The creator economy is still going strong

The Future. While creators have experienced many ups and downs on YouTube over the last decade, the continued success of MrBeast’s channel proves they can still run the show. If creators make consistent content that audiences want to view — while eluding burnout — they might be able to scale their businesses to new heights.

Under the influence
Marc Hustvedt, the president of MrBeast (currently the most subscribed-to individual on YouTube), tells Fast Company how it’s possible to reach a billion people every month.

• Work ethic. The YouTubers who rise to the top work hard. They’re obsessed with figuring out how to improve their content and build a subscriber base.
• Ownership. The value of a channel is tied to the creator. Brands are partners in creators’ businesses, and their role is to empower them.
• Iconoclasm. YouTube should never feel like network TV, where anyone defends “the old way of doing things.”
• Mentorship. Since YouTube is essentially a show that never goes on hiatus, seasoned creators can teach beginners how to inspire a workforce and keep growing a channel without losing momentum.
• Globalization. YouTubers can’t go to the next level unless they take their content worldwide. They should determine ways to genuinely connect with audiences in other countries.

Some things never change
While YouTube has turned a Hollywood-sized spotlight on creators like MrBeast, its number one mission, according to Hustvedt, is “to try to improve the world in some way, helping people in transforming lives.”

We subscribe to that.