Death of the Follower & the Future of Creativity on the Web
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- čas přidán 24. 06. 2024
- The internet is going through a shift. There used to be a thing called a “follower.” It allowed publishers, creators, and anyone online to build a community around their work. But this piece of foundational architecture for human creativity and communication - the “follow” - has been threatened. In this talk, I put this internet-wide shift in historical context from the perspective of a creator, outline where the web will go in the future, and offer thoughts on what to do about it all as a modern creator on the internet.
No one has ever spoken of the progression of the internet. i appreciated this. i was born in 1993. I watched Google be born, youtube be born, facebook be born. i saw it all come alive. and i am watching it fall. i remember in the early 2000s, all the comments were positive. by the 2010s, people hated each other in the comments. and quite often i dont get notifications for posts from anyone i subscribe to. i am honestly certain that there are people i dont even know that i follow anymore because there stuff never shows up. I am glad that you see hope.
Jack, I don’t know you! But I do… I have been following you, pomplamoose and your other music ventures for quite some time now. I’m probably your mom’s age… but I am someone who has loved and lived for music my entire life. I also photograph things… people. So I consider myself a creative. Your video moved me to tears. You have summed this up brilliantly and I applaud you. I walked by you and Nataly at Bartavelle a few weeks ago, you were having coffee at that outside table in the corner next to the bike shop. I wanted to walk up to you and thank you for all you’ve done, all you’ve given, well, all of us. You’ve made a way in this online Wild West for others to make their passion into their livelihood and that is no small feat. You are incredible!
Wow. This is so kind. Thank you - I can’t tell you how much this means to me. Next time you see me, SAY HELLO!! Nat and I don’t mind at all. Thank you again for the kind words - made my day!!
14:50 joy ... 17:30 sadness ... 20:50 despair ... 23:30 hope ... 36:12 yearning ... 37:40 questioning ... 39:00 following (and soul-searching). Man, that was a rollercoaster. Thank you Jack.
I'm 74 years old and well remember the early days of the Internet. All you have said resonates and, as an introvert and creative person, scares the sh!t out of me. But in a good way. In the short time I have left on Earth, you have given this old man hope for the future. Onca again, thank you.
Create for [and in] the NOW. Let others appraise one’s work later! 🫂
I don't consider myself a "creator" but this resonates with me so much. What a brilliant summation of the last few decades. Thank you.
Didn't mean to watch all of this. But it happened 😂
same thing happened to me :D
Same.
Absolutely stunning, I couldn’t feel more connected and identidad with your message
I truly enjoyed this talk. Thanks for taking us through the history of the internet and our place in it. You definitely touched on a lot of thought-worthy points. Thanks!
This. This is how humanity-creators and fans-keeps the AI wave from consuming us. This is how music and art stays alive because its through music and art that we stay connected-soul to soul.
Been a Pomplamoose fan for years! Thank you for a jolt of inspiration and hope for tomorrow! 🙏
This is one of the best talks I've ever seen. Such beautiful story-telling!
Jack has been one of my favorite people ever since I first saw that video for "Yeah Yeah Yeah" all those years ago, and I have listened to his music in all it's forms, from from Jack to Pomplamoose to Scary Pockets. I've watched many episodes of dead wax (professional musicians react). And always, ALWAYS... I get him. I'm that same kind of person who gets way too excited about that new amazing song I just heard, and wants to talk about the bass part, or that genius bridge, or those climactic harmonies. I'm the person in the crowd who bobs their head more than the other people and can't help but sing along at the top of my lungs. I get super emotional about my favorite songs, whether they're my own or from my countless favorite artists. But what I really like about Jack is that I want someone like me thinking about these kind of things... helping the future for artists. Thanks Jack. Keep creating and keep helping creators. I for one very much appreciate you.
40:04 On the radio today, i was listening to an interview with a woman who wrote Prince’s memoir and they discussed how right before the end of his life, he wrote in his journal about his realization of his impact being woven into the identity of america. his art was very personal which others can deeply relate towards. youtube used to have that touch before it became algorithm focused. thank you for posting this ❤ it is reassuring to know there are people talking about it
This is a great talk. It would be a very special message to especially music and art graduates. Very spontaneous on!
This is a message coming from an 83 yo who has seen thousands of graduates walk across the stage so hopeful, but destined for the dust bin of history.
I recently discovered your channels and seek out every creativity you and Natalie and newbies have created. Being a frustrated former pro musician that took another direction in life to make money , you have brought me back to music. For that I am eternally grateful!
Thank you.!,,❤
,
Thanks sooooooo much for the Free Membership tier. Most patrons on my Patreon are paid, but the free membership has put me in touch with more people -- and right now, that's what I care about most.
I have a tiny following, but with that contact to more serious fans, I've seen my monthly listens to my fiction podcast reach what I used to see in a year. It feels a bit like the 90s, when I self-published comic books and chatted with people online. While the size of a following is relative, it's become bigger and...is even more fun. So -- again -- thanks! 😀
I need a Jack Conte alarm clock. What a shot of motivation. Thanks for understanding what’s important and remembering what community should be. Patreon is creating social capital and that is what we need right now. 😊
THIS ☝🏼 would resonate with every creator to the core, if only the CZcams algorithm would rank it to get the views it deserves. Love your passion for human connection and community Jack! 🏆
Your perspective and laying out the history like this explain everything. As I'm 'late to the party' as a creator and also with a small business, this gives me a new hope and direction for how to create and engage in meaningful ways with compounding not diminishing returns.
Even more importantly, this is moving to a place of healthy engagement with technology, where I feel that my creativity is benefiting people not leeching from them.
Thank you for sharing your journey and taking hold of the future for better!
I've watched this video several times now. Didn't know I needed it. It's also perfect timing because I found it while writing my latest post for the Creative Writing Wizard, and this vibe is harmonious to what I've written.
This needs to be seen. By so many, so many artists. This will still be relevant today, in 50 years and in 500 years.
jack, as a social-sculpture, dreamer, puzzler, inventor, documentary and Myth-U-Mentary filmmaker who suffers from curiosityitis and an early adopter of patreon, - in full disclosure i use to get excited watching you be excited and that's what originally caught my attention when i first stumbled Pomplamoose, back in the day and years before Patreon - i liked the music and your and Natalie relationship as a couple and your and her relationshiip to music and how you followed the sound when editing too, - but for me the adventure was watching you,, and your mind work like a little kid in a playground, as you're discovering the pieces of the puzzle - your SxSW talk about the future of the "web" it reminded me of my SxSW 2011 talk on the future of the web as a social -sculpture. but that's another story - i agree about being true to your dreams and do meaningful things - fyi, i make documentaries and Myth-U-Mentaries for people who aren't born yet, but that's another story - I loved when you said, back in the day, about starting Patreon because you needed it and wanted to see it for yourself and musicians and beyond - your SxSw talk was right on about many things but especially, the true fans and building community too, and it tickled my imagination as you have done over the years - thank you - the art of living is making your life an art
Jack, thanks for this gift of context and helping frame the experience we're all having on this crazy internet journey. I'm a creator (even have a Patreon page), and I'm really grateful to feel less alone in the experience just from watching this video. Thank you for taking the time to say what you have to say and say it well.
Jack - I’ve been following you since the dawn of CZcams and am always so impressed at how you keep reinventing yourself as an artist to keep up with all the changing technology. This presentation was so well put together and was exactly what I needed to hear at this phase in my career as an artist, so thank you for putting in the time and work and sharing this message with us all. Always a ‘true fan!’ Cheers mate.
Why am I tearing up at 34:51? I didn't think this would be an inspiration video. Thank you for hearing the people and rooting for us. You've given me more hope in the crushing reality of trying to make a living as a creator 😌
I'm bawling. Best 42 minutes and 2 seconds of my year. Thank you, Jack, I really needed to hear this. Right now. Right where I am in my creative journey.
I am usually impressed by your videos, but this one was especially incredible.
Thank you for sharing those thoughts and your passion.
I am blessed to be alive in a time where I have tools to access inspiring content like yours.
Keep spreading the words and the love.
This was awesome!
I didnt actually think I would watch all of this. I scrolled through the comments and they convinced me and Im very glad I did. I'm just at the start (I have 0 followers on both my insta and tiktok, 0 posts as well so not surprising), I love doing the creative stuff. But I fully dislike having to use social media, especially with what its turned into more recently where all you do is having to chase the algorithm. However, I really like engaging with people and talking with people that you have a connection to, I use discord a lot. This video made me feel more optimistic about where things are heading, and I will utilize what you said, view the socials as a way to get exposure and then have the true, real fans on another platform where you can engage with them closer.
I'm not really sure what I've even written here, but in short I just wanted to say THANK YOU for this talk.
I still don't get why this channel doesn't have more than 1M subs.
I've been following on CZcams since the early days of Pomplamoose, and as I'm still doing content, here I am, a true fan.
To the point 👌
Been a fan of Jack's for 16 years now. He's done so well!
This was an incredible talk and the visuals and music put to it really pulled me in. Your wisdom on the web and how creatives can exist on it is incredible, thanks for sharing it and acting on it through all the things you do! Love from the UK!
“ know what you want “ so true, understand what your needs are.
I am thankful for the algorithm for introducing me to this video, which left me thinking "YES. THIS IS TRUE." Now I am starting the journey to become a true Jack fan. :) Thank you for this video. Thank you for doing what you are doing for creatives.
Thank you, Jack. I realised how crazy it is that no one is telling us how this internet thing works, most of us are mindlessly following the big tech but don't feel we have much of a saying in what we get, I think what you are talking about it is giving our attention and resources towards those creators and companies that actually want us to engage, that sounds super awesome and also kind of logical?
Super awesome talk. I'm in tears. Let's keep creating beautiful things, creative people!!!
34:30 You can feel the excitement in his voice. Goosebumps and watery eyes I can feel it too.
I'm one of your superfans, have been since the start of Pomplamoose. This is an amazing video and analysis. Felt like I was watching something historical.
Great talk! I've been thinking similar things for some time now.
It's weird how much we use this platforms to communicate, yet most of this communication is within what creators think the algorithm allows.
It makes the unique people that are so much fun to watch/read/etc..., harder to discover.
Hope things change for the better. Love seeing someone spreading word and trying to fix it!
I love this so much, I would share it on social media but none of my followers will see it.
On the business side of things, there has been a shift in digital media from games to word processors to music, from product to subscription. But I'm an 80's kid, and back then, being a fan didn't mean making a scary commitment to an open ended subscription (and deep down, we all knew that our tastes change over time, and that's ok), but it meant that in this season I was into it, and I wanted to express that excitement of passion towards the artist by buying something I could treasure and keep. For the artist, it was a one time purchase, but for me the fan, it was a product I still have to this day. It helped that the younger the more my identity was also mixed into which I was a fan of. Now I have to pay a subscription for so many things I used to buy once. And to be honest, this makes me rethink what I'm a fan of, and makes me feel a fan of nothing, if it means that level of commitment. The big challenge for the artist now is that what used to draw in the cash directly - the core creative product - is now the tool for broadening reach - essentially a free product. But if there were more ways multiplied for expressing my "fan-ness" through money from the FAN'S perspective, other than paid subscription in this new day-and-age, multiplying the items to choose from on the business side of the model presented in this great video, of which paid-subscription was only one option for one kind of fan, of many, then our definition of "fans" could become broader again to include many more money spending types of fans, like back in the day, from the 1-CD + hat & poster fans, to die-hard paid-subscription supportive fans, not just paying vs free fans, and open up many more avenues for income from fans who do care about the artist, even if their interest is just a passing one of a few months or a few years. Love to you all!
Wow. Every issue you have talked about has prevented me from trying to get serious about being a creator full time. I think I have a different lens to view it through now and have to start making my plan.
Good talk Jack, appreciate the honesty and passion you put in to this talk, a lot of genuine points that came from your heart and also what made Patreon work in the first place. Hope to see you make what you love to make in years to come :)
Funny how the youtube algorithm gives me this video which goes against this way of content distribution.
This feels really wholesome and connected to the mindsets of creators. He didn’t talk about it but also almost anti-AI by making something beautiful and connected to you and what you want ro create, not what some other person or thing wants you to make. I’m still afraid of moving forward but this helps me to focus on finding that inner drive and goal that I’d want to show to those that feel the same or may be inspired/entertained/ or learn from me.
I like the passion and philosophy behind this talk. Unfortunately, when we hear the word "Paetreon", we hear the "Pay" part first and turn away. But I love the idea of building community, almost like the Web 1.0 forum days.
I almost lost all hope. Now you gave it back. Thank you!
I’m watching this video again for the additional animations and editing! Beautiful :)
The goat
This is one of the most inspiring videos I have see in a very long time. I remember the times my videos had reach and massing consuming back around 2010. I know my content is desirable by a certain segment because I receive praise, but new video just don't get the attention, maybe because most of my subscribers have forgotten about me, or CZcams is not serving my videos to my subscribers well enough. I have been trying to determine a better way and I think Patreon may be that platform. I will be focusing more on Patreon from now on, so my time can be better utilized for the fans that really care.
I will continue to choose media outside of main corporate. We’ll always look for people like you.
I believe the death of the follower has put me on the map in the first place. I am also very fond of the algorithms that actually reflect how much people like my videos. It's brutal and not perfect, but it really solves a core problem: being found. making the step from 0 to 1.
Of course, I also 100% agree with the fact that it makes building a tight community harder
I'm blown away, what an incredible life you've lived and what a wonderful company and service you provide to creative people. Thanks for sharing this!
Thank you Jack. May your goals and dreams echo into the future, changing lives for the better.
What a fantastic video. I've been following Pomplamoose for years and now that I'm a creator, I love the work you do with Patreon!
Once again, Jack has made another inspiring and beautiful presentation on creativity in the current age. Thank you.
Really interesting thought provoking talk Jack - well done and thank you for making this. It spoke to me :) the irony is ,
For me you’re right I need to work out what drives me . I think it’s a combination of learning, as well as creating - for me it’s a journey. But I am hobbled that I can’t believe anyone will want to hear what I’ve got to say. Maybe, as you say - I need to find that audience. The fact that’s difficult doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try … the world is large .some people, somewhere may be interested in what I have to say . Thank you …
"and i want that person to feel connected to me even though we've never met before in our lives, but i said a thing that resonated with them and made them feel less alone" - thissss !!! it's not the only thing i want as an artist but it's most definitely the driving force . i want to connect with others, i want to make them feel something through my art, i want to cherish my memories and experiences ! i want to be apart of the youtube new wave which honestly feels like a modern version of what youtube was at the beginning, broadcast yourself
Thank you Jack for this pep talk.
Thanks Jack need it this.
this is so wonderfully authentic.
Guys, let's make something that makes sense to us, not what the algorithm eats.
I'm fucking pumped!
Let's go !!!!! wooou
It feels like not that long ago that I found Pomplamoose via My Terrible Friend. They'd done a cover of Kings of Leon's Holy Roller Novocaine and pretty soon I was watching all their videos. And then they were on a road trip to your place... and I've been listening to you ever since. When you're thinking about your following (and this looks different from one creator to another) it makes it easier to follow. Glad to keep following you.
An amazing summary and inspiring talk! Thanks Jack!
I can’t wait to get my 500 subscribers to be able to open memberships and a store, I love that CZcams merged the concept of Patreon with CZcams, now you can do it all in one platform
This is so cool! I've often wanted to support creators and then found myself hesitating on their patreon page, mainly when I can't send a lump payment for one year- I avoid monthly subscriptions in general because it's very easy to lose track of how much you've signed up to pay per month, and unfortunately, I'm not at the point where I can subscribe to all my favorite creators with abandon. I end up picking and choosing based on who's "mission" I support the most/who has the fewest subs and patrons, where my impact as one subscriber is a lot bigger.
Well, this was an amazing video. This vision resonates with me deeply.
I feel blessed after watching this video, awesome job Jack!
Greetings from Perú!
@jackconte The biggest issue with the direct-to-fans model is discovery. Discovery was a problem back in Web 1.0. Ranking solved discovery. It sounds like the new Patreon model is a destination after discovery, which still needs to be solved. “Finding those people” needs to happen.
Definitely needed this at the point in my creator journey I'm at.
Incredible stuff. Really inspiring and moving.
Not me, a single mom who has owned a domain name for 7 years to create a community for solo mothers like me but never started, watching 6:42 and bursting into tears. ❤
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 your words move mountains my friend
I am an early JackConte follower, I couldn't get enough VideoSongs. While I wish he kept on doing VideoSongs, he went to obviously do bigger and better things. So proud of him.
Thanks Jack. I love this.
Cool and inspiring, as always 🙏
Also, this reminds me of Elizabeth Gilbert's TED talk, which also made me tear up, years ago.
At first this title scared me but once I watched it I was like this guy is Awsome
Sixth! And thank you Jack. I’m still a Jungle Animal at 💙… happy to be a creator within the Patreon family. Looking forward to the new!!
Wow really encouraging talk
Wow Jack this is spot on. I am grateful for your vision. However this is not a resolution for the cannabis and glass art community. I got excited for 10 min and almost got patreon until I realized my life and creations will be censored the same no matter what silly internet app I use.
The short form content distributed through an interest graph will never work on the long run, not for creators, not for the platforms. TikTok starts to realise their mistake, but people want the short hit of distractions from that app, and that’s why their usage is heavily slowing down & the longer TikTok’s (although being pushed by them) aren’t being consumed because people want to consume it.
Someone who opens up an app because they decided to watch something from a specific creator, search for their creator, click on their video and enjoy it, is INFINITELY MORE VALUABLE (for both platform as creator) than someone who’s waiting for their coffee, has 2min to fill & just swipes through short video’s by random creators, with half their attention.
Creators who build a following through short form on reels, tiktok or shorts will realise how that number is completely worthless on the long run.
this was so good. thank you thank you thank you
You're a true legend Jack. I found you through music, but you're a great guy overall and I appreciate what you do for the creator/maker community out there. Great advice for any aspiring artist/creative out there. Thank you for being you.
Congrats on your success. Steady on.
The hotdog stand vs restaurant analogy is going to stick with me.
Great job Jack.
fully agree, as youtube adding ranking on his main page i goes directly to make a bookmark/favorite on the subscription page because i want to know when an artist i follow, leave something and every sites have to keep that kind of page. that's why i continue to use it.
Don't change you are making the grade ;) ♥
Woah!!! OG reference right there. Thanks for being here all these years. Wow.
Yes, this is exactly what we want!!!!
I am really interested in the free membership model of Patreon. I used to support several creators on Patreon but then my financial situation became much more constrained when I became disabled and lost my job. I still follow many creators, musicians, photographers, film makers, puppet makers, renovators and people who just make stuff for the fun of it, but I can’t afford to pay them a monthly fee. I would however happily buy the occasional product, like last year when I helped out the guy renovating a French chateau by buying a custom made Christmas decoration.
Brilliant!
Ok. I am jazzed up now.
Oh, SXSW shared this back in March. I knew I had already seen it.
I knew I watched it some time ago! Thanks!
Jack, you have no idea what you did here. This planted a seed in most creators that are in search for purpose and meaning, and one day you'll see the whole forest you've created. Thank you.
Ironically, I didn’t find out about Pomplamoose until just a few years ago
This is exactly what i am experiencing... the loose, slippery "connection" with fans. The algorithm that defeats the attempt to deep, and replaces it with reaching new people.
🙌
Thanks!
Real Creator Economy explained from scratch. Thanks 🙏
Thank you. I feel as if I have a new friend.
Crazy this only has 25k views
Hey Jack. Love you bro.
Money. We all need it to live these days. Many of us (especially creators) don’t have much disposable money. I’d love to be a true follower of dozens of fellow creators on Patreon, but I can’t afford to. I’m sad that money is a central theme inside and outside of Patreon - It’s a hindrance to the true goal.
Don't get me wrong. I like what patreon and jack are doing, but don't forget this entire talk is practically one large advertisement for patreon.
23:00 Needed that