The Neverending Challenge of Creating in 2025

Issue #307 | Jan 16, 2025

After years of writing and thinking about the creator community, and where it stands today, I’ve decided to leave the sidelines and re-enter the game, as it were. I’ve accepted a new job with investor and entrepreneur Jason Calacanis out of his home base in Austin, Texas, and will be moving down to the Lone Star State from Southern California in just a few weeks.

As it turns out, I’m leaving P-Fruit at a precarious and uncertain time for internet creators. The US government could ban one of the most popular and important apps for American creators within the next few days. President-elect Trump has vowed to save it, but it was an executive order during his first term that kicked off the “TikTok ban” discussion, so can he be trusted to follow through?

Investment and adoption of generative AI apps continues, and may already have the momentum needed to overcome the constant criticisms from creators, whose work is being borrowed or stolen for AI training (depending on your perspective) even as they’re being replaced. Just the other day, The New York Times reported that DOGE – Trump’s newly-created Department of Government Efficiency – plans to use AI apps to brainstorm ways to limit the size of the federal government. If the most powerful members of our society fervently believe AI is the future, does it even matter whether or not everyday consumers fully embrace it?

Instagram and Facebook owner Meta has abandoned efforts to moderate its content or eradicate misinformation, forcing well-intentioned creators to compete in a wild west frontier-type landscape against all manner of scammers and bad actors. So much of the discourse around these decisions has centered around CEO Mark Zuckerberg and whether or not these policy changes signal some kind of genuine personal conversation to MAGA conservatism or a more practical business decision to align with the new Republican government.

For creators on the ground, it doesn’t matter. They’re simply going to have to co-exist with whatever gets posted to Facebook and Instagram alongside their content now.

Still, despite all these challenges, all of these tech companies and platforms still rely on everyday creative people to function. ChatGPT may be able to ace a standardized test, but it still can’t write a funny X post that lots of people want to share around with their friends. In short, these CEOs need us, more than we actually need them.

If Meta, Google, TikTok, and Twitch all went away tomorrow, anyone could still launch their own website and embed an original video and share it with the world. The methodology Douglas Sarine and Kent Nichols used to launch “Ask a Ninja” decades ago still exists to this day. You could make your own website, post episodes of your show, and then go around the internet promoting it to people and telling them about what you did. No one does this today because these huge very visible platforms invite you to host your content there, where so many others can see it. But it’s important to remember that it is possible.

For this week’s episode of “Honest Trailers,” we’re watching Sony’s “Kraven the Hunter,” a desperate (and ultimately failed) attempt to exploit a Marvel Comics supervillain first created by Steve Ditko back in 1964. That’s now 60 years that companies have been profiting off of Ditko’s creation, often without fair compensation to the artist himself and his estate. And Kraven is not even a marquee, A-list character. That’s how much these companies need writers and creators.

To that end, YouTube’s Ms. Rachel was back in the news this week, as she’s licensed a bunch of her YouTube original content to Netflix. This has become the most reliable way for big subscription streaming platforms to seek out new content for very young audiences. They look for shows that are blowing up on free platforms, particularly YouTube, and then pay those creators large sums to either license the shows for their own services, or to produce original exclusive content just for them.

Netflix’s biggest hit for very young audiences is “Cocomelon,” another YouTube import. Ball pit lover Blippi started his weird franchise for preschoolers on YouTube and he now streams on Netflix AND Amazon (along with his friend Meekah). The most popular streaming program in the US last year was “Bluey”on Disney+; that show was originally produced for Australian public television.

Notice a theme?

Streamers don’t know what kids want to watch. They need independent creators to tell them. There’s still no replacing creators in 2025, and that gives me a lot of hope.

Keep in touch with me, if you like! I’m still on Elon Musk Presents X Dot Com as @lons, and you can also find me on Bluesky. It’s been more than a pleasure to be a visible part of the Passionfruit community, and I look forward to staying on as a reader and commenter for many more years.

– Lon Harris, Passionfruit Contributor

PLATFORMS

TikTok Plans for App’s Immediate Shut-Off On Sunday Jan. 19

It’s time for us to accept reality.

By Charlotte Colombo, Passionfruit Contributor

Phones with tiktok app and shutdown sign behind them

→ READ THE FULL STORY

Stop Eating Plastic When You Cook

Let’s face it…pretty much everything is leaching plastic into our bodies. Caraway Home founder Jordan Nathan got “Teflon Flu” (a real thing, Google it) and set out to change that unfortunate reality, at least in your kitchen (and his). Everything they make is toxic free and non-stick, and their 5 year anniversary collection looks incredible. Check them out.

Shop Caraway

IN THE BIZ

A new TikTok ban delay bill might be the lifeline TikTok needs.
Bluesky is getting its own photo-sharing app called Flashes.
Duolingo has seen a major influx of US users learning Chinese amid RedNote’s rapid growth.
Snapchat’s new “Find Your Favorites” campaign spotlights its creators.

PLATFORMS

What is RedNote, The Chinese TikTok Alternative Burning Up The App Charts?

RedNote is already spreading.

By merritt k, Passionfruit Contributor

READ THE FULL STORY →

PLATFORMS

Substack Rolls Out Live Stream Capabilities to All Users

If nothing else, its good timing.

By Charlotte Colombo, Passionfruit Contributor

READ THE FULL STORY →

UPCOMING EVENTS

Tastemaker Conference is Jan. 19-21 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
ANA Creator Marketing Conference is Jan. 29-30 in Santa Monica, California.
Creator Economy Live is Feb. 4-5 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
the platform is Mar. 21 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING

In this episode of Passionfruit’s Deep Linkers, we chat with Magic: The Gathering player, host and aficionado Joe Johnson.

Joe is founder and host of Tabletop Jocks, a Magic: The Gathering based channel that features big games and big name guests such as Post Malone, Joe Manganiello and others. Joe shares with us the origin of his Magic career, how he built his channel and more. Check it out below!