me know in the comments!
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