The ‘E-Pimps’ of OnlyFans - The New York Times

In the early days of social media, companies made blogging technologies with the promise that writers would be able to communicate directly with their readers. This pattern played out in industry after industry. But these changes left creators at the mercy of companies far more powerful, far more ruthless, and far less accountable than the record l... See more

Social media entrepreneurs have rushed to find ways to make money from stars on popular platforms like TikTok. West of Hudson Group, for one, operates a network of content houses where many prominent young influencers live.

Independent internet-native creators leverage the internet’s frictionless content creation and distribution, but they’re still trapped by traditional business models like subscriptions and advertising.

A subscription model is based on the promise of the production of future gated content. A publication or creator is paid to continue production, not ... See more

For the MCNs, it’s essentially an early-stage VC investment. If it incubates 100 livestreamers simultaneously and only one becomes a breakout, then MCNs need to capitalise on that success. The MCN needs to recoup the cost of the other 99 livestreamers from the sole success to keep the business afloat. The reality is that no company wants to be in a... See more