Benedict Townsend

Those guys were holding one of Twitter's biggest products for ransom, listing off their demands and threatening to pull the trigger if they aren't met. The 1600 group understood the power they held and the headaches they could cause. But in other ways, lacking any real industry knowledge, they seem to seriously misjudge the reality of the situation.

Those guys were holding one of Twitter's biggest products for ransom, listing off their demands and threatening to pull the trigger if they aren't met. The 1600 group understood the power they held and the headaches they could cause. But in other ways, lacking any real industry knowledge, they seem to seriously misjudge the reality of the situation.

They don't know about Karen's three-tier rescue plan. To her, they are not the long-term future of the platform. But she still doesn't want them to kick up a fuss and frighten off users. They are the VIVs, the very important finers, the bullet that can't be removed yet.

They don't know about Karen's three-tier rescue plan. To her, they are not the long-term future of the platform. But she still doesn't want them to kick up a fuss and frighten off users. They are the VIVs, the very important finers, the bullet that can't be removed yet.

She wants to keep them around just long enough that her cherished Ivy Leaguers and Sprouts can grow big enough to knock them off their platform. It was, if I can take some dramatic license, like a polite, slow-motion coup.

She wants to keep them around just long enough that her cherished Ivy Leaguers and Sprouts can grow big enough to knock them off their platform. It was, if I can take some dramatic license, like a polite, slow-motion coup.

One million dollars. I mean, in the real world, well, in my world anyway, that's a lot of money. But in the world of big tech, it's barely a drop in the ocean. What's a million bucks to Twitter? Was that all it was going to take? In a way, was this kind of a bargain? A one-off lump sum to stop all your creators complaining? To set your house in order?

One million dollars. I mean, in the real world, well, in my world anyway, that's a lot of money. But in the world of big tech, it's barely a drop in the ocean. What's a million bucks to Twitter? Was that all it was going to take? In a way, was this kind of a bargain? A one-off lump sum to stop all your creators complaining? To set your house in order?

To buy Karen the time she needs to shepherd Vine into a new era?

To buy Karen the time she needs to shepherd Vine into a new era?

Karen and the team flew out of LA flustered but triumphant with a deal that would be an easy sell to the big bosses. The end. I was just joking. Imagine if that was the end of the story. Just picture me closing the cover of a big dusty storybook. The end. Oh, no, but of course, it was all too good to be true. You see, there was just one tiny detail that hadn't quite been communicated properly.

Karen and the team flew out of LA flustered but triumphant with a deal that would be an easy sell to the big bosses. The end. I was just joking. Imagine if that was the end of the story. Just picture me closing the cover of a big dusty storybook. The end. Oh, no, but of course, it was all too good to be true. You see, there was just one tiny detail that hadn't quite been communicated properly.

Was anything written down? Obviously, there's an NDA, but did they present you with like a little charter of requests or anything? Well...

Was anything written down? Obviously, there's an NDA, but did they present you with like a little charter of requests or anything? Well...

Each. It wasn't one million dollars. It was one million dollars each. One small word that made all the difference.

Each. It wasn't one million dollars. It was one million dollars each. One small word that made all the difference.

So much for that NDA. Once other creators started hearing about Vine potentially paying a million dollars for content, it became a free-for-all. Setting a precedent Twitter had hardline avoided for years. There was no way they'd agree to a payout now that the word had got out. If there had been a chance for a turnaround, there definitely wasn't one anymore.

So much for that NDA. Once other creators started hearing about Vine potentially paying a million dollars for content, it became a free-for-all. Setting a precedent Twitter had hardline avoided for years. There was no way they'd agree to a payout now that the word had got out. If there had been a chance for a turnaround, there definitely wasn't one anymore.

So, no deal. And true to their word, the 1,600 Viners headed straight for the door. But they weren't bluffing this time. They were gone. For Rich Arnold, head of design, it felt like Vine was finally reaping what they had sown.

So, no deal. And true to their word, the 1,600 Viners headed straight for the door. But they weren't bluffing this time. They were gone. For Rich Arnold, head of design, it felt like Vine was finally reaping what they had sown.