A New Creator Economy
In the last 20 years, we’ve undergone an unprecedented change in how we spend our time.
Computers in our pockets, in our backpacks, and at home — more and more of our time is taken up by recent inventions.
I’m aware of no other point in history when an invention has changed the way we spend our daily lives as much as information technology.
Alongside this explosion was the advent of the creator economy — an economy that will only become more important with the advances in AI.
First Facebook, then YouTube, then Twitter — these platforms revolutionized the way we interact with our friends and, more important for the purpose of this article, the way in which creators can build careers.
Thousands of people have developed sustainable careers through creating. It’s an optimistic period for both creators and their audiences.
But, we aren’t there yet.
A Career as a Creator
Only 6% of writers on Medium make $100 or more a month. 96.5% of YouTubers don’t make enough to crack the US poverty line.
That’s not a hit on either of these platforms — neither claim that they are offering a full-time job to their creators. While some have made enough from these platforms to create a career, the majority of their income often comes from engaging with their audience in different ways.
Substack, Patreon, etc. have all given creators better opportunities to create a more sustainable lifestyle and engage better with their audience. But it's still not enough.
If a creator wants to make a living, they have to disconnect from their audience. They have to distance themselves from their true fans in order to reach a larger following. To capture more attention, they have to forget the people who love their work the most.
Moreover, for lesser known creators who are still building their audience, developing true fans is essential. And platforms like Medium (with poor distribution for those with larger followings) don’t offer that.
As an Audience Member
There was a point in history when you could meet your favorite storytellers — in fact, you saw them every day in your tribe.
With the infinite scalability of digital content, creators can reach millions of people. But as creators reach more people, the creators themselves become less accessible.
There’s a few creators I would love to talk with: Ali Abdaal, Lana Blakely, and Paul Millerd to name a few.
As they capture a larger audience, however, they became more inaccessible.
Thus, the creator dilemma emerges: creators have to sacrifice accessibility to create a more sustainable living, leaving their super-fans without a way to get closer.
Not anymore
The other day, I sat down with a fellow writer for a 30-minute zoom session.
Just a half-an-hour later, I was the most excited I had felt in a few weeks.
We exchanged stories, discussed our life purposes, and I got great advice from him.
I wondered: what if we could make these conversations a part of every day?
We subscribe to our favorite writers on substack, we complete all their courses — but what if we could meet them?
So, I got to work. My roommate and I created a platform for this exact problem.
Introducing Spark Labs.
The Future of the Creator Economy
At Spark, we are dedicated to helping creators and their audiences connect better.
In personal video calls, we provide opportunities to know creators beyond their work.
Through experiences ranging from mentorships to informal conversations, we are on a mission to help you learn more from the creators whose work you love.
For creators, we are dedicated to creating relationships with your audience, freeing your success from algorithms and helping you cultivate a sustainable living.
For the audience:
Meet with me or another of your favorite creators here!
For the creators: