GOOD.IS: Instead of Snacks, This Vending Machine Spits Out Short Stories

GOOD.IS: Instead of Snacks, This Vending Machine Spits Out Short Stories

The vending machine—what better symbol is there of Western civilization’s culture of convenience and unhealthy snacks? But what if one could instead feast on words, stories, and ideas?

This is an amazing idea. Grab a short-story or haiku print out while walking around town, maybe between meetings or your daily commute. Pick a 1, 3, or 5 minute read from some of the best modern literature.

My only suggestion would be that after it picks up steam I’d hope that they could suggest or require a payment of some sort. This could be applied in a couple ways

  • A small portion would go directly to the author
  • A small portion to the maintenance of the machines
  • Everything else could be donated to literacy programs or charities that focus on the advancement of literature in general.

Check out the coverage on Reuters about it too:

Source: Instead of Snacks, This Vending Machine Spits Out Short Stories

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Author: Matt Cromwell

I help product businesses turn customer insight into better experiences that keep people renewing year after year. I co-founded GiveWP, growing it into the leading online donations platform for WordPress. After its acquisition by StellarWP, I became Senior Director of Customer Experience, scaling those same data-driven systems across flagship brands like LearnDash, KadenceWP, and The Events Calendar. Beyond my formal roles, I co-host WP Product Talk, a weekly show where WordPress founders share what works (and what doesn’t) in growing sustainable products. I’ve also spoken at WordCamps and CloudFest EU, helping teams connect customer experience with product strategy so every decision moves the business forward. Over a decade in customer experience and product growth, my focus hasn’t changed: connect what customers feel with how teams build — and turn that alignment into meaningful, measurable growth.

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