Interview: Anastasia Goodstein
SFist falls squarely into Generation X. You know, the cool generation. Lately we've noticed that well, nobody seems to care about Gen X so much-- they've all moved onto the so called Gen Y. Who and what is Gen Y? Why do they hate the rest of us so much?
According to Anastasia Goodstein, Generation Y is actually the relatively non-threatening 14-24 year old set. On Anastasia's blog, Ypulse, those seeking to induce spending in the Gen Y set can get daily tips and insights into the teen-ish mind. Yikes! Oh yah, and Anastasia's day job is pretty interesting as well, she's the manager of viewer created content at Al Gore's IndTV. Regrettably, we neglected to ask Anastasia the most pressing question of all: Why don't Gen Y'ers buy more of our totally awesome SFist Swag?!
Name
Anastasia Goodstein
Introduce yourself in one sentence
I’m obsessed with all things teen…and my dog.
Age and Occupation
33, Manager of Viewer Created Content at Al Gore’s
INdTV
Home Town
Nashville (NashVegas), TN
How long have you lived in the Bay Area and Where?
Moved to the Bay Area in 2000 to work for now defunct
teen girl start-up Kibu. I have lived in Russian Hill
and am currently in Noe Valley – which I love b/c 24th
St. has anything a human being could ever need or want, and there is a strong community spirit – kids,
dogs, young, old.
Why did you start Ypulse?
I started Ypulse because I was really bored at my old job and missed the teen space. I got into the teen space to begin with because I was such a bad teenager myself -- I guess it was a way to make peace with my own past while hopefully contributing something positive by being a mentor of sorts.
What do you think the pros/cons of running a daily site like that are?
Pros: Instant feedback from really cool readers, got me my latest gig at INdTV, an agent for a potential book deal and pop culture knowledge that people are either amazed or annoyed by.
Cons: Waking up at 5:15 a.m. every morning and trying to write coherent content. Not much of a weeknight social life.
How do you define generation Y? And what gets through to the Y crew?
Generation Y is typically defined as 14-24, although I cover tweens and a little bit of X too. What works for Yers? Transparency, authenticity, no bull shit. They've been marketed to to death so they're incredibly media savvy and know and like clever, original, authentic media or marketing vs. people that are just trying too hard to reach them.
Favorite website
Google News – I love finding unexpected gems in newspapers from Australia and India.
Favorite local business
Ambiance – they send me cute, personal post cards whenever I buy stuff.
What I'm currently Reading
Reading Lolita in Tehran, We the Media, Free Culture
Best Deal in San Francisco
Goldstar Events is the way to get the best deals on
tix to anything in SF.
Favorite mode of transportation
My Toyota Echo
Best Band or Musician to come out of the Bay Area
Green Day – I know they’re totally mainstream now, but
I love “American Idiot”
Favorite local hangout
Glen Canyon or Fort Funston with the mutt
SF has the BEST
Vibe
You've never lived in SF until
You’ve first lived in Nob Hill or Russian Hill and then moved to another neighborhood you call home.
Best View in the Area
Twin Peaks
Favorite Walk or Hike
Tennessee Valley Trail, Marin (I like em’ easy)
Favorite Bay area politician of past or present
I’m not so hip to the ins and outs of local politics,
but I respect Gavin’s stands on gay marriage and the
hotel workers strike.
You can tell someone is a local here IF
They’ve been to Burning Man at least two or three
times.
SF would be soooo much better if only
Working people could afford to buy a home here…
Best Burrito
My own – with tofu, spinach, jack cheese, zucchini,
black beans and whatever else I have in the fridge.
Best Restaurant
Delfina (probably not THE best, but it’s where I went
on my second date with my husband and where we went
right after getting engaged.)
Best movie scene filmed in or about SF
It’s not a movie, but Party of Five was my first
glimpse of a SF Victorian.
Favorite artist to come out of the bay area
I don’t know a ton about the Bay Area art scene, but
Pilar Erika Johnson is a really good illustrator.
Favorite author to come out of the bay area
JT Leroy, Tobias Wolff, Isabel Allende
Place you always tell visitors to check out
Highway One between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz
Favorite Bridge in the area
Golden Gate
You have two hours and $15 bucks to kill in SF, what are you going to do?
See a movie at the Embarcadero
I have found/sold/bought the following on craigslist
Jobs, furniture, potential business partners
I want all the SFists out there to know
The Noe Valley Bakery has the best chocolate cherry
rugelach in the world!
Tell us a San Francisco Story
Met my husband at Peet’s in Russian Hill, moved with the company I was working for to Columbus, OH,realized I left my heart [him] in SF, quit my job and drove back after 8 months.
Question you'd ask if you were doing this interview
Describe a quintessential San Francisco moment