Context:
Did you see what Hacksmith just pulled off? They sold $7 million worth of multi-tools on Kickstarter in a week. It’s a perfect signal of what’s happening in the creator economy right now. This isn’t just about Mr.Beast or the mega-creators; there’s a middle class of creators building real, durable businesses—sometimes with only a few hundred thousand followers, not millions.
The whole game with creator-led businesses is about love. The creators who win are the ones whose audiences genuinely love them. That love makes them durable, antifragile, and “uncancelable.” When you watch Jonathan Katz-Moses do woodworking, or Doug DeMuro review cars in his wrinkled t-shirt and cargo shorts, you’re not watching a celebrity, you’re watching a buddy, a big brother, someone you could call to ask which tools to buy or which motorcycle route to take in the Pacific Northwest. Relatability is the moat.
Market Signal:
The market is screaming that “creator as founder” is not only viable, it’s a competitive advantage. We’re seeing $10M, $50M, even $100M+ businesses being built in niches that would make a traditional VC scoff—woodworking, car detailing, ranching, chess, jiu-jitsu, and yes, even paint mixing on TikTok.
Doug DeMuro’s Cars & Bids has sold $450M+ in vehicles, and he started with a camcorder and zero polish.
Jonathan Katz-Moses: With just 600k YouTube subs and one video a month, is running a $6M+ revenue tool business and is gunning for $100M+.
Five Marys Ranch: Mary started with a few restaurants, now she’s built a vertically integrated ranching business, ships meat boxes, runs camps, and is spinning up a tallow skincare line.
The kicker: most of these started as scrappy, iPhone-shot content, not big media productions. The playbook is accessible.
Takeaways:
Audience trust is compounding: The longer you’re in the game, the more permission you have to launch products. The best creator-founders are deep in their niche, know the white space, and have real expertise.
Think about the bottom of the funnel: If you’re building an audience, be thinking about what you can eventually sell them. The best niches are those where you can move from media to product or service (tools, DTC, courses, marketplaces).
It’s not just about doing more: Focus matters. Most creators who scale bring in operators to run the business side so they can keep creating. Prioritization is key
Watch Billy on My First Million