Be Like Bitcoin?
I've been watching the creator economy go through some wild changes. It's something I've been part of since before we even called it that, back when we were just nerds making stuff and trying to get it out there. Now, my kid's at the Savannah College of Art & Design and prepping to navigate the fractured media landscape. I've got questions about whether being a professional creator is gonna put Soylent Green on the table.
Here's a weird comparison that hit me on my morning walk: Bitcoin vs. content creation. Both are based on imagination and the power of story-telling to generate IRL revenue for those who partake. But they are absolutely not aligned when it comes to scarcity. Uh-oh.
Bitcoin's got this built-in scarcity thing going for it - only 21 million coins will ever exist. Period. End of story. As more people want in, the price goes up because you can't just make more. It's the digital version of finding gold. There's only so much to go around.
The creator economy? Total opposite vibe. We're drowning in content. YouTube, TikTok, Instagram - these platforms didn't just open the studio gates. They tore down the whole damn studio. Now, anyone with a phone can pump stuff into the system. It's not about scarcity driving up value; it's about oversupply making everything worth less.
And guess what's gonna make this ten times crazier? AI. I'm already seeing it happen. The tools coming online now let creators crank out slick videos, images, and written stuff at a 5G pace. It's like going from handcrafting furniture to running a slop factory overnight.
Don't get me wrong - I love that more people can create. That part's rad. But when everybody and their algorithm is cranking out content 24/7, how do you stand out? How do you make enough money to pay rent? Short answer: you probably don’t. If you’re still up for trying, keep your overhead low enough to limbo.
I grew up in the '70s with Star Wars and D&D. Back then, creative stuff felt special because it was harder to find and make. Sci-fi and Fantasy were niche genres. The effects were practical. Editing was analog and linear. The film required development in chemical baths. Now we've got the opposite problem. So much visual content, often outsourced and generated vs. crafted, that nobody can consume it all.
Doesn’t matter if you think it’s a Ponzi scheme or just don’t grok it. Others are making money on the scarcity of Bitcoin. Like that guy in the Citadel writers’ room. Fixed supply versus growing demand makes Bitcoin tick. As more people and institutions want in, the price climbs because you can't just make more.
The creator economy is the total opposite - an explosion of supply. Every day, millions of new videos, posts, and podcasts flood platforms. No barriers to entry means anyone can jump in. The problem? When everyone's a creator, attention becomes the scarce resource, not content. Unless you’re an actor or known personality with an internet following - but that’s another post born of Godly American pain.
Traditional media sits somewhere in the middle. Studios and networks constrained by budgets, production pipelines, and distribution channels. These limitations naturally restrict how much content gets made.
The ownership dynamics tell another story. Bitcoin is decentralized by design - no single entity controls it. The creator economy? Technically, anyone can create, but the platforms own the game. Your TikTok following exists at TikTok's pleasure. Just ask the survivors of the Vine apocalypse. In traditional media, studios and networks maintain tight control over what gets made and how it's distributed.
Then there's the money. Bitcoin has built-in economic incentives through mining and staking. Creator economy folks hustle for ad dollars, sponsorships and fan support, always at the mercy of algorithms. Traditional media still works on the old models - subscriptions, advertising, and ticket sales.
The cage-match for eyeballs is savage!
– Short-form vs. Long-form: TikTok and Reels have rewired our brains for quick hits. Try getting someone to sit through a two-hour movie without checking their phone. I've seen this in TV writers' rooms - we're fighting for attention spans that barely exist anymore.
– Interactive Entertainment: I came up making video games before I got into TV. Now those worlds are colliding as games, and Twitch-type streams pull viewers away from passive watching. Why watch a story when you can be in one? Or participate in a para-social relationship?
– Algorithm Wars: Netflix aside, Disney+ and the other streamers are scrambling to keep subscribers while competing with the dopamine factory of TikTok's feed. It's like bringing a knife to a gunfight.
– AI Content Tsunami: After two years of messing around with LLMs and other AI tools on the daily - I see the great flood coming in Q4 2025. AI-generated videos, deepfakes, auto-written and performed scripts - buckle up for push-button content creation and distribution at scale.
What's scarce (and valuable) in this shizz-show?
– Feature Screenwriting: The deep craft of writing a complete screenplay from beginning to end is becoming rare art. I've seen the difference between AI scripts and ones created by humans who spent years mastering structure and character. The gap remains real. I’m just telling myself what I want to hear. ;)
– Deep Investigative Work: The patience to research and craft complex narratives that weave interviews and analysis together - that's something you can automate with new tools like Deep Research, but you still need to know what questions to ask and needles to look for in the digital haystack.
– High-End Visual Direction: While AI can frame a decent shot, the magic between an organic director and egonic actors creating an authentic moment - that territory remains human.
– Philosophical Storytelling: As formulaic content gets churned out by the terabyte, stories with genuine moral weight and thematic resonance will stand out like diamonds in the digital rough. The willingness of humans to share their lived experiences and emotional insights will create relatable and relevant art.
How do we create value when there's content everywhere?
– Create Exclusivity: Luxury and streetwear brands build buzz and desire via scarcity. Just do it!
– Direct Audience Connection: Music Companies aligned with Spotify to cut artists out of the money mix, so performers turned to playing live to keep the lights on. Platforms like Substack and Patreon let creators build loyal followings without algorithmic gatekeepers. It's the indie band model: fewer fans paying more.
– Cross-Media Storytelling: This has been my jam for years. When I worked on shows like Alias, Lost, and Heroes, we built experiences that crossed TV, digital, and real-world events. That depth of engagement can't be matched by random TikToks. And it can’t be replicated in the siloed corporate ecosystem of P&L sheets. Aglie indie creators can play with the tools and cross platforms without permission from managers.
– Smart AI Integration: The creators who'll win won’t be the ones fighting AI - they'll be using it to amplify what makes them uniquely human. Only a few analog and artisanal folks will earn enough to survive.
The digital creatives who can build scarcity into their work - through exclusive access, unique skills, or just being legitimately great at what they do - might survive when the AI content tsunami hits.
The real question is whether my son and his SCAD comrades can crack this code - not just making more stuff, but stuff that’s “good enough” to cut through slop and find an audience.
Maybe, if they can use their imaginations and the power of compelling storytelling to engage and monetize, they’ll —
