My First Million

The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.

media disruption

Creator Economy Replacing Traditional Media

Timeframe: Already happening for under-25 audience, will expand to older demographics within 5-10 years

What's Changing

Individual creators are gaining cultural influence that previously belonged to traditional media companies (Hollywood, TV networks, publishers)

Driving Forces

Better economics for creators (100% ownership vs. employment)

Superior distribution through social platforms vs. gatekeepers

Complete creative freedom vs. corporate restrictions

Direct audience relationships vs. intermediated

Real-time feedback and iteration vs. long production cycles

Winners

YouTube creators with strong personal brands
Newsletter writers and substackers
Podcast hosts with loyal audiences
TikTok and short-form content creators
Creator economy tool providers

Losers

Traditional Hollywood studios and networks
Newspaper and magazine publishers
Cable TV providers
Traditional book publishers
Talent agencies and gatekeeping institutions

How to Position Yourself

Build direct audience relationships on owned platforms

Focus on niche expertise rather than broad appeal

Develop multiple content formats and revenue streams

Prioritize audience engagement over vanity metrics

Create systems for consistent content production

Early Signals to Watch

Creator earnings surpassing traditional media salariesBrand advertising budgets shifting to creator partnershipsTraditional media companies hiring creators as employeesCreator-first platforms gaining mainstream adoptionCelebrity talent moving from traditional to creator platforms

Example Implementation

“Instead of pitching a book to publishers, build audience through newsletter and YouTube, then self-publish or get better publishing deals due to proven audience”