Random thoughts:

- Shorts & Reels have inflated sub/follower counts.

- The exchange rate between a YouTube sub <> TikTok follower is still astronomical.

- All content roads eventually lead to YouTube (and merch)

- Direct-to-fan relationship/monetization is still the holy grail.

Rely on nothing you can’t take with you. For now, Substack email lists and Stripe charges are still portable. If they weren’t, I would move to Ghost, because Substack’s incentive is to get you as locked in as possible. (Patreon still keeps your Stripe info, therefore fuck Patreon.) The same goes for audiences: Direct traffic, through homepages or... See more

Essentially, creators have to balance the distribution potential of certain platforms with the risk of becoming dependent on them, and monetize by either earning a little off of each fan from mainstream content for a big audience or earning a lot off of deeper connections to a smaller set of fans through niche content.