Distill’s 2018 update paved the way for a new era in scientific communication, blending interactivity with accessibility. As a serial entrepreneur with a diverse background, I found their approach riveting for more than just researchers. Distill’s emphasis on simplicity, clear presentation, and quality mirrors the way successful startups should think, less noise, more impact. Here's why this update matters for anyone seeking to innovate, collaborate, and succeed, whether inside or outside academia.
What Set Distill Apart in 2018?
Distill didn’t position itself as just another journal. Its articles weren’t packed with jargon or buried in walls of text; they prioritized clarity through interactive diagrams, in-browser notebooks, and live visualizations. Take their article on interpretability, for example. It’s a masterclass in engaging the reader not just by showing the results but by walking through the how and why. Over 1 million unique readers accessed the platform, with citations averaging 23 per paper, signs that Distill resonated loudly in its community.
Interactive features aside, Distill reimagined the learning experience. For startups, this methodology serves as a lesson: how you present your ideas can make or break connections with your audience, customers, or investors.
Challenges in Publishing and Startups Alike
Distill’s early hurdles resonated far beyond academic publishing, into the grind of startup life. As a smaller, niche platform, they struggled under the weight of mentorship-intensive reviews, some taking 80 hours or more per article. Sound familiar? Startups often stretch themselves thin, taking on too much while introducing first-time processes.
Instead of rushing to scale, Distill changed its approach. They switched to fully prepared submissions, segmenting mentorship and evaluation into separate tracks. For us entrepreneurs, this is a reminder to streamline processes and reduce bottlenecks before trying to grow. Efficiency doesn’t mean shortcuts, it means working smarter.
Tools, Transparency, and Building Trust
Distill’s editorial process was as transparent as their articles. Every paper was managed openly on GitHub, with version histories and public comments available for all to see. This level of transparency built trust and accountability, two core values any business or product needs to maintain loyalty over time. Distill even onboarded team members through GitHub repositories dedicated to training editors and contributors. As a founder, I see this as a great way to engage talent, open-source collaboration works far beyond coding.
For startups, adding transparency across product development or even customer journeys doesn’t require massive resources. I’ve started implementing this philosophy in CADChain’s community-building efforts, and the results speak for themselves. Trust breeds loyalty, and loyalty drives growth.
The Power of Quality over Quantity
With only 12 papers published that year, Distill chose to focus on depth rather than churning out content. For any startup founder juggling product launches, this decision should sound familiar. When you’re early in your journey, it’s not about releasing a dozen features; it’s about perfecting one that creates undeniable value.
Distill’s focus on quality also highlights the importance of iteration. Each published article represented months (even years) of refinement, paired with tailored visual tools and hands-on guidance. The result? Articles that felt alive.
Lessons on Building Community and Expanding Scope
Distill didn’t try to cater to everyone immediately. It had a focus, machine learning, and doubled down on it. Yet, their 2018 plans aimed at creating cross-disciplinary connections. Rather than expanding all at once, they proposed a system where experts must first publish highly interactive articles in their fields before becoming editors. This step ensured future growth wouldn’t dilute their standards.
If you run a small business, don’t chase growth for the sake of it. Bring on collaborators who align with your values, even if it takes longer. We applied a similar process at Fe/male Switch, where every contributor plays the startup simulation game before entering our team. It works.
How to Bring These Strategies to Startups
- Clarify Your Presentation: Whether pitching or onboarding users, clear storytelling wins. Simplify complex ideas without losing their depth.
- Streamline First: Break down processes so they’re manageable. Supporting systems like Distill’s templates or style guides can provide scalability later.
- Prioritize Transparency: Make data, processes, or updates accessible when possible. Build trust by inviting feedback and showing your evolution.
- Focus on Engagement: Distill’s interactive approach keeps audiences curious and engaged. Borrowing these techniques can deepen customer or investor relationships.
- Grow Slowly, On Purpose: Rushing to expand often dilutes quality. Build a foundation of quality over volume, scaling with precision.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Over-engineering Processes: Automate where necessary, but don’t drown your team in overly complex workflows before you even see their payoff.
- Skipping Revisions: Iteration feels slow, but skipping it risks releasing underbaked ideas, which damages credibility.
- Ignoring User Involvement: Like Distill’s transparent reviews, involving your users can lead to more meaningful improvements.
Distill’s update is more than a footnote in publishing history. It’s a model for how to rethink longstanding practices while staying aligned with a clear purpose. As entrepreneurs, we often walk a similar tightrope, balancing ambition with feasibility. Distill nailed this balance by using innovation to prove that quality will always tell a better story than speed or scale. There’s something in that to inspire anyone aiming to make an impact.
FAQ
1. What made Distill’s 2018 update unique?
Distill differentiated itself by focusing on clear, interactive, and accessible scientific communication using features like live visualizations, in-browser notebooks, and an emphasis on simplicity. Learn more about Distill’s 2018 Update
2. How did Distill transform scientific publishing?
Distill incorporated transparency and interactivity in its editorial and publication processes. Articles allowed users to actively engage with concepts through visualizations and notebooks, redefining the role of a scientific journal. Explore the Building Blocks of Scientific Publishing
3. Why does Distill prioritize quality over quantity?
By publishing only 12 high-quality papers in 2018, Distill emphasized the importance of creating impactful, deeply engaging content rather than releasing a high volume of publications. Check out Why Momentum Really Works
4. What challenges did Distill face in its early growth?
Distill struggled with time-intensive mentorship during the review process, which often required 20–80+ hours per article. This led to a shift toward fully-prepared article submissions. Discover their Editorial Process
5. How did Distill ensure transparency in its editorial approach?
Distill hosted all articles on GitHub, providing access to version histories and commentary. Users could engage in discussions, improving both the articles and community trust. Learn more about Distill’s Version Control Approach
6. What inspired the mentorship adjustments in 2018?
To streamline its process and alleviate editor workload, Distill separated mentorship from reviewing, allowing for efficient evaluation and improving overall scalability. Explore Distill’s New Submission Process
7. How did transparency build trust in Distill’s projects?
Distill's open collaboration on GitHub, paired with continuous integration for drafts and reviews, cultivated accountability and encouraged user engagement. Discover the Distill GitHub Workflow
8. What role did interactivity play in Distill’s success?
Interactive diagrams and notebooks empowered readers to engage actively with articles, enhancing understanding and allowing hands-on experimentation with concepts. Dive into Feature Visualization
9. How did Distill prepare authors and editors for clarity?
Distill supported contributors by providing resources like templates, style guides, and reviewer worksheets to ensure high-quality submissions. Discover the Distill Template
10. Can Distill’s strategies inspire startups?
Yes, Distill’s emphasis on quality, scalability, transparency, and interactive engagement offers valuable lessons for managing innovation and idea sharing in startups. Check out the Editorial Update for Startups
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.