Today is a bonus episode featuring Kate, Charlie Gilkey, and Tara McMullin discussing the creator economy. It originally aired in the What Works feed—the first part of this conversation is here.
"How do I want to live?" Philosopher Rahel Jaeggi says this question is bound up in the concept of alienation. Our disconnection and dissatisfaction keep us from answering that question—but they also keep us from asking it in the first place.
So in this episode, Kate, Charlie, and I ask that question—and five more. We examine how work in the creator economy can reinforce competition and individualism when what we really need is solidarity and collective action. If you're curious what you can do to join with others for your own success and theirs, this episode has some ideas.
Footnotes:
As always, find an essay version of today's episode at whatworks.fyi
00:00 - Whiskey Fridays introduction
00:24 - The promise of the creator economy
01:13 - An overflow room for the surplus elite
02:56 - How do you want to live?
03:58 - Asking better questions about the creator economy
04:46 - 1. What are we willing to do to be heard?
06:47 - Creating for humans versus creating for the algo
10:05 - 2. What do we expect from platforms in return for our labor?
11:36 - A closer look at creator math
12:51 - Casey Newton, from Platformer, on the value of Substack subscribers
15:52 - Platforms can alter how we see our whole businesses--not just the marketing
16:28 - 3. How do you want to contribute to your communities?
17:36 - Charlie's switch to Substack
20:00 - The risks of going all in on a platform
22:55 - What do we want to build together?
26:23 - Creating relational layers outside of the algos & platforms
28:44 - 5. How will we organize?
29:02 - Algoactivism
31:49 - Revisiting: How do I want to live?
33:18 - Credits