opinion

Count Your Blessings

Joe, David and I were in Spain in September of 2008 when “Dubwya” officially announced the US economy was on life support and I feel like I have been in a bad mood ever since.

The recession spiked a depression that has claimed sales, and our sanity, with it. As thought turn to Thanksgiving at the end of the month, I am thankful for those of us still around, surviving to capitalize when things get better and thought this was the perfect time to remind us all why people keep buying our product in the first place.

Nothing is perfect forever and realizing that, we must keep our surfer’s believing that the next update may just deliver their newly refined idea of erotic bliss.

Take a moment and think about your favorite jeans right now – they likely have a narrow or skinny leg. No take a moment and think about your favorite jeans from a few years ago which likely had flared bottoms and changes are next year, your new favorite pair will be something different. Nothing is perfect forever, not the economy, not your jeans, and not your last update, no matter how hot the action is or how much fan mail the model received.

We shot the scene, wrote the copy, edited the video, launched the update, sent out the promotional materials to the affiliates and added the new scene to the rss feed and if we have done our job correctly, that job specifically being to convince the depressed surfer that the sexual nirvana they seek to escape is just on the other side in our member’s area and a simple join form away. Transaction complete, masturbation complete, but what’s next? If this was a one time blow-and-go, they will get off and so will we, get off without making a dime that is. We need them to re-bill and you can’t do that unless you understand not just how, but why!

The how is easy – regular updates always on schedule that fill the niche of the site is the how. The why, however, is a little more complex. Just like last year’s go-to jeans that have been relegated to car wash apparel, the same thing happens to every update after the initial mission is accomplished. Everyone has their favorites and let’s say a real fan gets a few squirts from your latest episode, but then they start looking and thinking…”I wonder what would happen is they did ______ instead” or “If their eyes were ______instead of brown ______ or “what I wanna see next is ______.”

Nothing is perfect forever and realizing that, we must keep our surfer’s believing that the next update may just deliver their newly refined idea of erotic bliss – and then give it to them. And then we start all over again, we keep delivering what they want and they keep recurring to give us what we want – the dollars to shoot the next scene and enough profit to allows us to pay ourselves and perpetuate our existence another day.

Since the initial sale to a surfer usually does not allow the program behind it to make a profit, we need that consumer to come back the next month so we can move our balance sheets into the black and that’s makes the expiration on scene not such a bad thing, but a blessing. If we do not count those blessing now, we sure will not be counting money later!

Related:  

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

profile

BranditScan's Aerie Saunders on Fostering Creator Knowledge, Confidence and Community

Aerie Saunders is firmly in her season. When she sits down with XBIZ, a fall-scented WoodWick candle burns in the background, pumpkins decorate her desk and the first signs of spooky season are already on display. Not that Saunders waits until autumn to embrace the macabre.

Jackie Backman ·
opinion

What Mastercard's Scam Monitoring Program Means for Adult Merchants

Mastercard's Scam Merchant Monitoring Program (SMMP) has introduced a new, investigation-led framework that works very differently from the ratio-based chargeback programs the industry has relied on for years. It applies to card-not-present merchants globally, and Mastercard's guidance on business models warranting closer attention includes adult content and dating platforms, along with subscription services, digital goods and forex.

Len Garcia ·
opinion

Why the Right Merchant Category Code Matters for NSFW AI Businesses

You explained exactly what your NSFW AI business does to your payment processor and they seemed to get it. The underwriting process felt thorough and exhausting, but it was well worth it because you began processing.

Jonathan Corona ·
opinion

How Local Payments Can Expand Access and Reduce Friction at Checkout

Global adult platforms often enter new markets with a familiar assumption: If their checkout accepts major cards, they're ready for local customers. In reality, payment habits vary widely by country. Dutch consumers use iDEAL for online shopping, BLIK is a leading e-commerce payment method in Poland, and India's UPI handles billions of transactions each month.

Mitch Platt ·
opinion

How Detailed Receipts Build Consumer Trust and Reduce Chargeback

When was the last time you bought something online? Chances are you looked for the confirmation almost immediately. Did the transaction go through? Does it show what you bought? Were you charged correctly? And if there's a problem, who can you contact?

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

What Adult Platforms Should Know About the EU AI Act

The European Union's Artificial Intelligence Act is now largely in force, creating new obligations for adult platforms using AI for content creation, performer verification, age estimation, moderation and other functions.

Corey Silverstein ·
profile

Verifymy's Emma Robert-Tissot on Putting People at the Heart of Online Safety

Warm, friendly and always happy to help, Emma Robert-Tissot has a gift for making even the most complex corners of online safety feel approachable.

Jackie Backman ·
profile

YourVids' Gino on Listening, Learning and Putting Creators First

Get Gino talking about the work creators pour into their careers, and his passion quickly becomes contagious. He deeply appreciates the people powering the business and has firm ideas about what they deserve in return.

Jackie Backman ·
profile

Vendo CEO Mitch Platt Reflects on 20 Years of Lessons and Evolution

More than 20 years ago, three entrepreneurs in Barcelona began gathering over beers to pitch, dissect and routinely destroy one another's business ideas. The ritual was simple: One person arrived with a concept, while the other two tried to expose every weakness. Any proposal that survived earned another look. Most did not.

Jackie Backman ·
opinion

How to Avoid the Hidden Risks of AI-Generated Legal Documents

Artificial intelligence can write a contract in seconds, but that does not mean it can write the contract your business actually needs. Across the adult industry, operators, creators and producers are increasingly using generative AI to prepare model releases, performer agreements, privacy policies, takedown notices, employment documents and responses to regulators. The appeal is obvious: Legal work is expensive, AI is fast and the resulting document often looks impressively professional. That polished appearance is exactly what makes the practice dangerous.

Corey Silverstein ·
Show More