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On any given day, a creator could post a trailblazing piece of content to a social channel like YouTube or TikTok, somehow managing to stand out in a sea of comedy skits, magic tricks, beauty tutorials and music videos to earn a coveted spot as a newly minted digital star.
But capturing the zeitgeist is one thing. Parlaying that moment into a real career is quite another, according to speakers at the provocatively named VidCon panel Have We Reached Peak Creator?
The session, held Friday during the convention’s four-day annual Southern California showcase, wasted no time in addressing the central question about the jam-packed space. Spoiler alert: The bubble is not about to burst.
Identifying himself as “a giant optimist,” Sean Atkins, president of video distribution optimizer Jellysmack, said he expects to see continued growth and innovation given the interest from an unending flood of creatives and their seemingly insatiable audiences.
“I always ask, ‘Do you think there will ever be fewer people who want to be creators?’ No. ‘Do you think there will be less platform opportunities for creators?’ No,” Atkins said. “Will there ever be a world where people want to consume less content? No.”
Silver lining, black cloud
But both Atkins, whose company helps creators grow their communities and maximize their earnings, and fellow panelist Zach Kornfeld from The Try Guys noted several significant problems plaguing the industry.
Deep-pocketed investors aren’t as bullish as they once were, according to moderator KC Ifeanyi of Fast Company, with 2021’s $5 billion in venture capital money “cut by half” in 2022. There’s been no measurable rebound since, he said.
Creator burnout is real, with Kornfeld likening the gig to being “on a treadmill—it can feel somewhat relentless. Wait, somewhat? It’s fucking relentless.”
And there’s the robotic nature of the digital world, which Kornfeld called one of the biggest pain points for him personally and for creators broadly. Even if content is solid—or stellar—it may fall flat without the requisite “best title and thumbnail” and eye-catching first seconds.
