None of these people are real (although Sid's got a LinkedIn account). They're just fun characters that made it easier to write about lots of different topics.
The writers at PETITION are anonymous in part because it keeps anyone from trying to influence their writing.
So pen names and avatars can actually do a lot to preserve authenticity.
Of course, if you do have an authentic voice, guess what...
You're gonna piss some people off. That needs to be okay.
The best advice I ever got on dealing with trolls came from @jaltucher.
He says to imagine a 24-hour clock. If you ignore trolls, they get bored and move on in a day or so.
"I originally wasn't going to go paid at all, but I kept hearing from people saying that what I was offering was too valuable."
So, around 950 subscribers he "flipped the switch," charging $200/yr and offering a 50% discount for early sign ups.
On Pricing:
"I was gonna charge $100... Because everyone was charging $100/yr...
[But] if someone takes 1 idea from me and applies it to their business that's worth a lot more than $100. So literally, I think the day before I launched, I changed the 1 to a 2, and that was it."