Read on Twitter
I got into a Twitter discussion this past weekend about what “creator-friendly” is and isn’t.
The tide is shifting, and the bar for what this means in 2020 is much, much higher.
Here are the table stakes for building a truly creator-friendly platform today.
A thread
https://twitter.com/scottbelsky/status/1287037741495193603
The tide is shifting, and the bar for what this means in 2020 is much, much higher.
Here are the table stakes for building a truly creator-friendly platform today.
A thread
https://twitter.com/scottbelsky/status/1287037741495193603
First, what used to be creator-friendly, and is no longer enough?
- Replacing ads (i.e. @YouTube) with direct payments from audience members
- Marketplaces models built on transaction fees (i.e. @Udemy @patreon)
- Replacing ads (i.e. @YouTube) with direct payments from audience members
- Marketplaces models built on transaction fees (i.e. @Udemy @patreon)
These were giant first steps for creators and I applaud those platforms 
But we need to go farther now.
But we need to go farther now.
For a platform to be considered creator-friendly today, it needs to do three things.
(1) Absolutely no transaction fees. Whatsoever. 
Transaction fees ≠ payment processing fees. The latter are paid by every business on the planet; the former line the pockets of the platform at the expense of creators. https://twitter.com/spencerfry/status/1285190513646284800
Transaction fees ≠ payment processing fees. The latter are paid by every business on the planet; the former line the pockets of the platform at the expense of creators. https://twitter.com/spencerfry/status/1285190513646284800
(2) Creators MUST own and be able to export their data.
That includes files, posts, customer lists, newsletter lists, sales data, comments, and anything else the platform stores.
That includes files, posts, customer lists, newsletter lists, sales data, comments, and anything else the platform stores.
We do files, customer lists, newsletter lists, and sales data at @podia right now, but exports for the rest are coming.
The only reason not to do this is to hold creators hostage on your platform.
The only reason not to do this is to hold creators hostage on your platform.
(3) Having the freedom to use your own payment gateway.
This is rarely talked about, but extremely important.
This is rarely talked about, but extremely important.
Imagine you start a biz, grow it into something, and then want to leave?
Well, if the platform forces you to run recurring payments through them, you can’t (without a lot of pain).
Well, if the platform forces you to run recurring payments through them, you can’t (without a lot of pain).
That’s the beauty of using a platform that lets you bring your own payment service (e.g. @paypal or @stripe).
Not only do you get instant payouts (very important), but you own the customer list (super important), can export your data (equally important), and change platforms anytime (most important).
Some people forget that a creators who sell their work are ENTREPRENEURS, and platforms should not be exploiting, restricting, or locking them in.
If the hosting companies supporting these creator platforms tried anything like this, none of them (us included) would stand for it.
If the hosting companies supporting these creator platforms tried anything like this, none of them (us included) would stand for it.
“Creator-friendly” doesn’t mean anything closed to what it used to.
As this market continues to mature and more people quit their jobs to be creators, they’ll expect to be treated like the entrepreneurs that they are. https://www.podia.com/articles/creator-economy
As this market continues to mature and more people quit their jobs to be creators, they’ll expect to be treated like the entrepreneurs that they are. https://www.podia.com/articles/creator-economy
