From Attention to Authority

The attention economy is ending.

For twenty years, the internet rewarded whoever could capture the most eyeballs. Clicks, views, impressions—these were the currencies that mattered. Build an audience, monetize the attention.

This model is breaking down. And what replaces it changes everything about how visibility works online.

The Attention Collapse

Attention is a finite resource. As more content competes for it, the value of any individual piece of attention approaches zero.

We've reached the endgame of this dynamic. Content is now essentially free to produce. AI generates it at scale. Every possible take on every possible topic exists somewhere online.

When supply is infinite and demand is fixed, prices collapse. Attention-based business models are feeling this pressure. Advertising rates decline. Engagement numbers look good but revenue doesn't follow. The math stops working.

The platforms that built the attention economy are pivoting. They're not optimizing for engagement anymore. They're optimizing for commercial intent. For purchase signals. For demonstrated authority.

The Authority Model

Authority works differently than attention. Here's the mental model:

Attention is borrowed. Authority is owned.

When you capture attention, you rent it from the platform. The algorithm giveth and the algorithm taketh away. You have no control.

When you build authority, you create an asset. It exists independent of any platform. People seek you out directly. You control the relationship.

Attention scales linearly. Authority compounds.

More content might generate more attention, but the relationship is roughly linear. Double the content, maybe double the views.

Authority compounds. Each verified proof point makes the next one more credible. Reputation builds on reputation. The curve is exponential.

Attention is claimed. Authority is verified.

Anyone can claim expertise. Only some can prove it. As verification becomes easier (and it is becoming easier), the gap between real and claimed authority widens.

Strategic Implications

If this model is right, several strategic shifts follow:

Invest in proof, not promotion. Every dollar spent on content marketing would be better spent creating verifiable results that can be cited later.

Build structured reputation. Don't scatter your authority across random platforms. Create a coherent identity that can be verified and cited. Make yourself findable in the systems that matter.

Play long games. Authority takes time to build. Short-term tactics that generate attention but not credibility are now actively harmful—they dilute your signal.

Choose specificity. Broad authority is hard to verify. Narrow authority is easy to verify. Be the obvious expert in a small domain rather than a generic voice in a large one.

Takeaway

• The attention economy is collapsing under infinite content supply.

• Authority—owned, compounding, verifiable—is the emerging alternative.

• The strategic shift is from promotion to proof, from breadth to depth, from claims to verification.

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At Avec Trois E, we design products and systems that capture real community signals and translate them into AI-readable authority.

If you're thinking about this shift and how to position for it, this is the layer we focus on.