Everyone is talking about the 'creator economy'. But what does it mean? What makes a "creator" a "creator"? And why is Wall Street pumping billions into it?
In this episode, (and this season) we are focused on unpacking what the creator economy is, how is it is being value, what is underpinning it, and how creators are starting to take on investment If you're a creator yourself, work in media, entertainment, or finance, this is for you.
Things You'll Learn:
- Why (and how) money is flowing into creators and tools they use
- How ownership of the full value chain flips leverage
- How creators are becoming investible (and why that matters)
In this episode, we cover:
- (00:00) - Introduction to Due Dilly
- (00:31) - What is the Creator Economy?
- (03:55) - Goldman Sachs Report: The $500B Creator Economy
- (08:50) - The Shift from Traditional Intermediaries
- (13:31) - How Creators Own the Entire Value Chain
- (17:22) - The Future of Angel Investing in Creators
- (18:48) - Where the Money is Coming From
- (19:23) - Slow Ventures: Investing Directly in Creators
- (20:31) - Case Study: Jonathan Katz Moses - Woodworking Empire
- (23:07) - Building Your Own Mini Home Depot
- (23:57) - VCs Investing in Creator Infrastructure
- (28:05) - The Scale of Capital Deployment
- (29:16) - Leveraging Multiple Platforms
- (32:51) - Private Equity Enters the Creator Economy
- (36:37) - Understanding Different Investment Perspectives
- (38:07) - Thinking Like a Company, Not Just Talent
- (41:05) - YouTube's Dominance: 13% of All TV Consumption
- (44:01) - Case Study: Zach Bia and Field Trip Records
- (47:20) - Closing Thoughts: Follow the Money
Key References:
- Goldman Sachs report: https://creatorswithinfluence.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Goldman-Sachs-Global-Investment-Research-Creator-Economy-Framing-Market-Opportunity-Download-Report-March-26-2025.pdf
- Doug Shapiro: https://dougshapiro.substack.com/p/tectonic-trends-in-media
- Mary Meeker Internet Trends https://www.bondcap.com/#specialreports
- Slow Ventures Investment https://slowupload.beehiiv.com/p/our-first-creator-fund-investment-jonathan-katz-moses
Extensive linked references: https://dub.sh/DDSources
Follow Due Dilly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/duedillypod/
Subscribe to Due Dilly on Youtube: https://ggl.link/DueDillyYT
Follow Due Dilly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/duedillypod/
Subscribe to Due Dilly on Youtube: https://ggl.link/DueDillyYT