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'm the founder of Roots & Fruit, a fractional Chief Growth Officer practice for product companies that want growth to feel deliberate—not reactive. I help founders and teams turn customer feedback into clear product priorities, align marketing, product, and customer experience around shared goals, and build operating systems that support steady renewal revenue without burning out teams or customers. I co-founded GiveWP and grew it through an eight-figure acquisition, then led marketing and customer experience at scale across StellarWP brands including LearnDash, Kadence, and The Events Calendar. Over more than a decade in product-led growth, I've focused on connecting what customers feel with how teams build—and turning that alignment into meaningful, measurable results. I also co-host WP Product Talk, where product founders share what actually works in building sustainable software businesses.

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