Party people, the last issue of Creator Crew was the best performing send to date. I couldn't have done it without you (literally).

Today's Highlights:

• Lil Nas X ruffles some angel feathers with his latest drop.
• Snapchat is doubling down on all things gen-z and teen with new hardware.
• Linkedin is going headfirst into the creator economy and wants you to be an influencer.
• Newsletter updates:
• Creator Coin watch
• In-house: How YouTube creator Comics Explained makes $1M+ a year.
• Talking Drops is removed for the foreseeable future.

Creator Coin Watch

*BitClout data is taken every Friday prior to newsletter send. Current BitClout Coin price = $156 per coin.Talking Creators

Raised by the Internet // Lil Nas X

Rapper Lil Nas X was tough to avoid this week. Even if you don't actively listen to him.

That's because the internet legend ruffled some feathers and was slapped with a lawsuit by Nike. This all comes after the announcement of his Nike Air Max drop, "Satan Shoes", in collaboration with MSCHF.

The build-up and drop timeline is the definition of a textbook case study in going viral. From the song that came out months ago, the music video of Lil Nas X giving a lap dance to a satan figure, to a limited edition shoe that contains a drop of human blood with only 666 shoes made.

Say what you want about the shoes or imagery, but Lil Nas X continues a consistent track record of being able to spark virality like no other creator. In his own words, it's the benefit of being raised by the internet. Talking Platforms

Snapchat is going full tech...bro

When it comes to tech, it's hard to not acknowledge Snapchat's originality and willingness to implement new features and products.

Let's not forget Snapchat pioneered stories even though Instagram and everyone under the sun copied the feature.

This is all to say that while Snapchat doesn't get the necessary clout they deserve, they have a strong ability to think outside of the box. Especially after their successful Spotlight rollout which brought in 16 million daily active users and a 62% increase in revenue.

The challenge is that Snapchat's core focus is gen-z/teens which means a constant battle to compete with TikTok (and copy their features).

In an effort to compete, they're doubling down on hardware and solutions that benefit creators. Specifically, with the rollout of Smart Glasses, Selfie Drones, and augmented reality dev kits.

Each release from Snapchat is another step in their attempt to be at the forefront of the creator economy over the next decade.

The Linkedin Influencer people asked for?

Linkedin and the platform's influencers have remained relatively nonexistent when discussing the creator economy.

This is mostly from the platform's target demo which skews older but also the questionable content that has a tendency to go viral.

This is all to say that Linkedin's push in the creator economy comes from Microsofts larger effort to bet on creators (like their talks to buy Discord). Now, Linkedin is looking to enable creators with a new feature dubbed "Creator Mode".

Creator Mode's main goal is to help turn more users into influencers. Remember the old saying, "the platforms that prioritize creators will win".

To be frank, Linkedin has larger issues which they should be prioritizing (e.g. reducing the level of spam messages); however, it seems the goal right now is to keep up with the changing landscape versus improve the overall product experience. In-house

What makes the creator economy so interesting?

The companies that are powering the creator economy and the creators making a living doing what they love.

That's why I'm introducing In-house. A collection of original essays, thoughts, and content on all things related to the creator and the ownership economy.

Dive into the first edition below:

How YouTube Creator Robert Jefferson, aka
Comics Explained, makes $1M+ a year

Drafts

• Startup search put together a list of companies to watch in the creator economy.
• Dapper Labs secures the bag with $305M in funding to keep the NBA Top Shot money train going.
• Microsoft is going full Halo in real life with HoloLens augmented reality headsets.
• Visa is going deeper into crypto and proves it's too big to ignore.
• More creators are getting in the investment game with Jake Pauls's announcement of "Anti Fund". Be wary of who's on your cap table.
• The quiet winner of the creator economy, Ghost, generated $2M in ARR while remaining profitable.
• Substack locks in $650M funding as newsletters across the board are picking up steam.
• Cameo goes full unicorn status with a new round of funding.

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