Forbes Casts Snide Eye at Porn's Business Mistakes

NEW YORK — Forbes is once again spotlighting the porn industry, but this time with a snide eye toward what mainstream can learn from adult’s business mistakes.

Columnist Susannah Breslin, a long time-porn observer provided three tips to avoid what she considers the pitfalls of porn.

She said that technical innovation — once porn’s strong suit — raced past the industry and bitch-slapped it with the proliferation of content piracy and mass distribution.

She advises businesses to rethink whether they’re really being innovative and not be left behind as is the case with today’s porn industry. “When it [porn] could have been innovating, the porn industry languished,” she wrote.

Tip 2 positions porn as the poster child for risky business with Breslin coaching other businesses to evaluate all of their inherent risks and not take unnecessary chances.

She said porn’s very existence hinges on using young talent with short careers, having sex — a business model fraught with health risks, calling it a “messy sausage factory.”

“There’s a difference between making bold business decisions and doing stupid shit. Know it,” she wrote.

Her last bit of wisdom, albeit a bit naïve considering the many very successful porn businesses is to "know thy consumer" and not get stuck in old production and manufacturing models.

Breslin maintained that many porn companies “went from boom to bust” when hard goods video was replaced with short Internet VOD clips. She said producers who didn’t make the transition missed the boat, which may be true. However, like any industry, the old guard’s replaced with the young turks. Successful examples abound. Look at porn giant Brazzers' rise, Pink Visual's pioneering adoption of cloud computing, the ever-increasing novelty industry, mobile porn — the list goes on and on.

These and a host of others are solid examples of an industry that may have had bumps along the way, but continues to adapt, innovate, and remain strong — even with a few mistakes, and even in catastrophic financial times.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 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 News

Adult Time Drops New Installment of 'MILF Overload'

Adult Time has released the latest installment of director Jim Powers' series "MILF Overload."

Coco Bae Fronts Latest From Reality Kings

Coco Bae stars with Jordi El Nino Polla in the latest release from Reality Kings.

Eve Sweet Stars in Latest From Blacked Raw

Vixen Angel Eve Sweet stars with Vixen Media Group (VMG) exclusive Jason Luv in the latest release from studio imprint Blacked Raw.

Brazzers Drops Season Finale of 'MILF Quest'

Brazzers has released the final episode of the first season of "MILF Quest," hosted by Cherie DeVille.

Beca Barbie Makes Her Hookup Hotshot Debut

Beca Barbie has made her debut for Hookup Hotshot alongside Nade Nasty.

2025 XBIZ Amsterdam Website Launches With Call for Speakers

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the website for its annual European conference, XBIZ Amsterdam, is now live.

NC Governor Vetoes Bill Targeting Adult Industry, Override Possible

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein today vetoed a bill imposing new regulations that adult industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

Valerica Steele Headlines Jonni Darkko's 'DVP Sluts'

Valerica Steele toplines director Jonni Darkko’s “DVP Sluts,” from Evil Angel.

Michael Ninn Returns With 'Catherine' Sequel Made Entirely by AI

Veteran filmmaker Michael Ninn, though retired from the adult business for the past 10 years, recently unveiled a new episodic project titled "Catherine II: The Series," which serves as a sequel to his 2005 adult film "Catherine."

25,000 Sign Petition to Legalize Pornography in Ukraine

An OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine has amassed the 25,000 signatures required for official consideration by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Show More