Client-engagement decision, not a Rye Valley decision. This was decided inside Michael’s consulting engagement with Emil Barr (founder of Flashpass). Emil is a client. He is not part of Rye Valley and does not make decisions for Rye Valley, and neither Flashpass nor anyone on Emil’s team is a Rye Valley entity or employee. Recorded here for Michael’s context only. Reclassified 2026-08-30.
- Date: 2026-08-17
- Decided by (client engagement): Michael Houck
- Status: decided
- Owner: Ben (outreach starting tonight 2026-08-17)
Decision
Michael authorized a creator campaign to amplify Emil Barr’s upcoming WSJ op-ed (“MAGA Socialists,” link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PYMJUmCUaHuyNZOvymkx-HXjZLTits6zKm5zmfC2cSw/edit). Campaign parameters: sponsored posts only (no engagements), US-based creators, scope X first then evaluate both X and LinkedIn, budget a few thousand dollars added to Emil’s next bill (no invoice needed separately). Embargo strictly enforced - no one posts until Rye Valley gives green light when article is live (estimated Weds or later this week).
Context
Emil’s first creator campaign generated ~50M impressions but his name (@realemilbarr or similar) was not part of the conversation. Goal this time is to make Emil himself visible in the social discussion, not just the concept. The op-ed is politically charged (MAGA Socialists angle intended to inflame both far-left and far-right); Emil is OK with creators who react critically or call it a “wild take” rather than just hyping it. Political nature means not all creators will take it on.
In parallel, the emils-brand-crew channel is cleaning up Emil’s social profiles (headshot, banner, bio) so new followers from article traffic have a reason to follow. Also considering DM outreach to MAGA and liberal influencer pages, and potentially pursuing TV/news clip before podcast outreach.
Options considered
- Engagements (reach out for reposts/comments) - rejected; sponsored posts only
- LinkedIn focus - deferred; X is primary, both to be evaluated based on creator availability
Consequences
Ben is starting creator outreach tonight. Campaign must be ready by Weds morning but no creator goes live until explicit green light + article link from Rye Valley team. Cost options will be presented to Michael and added to Emil’s bill. Source: ops thread, permalink https://ryevalley.slack.com/archives/C0A6XKM1ERG/p1787002776631839