The total addressable market (TAM) for creators is much larger than almost anyone believes. Two forces are hyper-charging the market opportunities for these creators. The first is that more of the demand side of the economy -- i.e. experiences and consumption -- is being mediated by aggregating platforms. The second is that more of the supply side ... See more

This is changing rapidly across categories. As demand from creators has grown, companies have stepped in to provide solutions that help individuals go from potential to professional, often starting with a toolset before leveling up to provide a more aligned network through which creators can gain targeted distribution and develop real, lasting rela... See more

The final and most recent piece of the creator triad is monetization. Being a creator is hard and often unforgiving work. One study found that reaching the top 3.5% of YouTube channels—which means about 1 million views each month—only nets you $12,000 to $16,000 a year, around the federal poverty line.

I have mixed feelings about Facebook being the likely winner here. On the one hand, it’s the last founder-run of the big 5 tech companies, and I admire Zuck’s vision and aggression. On the other hand, Facebook has a history of creating closed systems that don’t interoperate, charge high take rates, arbitrarily change rules on developers, and other ... See more

For most of human history, the notion of community was tied to a physical location.

We have to learn to enjoy what’s powerful and delightful about online tools, but to resist their casino-like seductions into the here and now. Some of society’s biggest problems, such as global warming, require careful long-term planning; we can’t tackle them if we’re being dragged in 20 directions every hour by shiny objects and oven-fresh hot tak... See more

I have thought a lot about lending to creators through Substack-like platforms. Why do creators need financing? From a commercial perspective, financing could help creators fund the time required to build a subscription base large enough to replace their income (think pre-seed capital).