Own Your Platform

The discussion centers on how content creators can benefit from having direct control over their platform and customer relationships, rather than relying on marketplace intermediaries like OnlyFans. This was illustrated through the example of a successful content creator who built her own platform.

Key Points:

• Platform Ownership Benefits:

  • Direct customer relationships
  • Ability to collect customer email addresses
  • Control over churned customer remarketing
  • Custom branded domain
  • Full control over customer experience

• Marketplace vs. Direct Platform Comparison:

  • OnlyFans model:
    • Hosted on OnlyFans.com/creator
    • No direct access to customer data
    • Limited ability to remarket to customers
    • Platform controls the relationship
  • Direct platform model (like UScreen):
    • Custom domain
    • Full customer data access
    • Direct communication channels
    • Creator controls the relationship

• Real World Example:

  • Professional athlete using UScreen platform
  • Built custom branded site
  • Maintains direct relationship with customers
  • Controls their own marketing and customer data
  • Successfully transitioning from marketplace to owned platform

• Business Model Validation:

  • UScreen (platform provider):
    • $150M earned by creators annually
    • 9M end users
    • 20M+ in ARR
    • Bootstrapped and profitable
    • Demonstrates viability of direct platform model

• Key Insight:

  • Similar to how Shopify enabled direct-to-consumer commerce
  • New platforms emerging to enable direct-to-consumer content
  • Creators with large followings can successfully transition off marketplaces
  • Control over platform and customer relationships is increasingly valuable