The Creator Journey Vs Destination Debate

Spotlight Story

“Creator Mental Health” - often spoken about, less thought about.?

It’s like those vanity metrics (likes, comments, etc) that we often obsess over. Sure they are nice to look at, but they have negligible significance, other than bragging rights. They don't really tell you if your channel is healthy or growing. What matters is if the creator has been able to deliver value to his/her audiences. That ensures sustainable channel growth.?

The same goes for mental health. While it’s great to get all the recognition and recall, it shouldn’t necessarily come at the cost of your mental wellness. I was thinking of this while watching the recent MrBeast interview with Steven Bartlett in The Diary of a CEO podcast.?

During the course of the interview, Jimmy dropped a truth bomb “If my mental health was a priority, I wouldn’t be as successful as I am today” - such a powerful paradox.?

And, mind you, this comes from the biggest YouTuber of all time, he clocks an average 200 million views/video, he is rich, he is healthy, just proposed to his sweetheart and he’s all of just 26 years young! What else could a guy want more to be happy? Right??

Wrong! Despite MrBeast’s larger-than-life achievements, he was candid and vulnerable at moments, offering a glimpse into his worldview. I’m not saying that he appeared depressed or morose, on the contrary, I truly admired his approach to life where he acknowledged that there were phases.?

Most of us push ourselves to the breaking point chasing that dream version of success - the recognition, impact, wealth, fame... the "MrBeast level." And then what? Do we just end up stuck in an endless cycle?

Probably, the best thing to do is to dwell in the moment and savor the journey to the top, not the destination itself.?

Trending Topics

• Remember Mira Murati? The high-profile CTO who left OpenAI abruptly amid governance changes at the company has now launched her own AI firm, Thinking Machines Lab. It’s not yet clear who the backers of this new AI firm are, but it's worth noting that the startup is seeking funding of $1 Bn at a $9 Bn valuation.?
• Move over AI / CGI / Digital / Virtual creators and make way for the ‘Humanoid Creator’ (was just a matter of time) unboxing a nothing3a phone. Check it out
• Facebook wants to be the cultural zeitgeist, it once was.

The way I look at it, Facebook has still got a very decent opening to be culturally relevant for a couple of generations before the GenZ. While all social media platforms are gunning for GenZ, it might actually be a good strategy to look where no one else is and be irreplaceable

• LinkedIn rolls out comment impression counts on a post - that helps you (the commenter) see how many impressions your comment on a post has. Not sure what is the utility of this feature, particularly since it is only visible to the commenter except for a feel-good matric.?

Research Reports

A few good reports dropped this week, but the ones that deserve a callout are

• ‘The State of Create’ report by Patreon, highlights that the creator economy has crossed the ‘Follower’ stage as 57% of fans’ time on TikTok is spent watching creators they don't follow. At the same time, 81% of the creators want a direct communication channel with loyal fans because 80% of the loyal fans are likely to pay their favorite creators! Confusing? Read the report - it's a treasure trove of information

Audiences are glued to short-form content, but an overwhelming majority see 'value' in consuming long-form content. What should a creator focus on?

• Commerce Redefined is a report by IPSOS and TikTok that aims to contextualize the experience of shoppers and brands in the evolving commerce landscape.

Around the World

• The gloomy world of tech layoffs continues with TikTok trimming their Trust & Safety teams across the US, APAC, and Europe
• Spotify Singles has officially surpassed 10 billion collective streams worldwide powered by nearly 1,000 recordings from more than 750 artists in 45 markets
• Arab digital startup - Blinx has crossed 10 million followers within just a little over a year! Read Fadi Radi, CCO, Blinx’s post on this monumental milestone
• Netflix has 12 million subscribers across South-East Asia’s 5 key markets and has dominated the premium video-on-demand market with a 52% viewership share and 42% revenue share.?
• Regional platforms like Sharechat and Moj are dominating the Short Form Video with more than 325 daily active users in India?
• Speaking of India, Snapchat reports 80 Billion uses of AR lenses every month in India, and the largest number of AR lenses created globally. Read more on this fascinating trend in Saket's post above
• TikTok and its Chinese version, Douyin recorded approximately $6 billion (8.58 trillion won) in in-app purchase revenue, making it the first non-gaming app to do so annually.

AI X Creator Economy

I suspect most of us have already guessed these trends in bits and pieces, but here are 5 interesting trend takes on how AI will transform content creation in 2025

My Corner

The biggest and brightest highlight for me was the cover reveal on my upcoming book on the Creator Economy - Pixels to Profits! While I’ll be sharing a lot more in the coming days, at a very high level, this is not a book on how to become a content creator - there is enough and more literature available on that already.?

This is a book on 'What' is the creator economy and 'How' can YOU, as a creator or a brand leverage it to build your economy.?

This week also marked the launch of my Author Website. Please do visit and share your feedback!?

Dad Joke of the Week

How did I know my girlfriend thought I was invading her privacy? She wrote about it in her diary ??????

I hope you like this free newsletter? I’m still learning and this newsletter is still evolving. Would love your candid feedback. Anything you’d like to see more of, less of or least of! ??

I have held leadership roles in big tech sales & partnerships across Asia Pacific-Japan, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East. I’m a seasoned entrepreneur (EdTech) and a military veteran. I am a business author on the evolving Content and Creator Economy and a LinkedIn Top Voice on Team Management and Creator Economy.

Join our community for a midweek insight into the pulse of the global Creator Economy, delivered straight to your inbox. For consulting and ideations please email me at [email protected] or swing by https://mehrankur.com/.

Stay curious, keep exploring!