Remix Culture: Jumpstarting Creativity

It’s a lot easier to find and transform bits than atoms.

Many consumers, including ourselves, were not blessed with creative genes. 10+ years ago this would’ve been a barrier to creation, but with tools that allow amateurs to create compelling videos, photos, music, and more there is significantly less friction. TikTok is one of the best examples of this trend - users are given a place to get inspiration... See more

With most content existing online, it is much easier to track attribution and the original source of a remix. This is critical, because populations whose work has historically been appropriated, can now more freely share their work online to be discovered and transformed.

Research on open online communities has found the more “exploration pathways” there are to find new content, the more engaged the community is. Notions templates and TikToks For You page are great examples of this.

Research analyzing historical US patent data has proven inventions are rarely if ever, created from scratch. They are almost always a combination of research and ideas that already exist. Relatedly, Paul Romer, an economist who has spent his career researching economic growth, has found economic growth does not come from new resources - it comes fr... See more

Many of the current creator-focused platforms start at the creation part of the continuum. While there has been an increasing move towards community to make the process less “lonely” the products are skipping over the low friction “exploration” and fun “inspiration” parts of the continuum.

The Landing is best described as Pinterest meets Canva. It’s a place where users can come and find visually beautiful designs, get inspired, and remix them to make them their own.

Most platforms today are hoping to capture most of the value of “creators” as they professionalize. For example, substack captures you when you are already ready to write something - it presumes you have an idea and are already to execute on it. By capturing the top of the funnel, increasing the space for exploration and inspiration, platforms can ... See more