Veteran Tech Journalist Stacey Higginbotham Signs Off After Two Decades, Stepping Away from the Beat to Fight Burnout

After more than twenty years on the front lines of technology journalism, Stacey Higginbotham is stepping back. In a heartfelt farewell published in the final edition of her weekly Internet of Things (IoT) newsletter on August 18, 2023, the prominent tech analyst and podcast host announced the end of her dedicated daily coverage of the connected world. While the closure marks the end of a prolific era for her independent publishing business, Higginbotham emphasizes that her departure is not a complete goodbye to the tech community, but rather a much-needed pause to reflect, recharge, and pivot toward new horizons in consumer advocacy.

The decision brings to a close a pioneering chapter that began in 2016, when Higginbotham left her prestigious post as a senior editor at Fortune to forge her own path in independent media. At the time, her choice raised eyebrows across the publishing industry. Leaving an established, legacy publication to launch an independent venture focused entirely on the nascent, hyper-specific world of connected devices was a high-stakes gamble. Yet, driven by an insatiable curiosity about the profound transformations ahead, she pressed forward.

Her vision was to deeply examine the sweeping issues that would inevitably arise as computing capabilities were embedded into virtually every physical object, altering both technological landscapes and social structures. Thousands of loyal readers, listeners, and industry sponsors ultimately joined her on that journey. Looking back, Higginbotham expresses profound gratitude for the community that sustained her independent business, acknowledging that she never would have been able to make the venture work without their sustained engagement, trust, and willingness to share their stories.

From the beginning, Higginbotham’s coverage of the smart home and the broader Internet of Things was characterized by a clear-eyed realism that balanced enthusiasm for human ingenuity with a sharp critique of corporate overreach. Even when she first began covering the smart home beat back in 2012, she recognized the inherent friction of the ecosystem. She understood early on that while connected devices promised convenience, they also introduced layers of complexity into users’ daily lives, alongside alarming potential risks regarding government and corporate surveillance.

As the market matured and a multitude of hardware startups launched and subsequently folded, those initial concerns crystallized into broader systemic issues. Higginbotham frequently pointed out how the prevailing business models for connected items routinely toggled between predatory, pricey subscriptions and rampant data harvesting, turning everyday consumer products into vehicles for continuous monetization and observation.

Beyond the domestic sphere, her analytical gaze extended to the enterprise application of IoT technologies, where connected systems were increasingly deployed to monitor workers, pushing employees to their absolute physical and mental limits under the guise of operational efficiency and bottom-line optimization. Furthermore, as corporations increasingly embraced environmental, social, and governance frameworks, Higginbotham observed a troubling trend. While companies rushed to invest in technologies aimed at carbon reduction and resource efficiency, these initiatives often felt like too little, too late—or worse, served as a convenient veneer of greenwashing designed to mask fundamental, unsustainable business practices that should not have been taking place at all.

Despite her critical eye, Higginbotham’s foundational passion for technology and human problem-solving has never wavered. She maintains a deep belief that individuals attempting to solve complex global challenges through technological innovation can genuinely make a difference. However, the relentless demands of covering daily and immediate news for over two decades—leaving precious little time to step back and process the long-term societal implications of the products she relentlessly championed—ultimately took their toll.

Admitting to profound professional burnout, Higginbotham confessed that a growing cynicism toward the endless parade of new startups and research initiatives had begun to cloud her perspective, preventing her from feeling the authentic excitement inspired by truly brilliant ideas. This realization served as the catalyst for her departure. By stepping away from the daily grind of reporting, she hopes to rediscover her enthusiasm for technology and human ingenuity, paving the way for a future where she might encounter stories she feels compelled to investigate and share with the world once again.

While the weekly newsletter and podcast have drawn to a close, Higginbotham’s voice will not disappear entirely from the public sphere. She plans to remain active on Bluesky and may occasionally publish independent dispatches whenever a topic sparks a strong conviction. Moreover, she is embarking on a new professional chapter focused on consumer safety and advocacy. Higginbotham is taking on a strategic consulting role with the Consumer Reports Innovation Lab, where she will center her efforts on the critical cybersecurity and privacy issues plaguing connected devices.

In this new capacity, she intends to continue engaging with the community, reaching out to industry experts, developers, and users alike to explore actionable ways to make connected technologies safer, more secure, and fundamentally better for everyone. Readers and peers wishing to keep in touch or share their ongoing experiences with connected devices can continue to reach her directly via email.