The creator economy trap: why building on someone else’s platform is a dead end

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the limitations and challenges of the "creator economy" and proposes an alternative "indie economy" where creators build and control their own platforms.

🙋 Q&A

[01] The Creator Economy

1. What are the key issues with the creator economy?

• The creator economy is built on third-party platforms (e.g. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube) where creators have no control over the algorithms, policies, and business decisions that dictate their success
• Creators are constantly chasing the ever-changing platform algorithms to optimize for visibility, at the expense of their message, identity, and purpose
• Creators are beholden to the platform's opaque and inconsistently enforced content policies, which can lead to demonetization, shadowbanning, or outright bans
• The creator economy places a ceiling on what creators can achieve, as they are limited by the tools, features, and monetization options provided by the platform

2. What is the alternative to the creator economy?

• The "indie economy" or "DIY economy" where creators build their own platforms (websites, apps, subscription services) and have full control over their content, audience, and monetization strategies
• Creators use third-party platforms strategically as distribution tools to reach new audiences and drive traffic back to their own platform, rather than building their entire business on someone else's platform

[02] Transitioning to the Indie Economy

1. What are the key steps to transition from the creator economy to the indie economy?

• Build a legitimate, fully-functioning platform (website, newsletter, etc.) that serves as the "home base" for your brand and audience
• Use social media strategically to drive followers back to your own platform, rather than relying on it as the foundation of your career
• Get comfortable with the technical skills and knowledge required to build and control your own platform (e.g. web design, coding, data analysis)
• Embrace the learning curve and challenges, as the more you know, the more power and independence you have

2. What are the benefits of the indie economy?

• True independence and control over your creative destiny, without being beholden to someone else's algorithms, policies, and business decisions
• Ability to build a sustainable, long-term business and cultivate a loyal audience on your own terms
• Greater stability and ownership in an increasingly unpredictable and inconsistent attention economy