4 Types of Creator Growth
An old boss sent me this super cryptic email once. All it said was: “growth relieves all sins.” Despite being a little bit hyperbolic and maximum terrifying, that email was right. In almost any early stage business, growth is (and should be) the singular focus.
This is no different with early-stage creators. Though when we talk about growth, we typically take a short-term perspective. It devolves into focusing on how to inflate vanity metrics — like subscribers and views — instead of asking: what areas of growth really matter?
When you really take a step back, you realize there are at least four:
Vertical — this is about your “true fans” or “core.”
You want to create content, experiences, and merchandise for the people that really f*ck with you. We can approximate this based on how many people turn their YouTube notifications on or buy your merchandise.
Horizontal — this is about wider, top-of-funnel audience.
You want to create content (or execute stunts) that make more people aware of you. This can also include new developments in the medium or format you’re distributing through as well. This is often measured in top-line numbers like…
