Recent Editions

Dylann Berger Katz is now a partner at Animal Capital, the venture fund co-founded by high-profile TikTok creators including Josh Richards. Photo: Courtesy of subject
Creator Economy

A VC Firm Started by TikTok Stars Expands; Instagram’s London Calling

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 2, 2022 2:47pm PDT
Creators have long faced problems when other internet users steal their content or don’t give them proper credit. That’s an area where Dylann Berger Katz, who recently joined Animal Capital as a partner, sees opportunity. She’s most interested in investing in “technologies and platforms that allow creators to license out content, that way... Creators have long faced problems when other internet users steal their content or don’t give...
Art: Mike Sullivan
Creator Economy

Pinterest CEO Ready Gives His Take on Creators; Interview With an Original Robloxer

By Mahira Dayal · Aug 1, 2022 3:46pm PDT
Pinterest joined Meta Platforms and Snap in reporting disappointing second quarter financial results on Monday. Its revenue for the quarter rose 9% to $666 million, less than the 11% it forecast, because of reduced advertising demand from large retailers and mid-sized advertisers. Its global monthly users remained flat compared to the previous... Pinterest joined Meta Platforms and Snap in reporting disappointing second quarter financial...
Adam Mosseri, Art: Mike Sullivan
Creator Economy

Instagram Pauses Changes to Feed After Week-Long Drama

By Mahira Dayal · Jul 28, 2022 2:00pm PDT
It’s been quite the week for Instagram. On Thursday, CEO Adam Mosseri said the app will reduce the number of recommended posts in users’ feeds and pause its test of TikTok-like full-screen photos and videos, Platformer reported. This comes after days of online skirmishes with mega-influencers over the recently invoked changes. Here’s a... It’s been quite the week for Instagram. On Thursday, CEO Adam Mosseri said the app will reduce...
Launch House co-founders Brett Goldstein, Michael Houck and Jacob Peters (from left to right). Photo: Launch House
Startup Accelerator Launch House’s New $10 Million Venture Fund; Instagram’s TikTok-Like Feed Draws Backlash
By Kaya Yurieff · Jul 26, 2022 2:00pm PDT
Launch House co-founders Brett Goldstein, Michael Houck and Jacob Peters (from left to right). Photo: Launch House
Creator Economy

Startup Accelerator Launch House’s New $10 Million Venture Fund; Instagram’s TikTok-Like Feed Draws Backlash

By Kaya Yurieff · Jul 26, 2022 2:00pm PDT
Launch House is a startup accelerator where—twist!—founders live together. Companies it’s incubated have gone on to raise venture capital elsewhere, and now Launch House is getting in the investment game with its own $10 million venture arm. House Capital (which launched quietly in January but hasn’t been reported on until now) has made... Launch House is a startup accelerator where—twist!—founders live together. Companies it’s...
Alex Hofmann, former North America president of Musical.ly, is now CEO of startup 9count. Photo: Alex Hofmann
Creator Economy

Former Musical.ly President on Where TikTok Is Going Next

By Kaya Yurieff · Jul 25, 2022 2:00pm PDT
In the early days of Musical.ly, leadership had frequent debates about whether to base the app on social relationships or on an “interest graph,” making it entertainment-focused, said Alex Hofmann, former North America president of Musical.ly, in an interview.Hofmann, who left Musical.ly a few months after ByteDance acquired the company in late... In the early days of Musical.ly, leadership had frequent debates about whether to base the app on...
Photo: AP
Creator Economy

How Discord’s Revenue Per User Compares to Facebook; Snap’s Disappearing Growth

By Mahira Dayal · Jul 21, 2022 4:19pm PDT
Discord, the messaging app commonly used by gamers, is still thriving after the peak of the pandemic shutdowns, when people were hunkered down in their homes, looking to connect over the internet. That’s according to a new report from my colleague Mark Matousek, who detailed the startup’s impressive business growth after it rejected Microsoft’s... Discord, the messaging app commonly used by gamers, is still thriving after the peak of the...
When TikTok Will Beat Facebook in Influencer Marketing (Chart); LinkedIn’s New Tech Creator Program
Creator Economy

When TikTok Will Beat Facebook in Influencer Marketing (Chart); LinkedIn’s New Tech Creator Program

By Kaya Yurieff · Jul 20, 2022 2:00pm PDT
TikTok will surpass Meta Platforms’ Facebook when it comes to the amount of money advertisers spend on influencer marketing in the U.S. by the end of this year and will beat out YouTube by 2024, according to a new forecast from Insider Intelligence, provided exclusively to The Information. Both social networks won’t catch up to Instagram, also... TikTok will surpass Meta Platforms’ Facebook when it comes to the amount of money advertisers...
Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Photo: AP
Instagram Tests Map Features; Reddit Downvotes Subscriptions; Microsoft’s Social Network
By Mahira Dayal · Jul 19, 2022 3:44pm PDT · 1 comment
Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Photo: AP
Creator Economy

Instagram Tests Map Features; Reddit Downvotes Subscriptions; Microsoft’s Social Network

By Mahira Dayal · Jul 19, 2022 3:44pm PDT · 1 comment
Loyal Creator Economy readers may recall a chart last year when we noted that all social networks are beginning to look the same. Today’s barrage of news shows that even companies like software maker Microsoft are adopting the most popular social features, like disappearing posts. And in yet another example of convergence, Instagram is taking a... Loyal Creator Economy readers may recall a chart last year when we noted that all social networks...
TikTok creator Owen Holt. Photo: Nathan Tecson
Creator Economy

Squarespace’s Creator Ambitions; TikTok Creator Owen Holt on Why He Loves Twitter

By Kaya Yurieff · Jul 18, 2022 2:40pm PDT
Squarespace, known for offering tools to customize and host sleek websites, has in recent years stepped up features appealing to internet performers, in addition to small businesses and individuals such as graphic designers. In late 2020, it rolled out a membership product that helps creators sell access to virtual courses, newsletters and... Squarespace, known for offering tools to customize and host sleek websites, has in recent years...
Ceartas CEO and founder Dan Purcell. Credit: Dan Purcell
Creator Economy

The Startup Scraping the Internet for Stolen Content; OpenSea Layoffs; LTK Inks Deal With Stripe

By Mahira Dayal · Jul 14, 2022 3:15pm PDT
Creators frequently find that other internet users have replicated their videos, photos and text without permission. Some people see this as an inconvenience, but the stakes are higher for creators who are harassed, threatened or demeaned when others misuse their photos or videos online.Ceartas, a startup that uses algorithms to search the... Creators frequently find that other internet users have replicated their videos, photos and text...
A worker delivers packages on Amazon Prime Day in New York. Photo: Bloomberg.
Creator Economy

Amazon Live Shopping Melts in the Spotlight; Poop Emoji in Court

By Mark Di Stefano · Jul 13, 2022 3:33pm PDT
Happy Day Two of Prime Day, the mid-year firesale of products on Amazon.com where (nearly) everything must go! I hope you were able to pick up a little smartspeaker on sale, or your annual haul of cheap underwear and socks. This year’s sales event has taken on added importance as Amazon tries to shake off its witch’s brew of problems—high... Happy Day Two of Prime Day, the mid-year firesale of products on Amazon.com where (nearly)...
Dion Foxworth, co-host of the “Stock Market Moves” show, using the Clubhouse app in February 2021. Photo: Bloomberg
Clubhouse Has Enough Cash to Figure Things Out
By Kaya Yurieff · Jul 12, 2022 2:00pm PDT
Dion Foxworth, co-host of the “Stock Market Moves” show, using the Clubhouse app in February 2021. Photo: Bloomberg
Creator Economy

Clubhouse Has Enough Cash to Figure Things Out

By Kaya Yurieff · Jul 12, 2022 2:00pm PDT
Before we get into today’s newsletter, I’d like to bring your attention to newly launched features for subscribers of The Information:• Profiles: The ability to build your own profile page, search the directory for other subscribers, and comment on stories and in other areas of the product.• Directory: A place to search for subscribers... Before we get into today’s newsletter, I’d like to bring your attention to newly launched...
MasterClass CEO David Rogier. Photo: Bloomberg
Creator Economy

Creator Economy Startup Layoffs Near 800

By Mahira Dayal · Jul 11, 2022 3:19pm PDT
It’s been a turbulent period for workers in the creator economy. Last month, we collected information on seven such startups, including 120 people at celebrity course provider MasterClass and 90 people at Picsart, which provides photo and video editing tools. In addition to those, at least five other creator startups have laid off staff in... It’s been a turbulent period for workers in the creator economy. Last month, we collected...
Portrait photographer David Suh has 4 million TikTok followers. Photo: David Suh
Creator Economy

Livestreaming’s Boom and the Avid Fans of Minecraft

By Kaya Yurieff · Jul 7, 2022 2:00pm PDT
Livestreaming ballooned during the pandemic, but as the world reopened, the hours people spent watching streams started to decline. Now usage is rising again.  Total hours watched on Twitch rose to 1.81 billion in May from 1.78 billion the month prior, according to new data from StreamElements, a marketing and livestreaming startup,... Livestreaming ballooned during the pandemic, but as the world reopened, the hours people spent...
Crypto Leads Fourth Straight Drop in Creator Funding
Creator Economy

Crypto Leads Fourth Straight Drop in Creator Funding

By Mahira Dayal · Jul 6, 2022 3:48pm PDT
On Wednesday, we published a quarterly update to our Creator Economy Database. We’ve now tracked four consecutive quarterly decreases in investments in creator startups—a downbeat sign for founders who had become used to seemingly unlimited check-writing over the last two years. Here are some other takeaways: Investors’ enthusiasm in crypto... On Wednesday, we published a quarterly update to our Creator Economy Database. We’ve now tracked...
Art: Mike Sullivan
What TikTok’s Halted E-Commerce Plans Say About Social Shopping’s Future
By Mahira Dayal · Jul 5, 2022 3:51pm PDT
Art: Mike Sullivan
Creator Economy

What TikTok’s Halted E-Commerce Plans Say About Social Shopping’s Future

By Mahira Dayal · Jul 5, 2022 3:51pm PDT
More than a month ago, our colleagues in Hong Kong and London reported that TikTok’s forays into online shopping had fallen short of the company’s own expectations. Today we got some confirmation on just how disappointing that activity has been: TikTok is no longer expanding live ecommerce efforts in the U.S. and Europe after a lack of uptake,... More than a month ago, our colleagues in Hong Kong and London reported that TikTok’s forays into...
Photo by AP
Creator Economy

TikTok Expands Livestreaming Ambitions; Instagram Tests Sharing Videos as Reels; India Warns on Influencers

By Mahira Dayal · Jun 30, 2022 3:14pm PDT
TikTok is growing its Twitch-competitor livestreaming business, TikTok Live. In a LinkedIn post on Wednesday, Xiaowei Yan, a strategy lead at the short-form video app, posted job descriptions for two TikTok Live strategy roles based in San Francisco and Los Angeles. People in these roles will be responsible for monetization and operations... TikTok is growing its Twitch-competitor livestreaming business, TikTok Live. In a LinkedIn...
Chart: Mike Sullivan
Creator Economy

Substack Joins Lists of Creator Economy Layoffs (Chart); FCC Snipes at TikTok

By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 29, 2022 2:31pm PDT
Substack on Wednesday said it was laying off 13 employees, or 14% of its total workforce, citing an uncertain macroeconomic outlook. The newsletter subscription site is just the latest creator economy startup to cut workers, as our latest chart shows. The list ranges from celebrity video shoutout app Cameo to fan texting app Community to online... Substack on Wednesday said it was laying off 13 employees, or 14% of its total workforce, citing...
Pinterest co-founder Ben Silbermann, who will be replaced as CEO by former Google exec Bill Ready. Photo: Bloomberg.
Creator Economy

Pinterest Bets Big on Commerce With CEO Hire; A Science Creator Shuns YouTube Ad Share

By Mahira Dayal · Jun 28, 2022 3:37pm PDT
Pinterest co-founder Ben Silbermann is stepping down from the CEO role after more than a decade leading the company. E-commerce executive Bill Ready, who led commerce initiatives at Alphabet’s Google, will replace Silbermann. Prior to joining Google, Ready was the chief operating officer at PayPal. We already knew commerce was top of mind... Pinterest co-founder Ben Silbermann is stepping down from the CEO role after more than a decade...
TikTok was the lead sponsor of VidCon this year, edging out YouTube. Photo: Kaya Yurieff
Lessons from VidCon on Surviving the Downturn; MrBeast’s Advice to Creators; Charli D’Amelio on Being Dethroned as No. 1 TikToker
By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 27, 2022 2:11pm PDT
TikTok was the lead sponsor of VidCon this year, edging out YouTube. Photo: Kaya Yurieff
Creator Economy

Lessons from VidCon on Surviving the Downturn; MrBeast’s Advice to Creators; Charli D’Amelio on Being Dethroned as No. 1 TikToker

By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 27, 2022 2:11pm PDT
A looming recession did little to damper the buoyant mood at VidCon, the annual conference for creators, their fans and industry professionals, which wrapped up on Saturday in Anaheim, Calif.. Attendees schmoozed at cocktail parties and stood in hours-long lines to be lowered via a harness into a giant pool full of soft plush toys called... A looming recession did little to damper the buoyant mood at VidCon, the annual conference for...