Introduction

The concept of being an online “creator” has exploded in popularity over the last decade. Spurred by platforms like YouTube and Substack, millions of people now aspire to build audiences around their content and make it a business. However, sustainably monetizing content and turning casual hobbyists into full-time creators is easier said than done.

I know better than anyone…

In an attempt to consolidate the creator toolset, Automattic recently launched a packaged offering called Jetpack Creator. For $119.40 the first year, it bundles relevant parts of Jetpack into an all-in-one product targeting creators. To learn more, I spoke with one of the leads behind Jetpack Creator – Mike Stott.

His startup produced a simple CRM plugin for small businesses called Zero BS CRM which was eventually acquired by Automattic. After being folded into Jetpack’s offerings, Mike now oversees product direction for various components like Jetpack CRM and the new Creator package.

We had an insightful discussion on the goals, competition, and differentiation of Jetpack Creator compared to other options creators have available. We also debated the level of effort required for creators to successfully monetize content through WordPress, even with streamlined offerings available on the market.

Key Takeaways:

• Jetpack Creator bundles existing Jetpack features at a discounted price, focusing on blocks, patterns, and creator networking
• The CRM feature in Jetpack emerged from Mike’s previous startup, with a goal of simple functionality for small businesses
• Creators need consistent content output to build an audience; Jetpack aims to streamline publishing but won’t replace that effort
• Monetization through WordAds, Stripe payments, and other tools can come later as traffic and subscriptions grow
• There is still fragmentation across WordPress products for creators; opportunities exist for more tailored user experiences

3 Reasons to Listen:

1. Learn how Jetpack Creator aims to compete with platforms like Substack and Ghost for creators
2. Understand Mike’s vision for unifying WordPress creator solutions
3. Get insight into the origin story of Jetpack CRM coming from Mike’s startup

Chapters:

• 0:01 Intro
• 0:35 Mike’s background with Zero BS CRM
• 1:52 Bundling existing features in Jetpack Creator
• 3:29 Competing with other creator platforms
• 5:16 Making money from creator content in WordPress
• 7:21 The challenge of consistent content creation
• 9:14 Unifying WordPress products for creators
• 11:34 Who is the Jetpack Creator customer?
• 13:52 Impact on the WordPress ecosystem
• 16:31 Tools for repurposing and amplifying content
• 19:14 Unlocking WordPress.com features for self-hosted sites
• 21:29 Defining what a “creator” is
• 25:54 The difficulty of creator sustainability
• 27:49 Ad revenue challenges on platforms like YouTube
• 30:25 Approaching content creation as a business
• 32:16 Additional ways to share and monetize content
• 34:09 Cryptocurrency payment options
• 36:06 Wrapping up