Slow Upload
Is “Creator” A Codeword?
Sam recently published an 84-page deck on 1) the state of venture, 2) what seed investors should focus on, and 3) where there are interesting opportunities for investment. Unsurprisingly, creators and their communities made the list for the third category. He suggested “there will be many many more self-made billionaire creators in vertical niches that have built trust and relationship with specific deep fanatical audiences.” But the term “creator” may just be a lens through which we interpret an emerging entrepreneur, who has leveraged an online persona to build a community, establish domain expertise, and who has an opportunity to bolt diversified businesses onto that foundation. Consider The Wolf of Franchises, a Workweek creator and pseudonymous Twitter/X account with 120k+ followers. Wolf identified an opportunity – the lack of online discourse around franchises – and launched an account dedicated to the category and industry. He quickly built up an engaged community of franchisees, franchisors, investors, and consumers who care about the space. On top of it, he launched Krokit, a financial management and data analysis platform built for franchises, to his community of followers.
Essentially, our definition of a “creator” is a broad one, and there are many archetypes that we see taking shape. This week, we’ll walk through a few emerging profiles. Please note these are neither hard and fast, nor mutually exclusive categories.
- Power Law Creators – These are the creators playing for keeps. They follow Beast canon, which is a constant game of number-go-up. They are laser focused on YouTube thumbnail optimization, process, and procedure, and each video is more shocking or attention catching than the last. Their rapid growth allows them to monetize in a number of different ways, but they play for mass appeal to support their giant aspirations. E.g., PrestonPlayz, Nick Nayersina
- Storytellers – Focused first and foremost on storytelling, this class of creators is dedicated to its artform. They produce impressive, movie-quality content, and they are inspired by “OG” creators like Casey Neistat. While they don’t flatout reject the commercialization of the industry, they aren’t in a game of optimization; rather, their work centers around collaboration, community, and connection. E.g., Max Reisinger, Life of Riza, and the team behind Creator Camp
- Vertical Leaders – Hyper knowledgeable about their domain, these creators present educational and inspiring content that helps fans distill complex information, learn about a new field or skill, or shortcut decision-making. They care about credibility and expertise (along with growth) and have clear avenues for product and service creation. E.g., Dr. Becky, Home RenoVision DIY
- Curators – These creators are tastemakers. Though often native to lifestyle categories, the range of creators in this bucket is wide. When thought of as market makers – who match supply and demand in a noisy ecosystem – they can be found in every category, from fashion to philosophy. They are masters of curation and inspiration. E.g., Courtney Grow, Danny Miranda
- Creator SMBs – This class of creator-entrepreneurs own and operate a small business, and masterfully use social platforms as a sales funnel. They grow their potential client base (following) with the goal of driving sales to a primary offering, and their resulting reach and influence allow them to capture income from other sources, such as brand deals. E.g., G’s Cleaning, Sami Clarke
- Arbitrageurs – These creators were “business people” first – but similar to the creator SMB, they witnessed the power of online distribution and a personal brand. They have a microphone and are masters at playing the great online game – generally using their platforms to supercharge an existing business goal. Along the way, they often find new, unique opportunities that wouldn’t have materialized otherwise. Perhaps our very own Sam Lessin could be considered in this bucket. E.g., Codie Sanchez, Sahil Bloom
This schema maps only a few of the creator types we see, and is by no means prescriptive. We are always energized when we come across folks who approach audience building and monetization in a novel way. And as technology advances, and new paradigms are created, there will be increasing white space for these new flavors of creators.
About Slow Upload
An exploration into individual- and creator-first companies: how they are built, underwritten, and financed. From the Slow Ventures Team, Sam Lessin, Megan Lightcap, and Caroline Cline.