ThoughtLeaders

It was a fun day going down the rabbit hole of all things creator economy here in the Startup Nation As much as I love connecting with creators, I geek out when meeting professionals and startups working to solve some of the challenges in this growing industry And while a number of popular creators and personalities here (and in the US), have gained new audiences post Oct 7th by fighting misinformation, and sharing Israel’s story, what’s really interesting for me is how the business side of the creator economy is growing here There are a number of Israeli startups, and seasoned professionals who are focusing on this space (and this definitely warrants another article) Which is why I enjoyed finally meeting David Tintner in person, and learning about what his company, Thoughtleaders.io is doing David is the CEO of ThoughtLeaders, whose organization is helping brands leverage the power of content to reach new audiences and grow their business by helping creators monetize their content, and establish strong relationships with brand partners Oftentimes popular creators start to grow very quickly, and realize that they need to build a team around them, as well as work with professionals to help further grow and monetize… basically becoming the CEO of their brand While I love to consume (and create) content, the real insights come to me from speaking with professionals who are knowledgeable in their field The creator economy is one of the topics (or content buckets) I write about on LinkedIn, and consider my professional work “creator economy adjacent”, though professionally I do face some of the same challenges many creators do What I learned speaking with David was: ☑️ That there are a lot of ways for creators to monetize, and often, it’s not the way that people believe is the most obvious… there are no lack of creative ways to engage your fans ☑️ I’ve heard mega influencers like MrBeast speak about becoming the CEO of his brand, but I didn’t realize how many up-and-coming creators have the same challenges… of going from being a solo content creator to running a business And (this was a real insight for me) … ☑️ That a lot of #creators are challenged with the ideation process, I thought it was only me who was consistently trying to find creative ways to come up with original content ideas and prompts for my clients and myself David let me know that many others have this challenge, and that there are a number of different startups looking to tackle this problem I have my own protocol on how I ideate, and will share that in a post tomorrow With so much #AI generated content, ideation is becoming a sought-after skill… It’s more of the putting horse-to-wagon type of innovative thinking, and connecting the dots to create “original” content And of course I had to check out their podcasting studio, with all the fun gear, and that got my creative wheels turning…🤩 #creatoreconomy #startupnation #thursdaythoughts

We’re not protecting kids enough on YouTube. If you didn’t know, a new amendment went into effect on July 1st which protects children of creator families/YouTube channels. Parents now have to set aside 15% of earnings from their channels into a trust fund that can be accessed on the child’s 18th birthday. Here’s why I think this is important… 1️⃣ Kids don’t have a say in whether they’re in the videos or not Because of the age, most kids don't understand what they're being asked to do or that the YouTube video they’re in is making money. This is an issue that states need to keep an eye on. 2️⃣ The majority of states in America do not have a similar law So far this law only exists in 4 states: California, Illinois, Maryland and Washington. Most family channels that I know are based in Florida and Texas, two states that have not adopted a similar law. 3️⃣ There’s no cap on hours The law currently doesn't stipulate any cap on the number of hours children can work. This is one area that I think they need to expand on in the law, specifically regarding the number of hours kids are asked to be involved in creating content. I know this is going to be incredibly difficult to track, but I do think this needs to be something that's discussed in greater detail. Very interested to see how this develops over the next few months. #creatoreconomy #youtube #law #lawyer

The "influencer" is dead. I haven't heard ANYONE talk about influencers in all the panels I attended in Cannes last week. It's like the word was erased from everyone's vocabulary. But everyone was talking about the "creator". And mostly everyone attending the festival WAS also a creator. Gone are the days when brands would pay influencers to post with a tight brief, giving them exact instructions about what to say and how to say it. Today, the best strategy is to give creators the freedom to make something they know their audience will want. This is how I advise my clients to evolve their influencer strategy right now: don't tell them what to do, share the challenges you have and ask them to solve them for you. It's the only way to connect authentically with consumers these days. Brands: move from “influencer strategy” to “creator insights & strategy”. What's your take on this? 👇

🚀 Wrapping Up an Epic VidCon Week... Yesterday was VidCon's last day, and what an incredible week it has been! Connecting with colleagues, and friends, and meeting amazing professionals in the creator economy was truly inspiring. Here are some key outcomes and highlights from these past few days: 1️⃣ VidCon is THE place for content creators: The diversity of creators, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and fans creates a 360-degree view of the industry’s current and future direction. 2️⃣ Creators are the new startups: This was a strong consensus. Most creators are running teams of more than five people, managing businesses, ventures, and operations. It’s not just about content anymore. 3️⃣ Talent acquisition for creators: Creators are on the lookout for editors, designers, strategists, and filmmakers to scale their businesses and enhance their content quality. 4️⃣ Offline ventures for sustainable cash flow: Creators are pushing for offline ventures to secure steady income beyond traditional platform earnings and brand deals. 5️⃣ AI’s role in content creation: AI was a hot topic in every conversation. The focus has shifted from “AI will take over” to “How can we best use AI to our advantage?” Here are some special moments from the conference that would love to share: ✅ It was incredible to see Ruben Hassid giving his keynote and sharing a panel with top industry leaders. He exemplifies the talent and entrepreneurial skills of creators. ☑ Eyal Baumel’s interview with Nastya was a highlight. Representing top creators in the industry, he took on the challenge of interviewing Nastya in front of her audience. ✅ The unofficial (so far, wink wink) VidCon running team organized by Ant McCormack. We had some great early morning runs! ☑ Meeting Brodie The Goldendoodle and learning how soft that hair can be 😂 ✅ The bizarre moment when some young kids thought I was famous and started asking for pictures and autographs everywhere! And I wasn't able to destroy their illusions. A massive shoutout to: 1. Jacques Keyser, Lisa Milgram, and all of Vidcon's team for organizing such an amazing event. 2. Rob Gabel, Peter Hollens, and all Spotter's team for the new product updates they are building and the fantastic party they hosted. 3. The Changer's team for the closing happy hour yesterday. It was great to cheer with colleagues! 4. Yuval Tal and Shuki Merlis from Linguana for owning the scene with their monetization solutions for creators. So definitely check what they are doing! 5. The entire ThoughtLeaders team for always pushing the limits, and especially to David Tintner, our CEO, for always trusting, supporting, and for his generosity. I would love to hear what your main takeaways were! What were your highlights? ⬇️