Instagram Holds a ‘Meme Summit,’ Cameo Opens its Wallet

One of the most exciting aspects of starting this newsletter is reporting on the creator economy, a beat that’s just coming into its own. There’s the David and Goliath saga of big tech platforms like Facebook and Google rivaling smaller companies such as Patreon and OnlyFans. There’s the proliferation of startups that offer creators everything from accounting software to credit cards. 

And there are the creators themselves, who are constantly testing new ways to make money and grow their fan base. (Our first ‘Creator Spotlight’ is below.) I also plan to cover the tough stuff, such as missteps in handling hate speech, problems with privacy and creator burnout.

You didn’t have to look far to find these themes writ large in the headlines this week. We saw Facebook and Instagram preview the kind of money-making features that have made YouTube and the smaller Patreon so popular with creators. YouTube, not to be outdone, showed off how much smaller features like Super Chats are ringing up sales. Patreon’s CEO took the heat for laying off workers, despite boatloads of venture money. And my colleagues Jessica and Mark dove deep into Spotify’s attempts to handle hate speech in its growing library of podcasts. 

There will be more to coming in future weeks and as ever, I welcome your feedback. 

And now, on to the news…