Issue 10
November 27th, 2025
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone celebrating in the US! 🦃
I hope you're enjoying some downtime, good food, and avoiding that one uncle who keeps asking "when you're going to get a real job." Speaking of real jobs, the news this week is the ultimate clapback to that question. The creator economy is projected to grow faster than almost any other media sector next year.
We're also seeing a fascinating split happen: while the money is pouring in, the "wild west" days are ending. Governments and platforms are cracking down on age limits, while AI is making it easier than ever to create content that looks like a movie studio produced it.
Grab a slice of pie, and let’s dive in.
Biggest News This Week
The $37 Billion Validation The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) dropped a bombshell report this week: U.S. creator economy ad spend is projected to reach $37 billion in 2025.
Why I think this matters: This is a 26% jump from last year, growing four times faster than the rest of the media industry. For a long time, creator marketing was seen as an "experiment" for brands. This report confirms it's now a "must-buy." Brands aren't just looking for awareness anymore; they are tracking sales and conversions directly from your content. If you needed proof that this industry is maturing, this is it.
Did You Know?
Roblox is rolling out mandatory facial age checks for chat. In a move that could set a new industry standard for digital safety (and privacy), Roblox announced it will require users to verify their age—potentially via video selfie analysis—to access chat features.
The days of the anonymous, open internet are shrinking. As platforms face regulatory pressure, expect "biometric gates" to become the new normal for accessing community features.
Essential Reads
Google is integrating its "Veo 3" AI model into Shorts, letting you generate 6-second video clips with backgrounds and sound just from a text prompt. This basically kills the excuse of "I don't have B-roll."
The Twitch streamer shattered the world record during his "Mafiathon 3," proving that live events are still the king of engagement. The scale here is mind-boggling; he's effectively a major cable network now.
Jay Neo, a strategist who helped MrBeast go viral, just raised $3.8M for an AI tool that helps creators analyze retention and generate hooks. If anyone knows the "science" of viral videos, it's probably this team.
Creator Stormi Steele sold over $2 million worth of products in a single live session this week. Live shopping isn't coming; it's here. If you have a product, get on camera.
This one is interesting! IG is testing a UI that swaps the big "Follower Count" number for a "Mutual Friends" count. This shifts the flex from "how famous am I?" to "who do we both know?"
You can now use a slider to limit how much AI-generated content shows up in your feed. This effectively creates a "premium" lane for human-made content. Authenticity is your competitive advantage.
The professional platform is rolling out a full-screen vertical video feed to desktop users. LinkedIn is officially the B2B TikTok. If you aren't repurposing your Shorts here, you're missing free reach.
The viral game where you try to avoid hearing "Last Christmas" starts December 1st. Good luck to all creators trying to survive the holiday music apocalypse!