Framework
Compete on terms-and-conditions incumbents can't touch
Shaan's 'Stripe for Vice' framework: rather than copying what a monopoly isn't doing yet, attack the customers their terms of service explicitly ban. Stripe can't serve cannabis or porn without threatening its banking relationships, just as Instagram won't build OnlyFans without risking its advertisers, so that ground is safe to take.
“And so terms and conditions is actually an amazing way to compete against big successful incumbents. Go do what they explicitly say they won't do and they can't do.”
Steal thisRead an incumbent's terms of service, list every customer type they ban, and build the product that serves exactly those banned customers.
Take
1,000 true fans is dead — now it's 100 true believers
Shaan reframes BitClout-style creator coins: where Patreon/Substack/OnlyFans sell access, a creator coin lets early supporters also profit as the coin appreciates. The old '1,000 true fans paying $10/mo' model becomes '100 true believers' who get rich by backing you early, like buying Amazon stock.
“So it takes the concept of 1,000 true fans, which was like a, like a 20-year-old concept that a lot of people talk about. Hey, if you can get 1,000 people to pay you $10 a month, you can make a living as an artist. 1,000 true fans is gone. Now it's 100 true believers, 100 people who actually invest in your coin. Not only are they enough for you to make your living, but they will get rich by being early in you too.”
Fact
Creator-platform economics are an unstable equilibrium
Jake Paul argues YouTube creators capture a tiny, lopsided share of the value they generate, which is why top creators are fleeing to OnlyFans, BitClout, and their own subscription platforms. Woo frames it via Netflix: YouTube gets billions in content for free and kicks back an ad-rev split.
“It's very one-sided. And I think that's why you see, you know, YouTube and creators not as, you know, in sync as before, because they're finding ways to go off platform and make money like OnlyFans, Bitcloud, their own subscription platforms. So it's not the same ecosystem that it was before, but even before it was still very, very lopsided.”
Idea
Make custom sex toy molds for OnlyFans creators
Fleshlight boosted distribution by casting molds of famous models and porn stars so they could sell branded products to fans. Shaan says today he'd run the same playbook with OnlyFans creators as the strongest distribution tactic.
“And so I was thinking, if you were going to do this now, you have OnlyFans, where, you know, I think a billion, billion-plus dollars is being paid out to their creators. I would go to OnlyFans creators, and I would do this— I would do that model for them. I think that would be probably the strongest distribution tactic you could get.”
Steal thisLicense creator-branded product molds to OnlyFans stars for built-in distribution.
Number
An OnlyFans creator making $100k/month as a marketing whiz
Sam was about to interview a woman earning $100,000 a month on OnlyFans, describing her as a marketing whiz, an example of how sophisticated independent creators in the space had become.
$100K
Monthly OnlyFans earnings · USD/month
“I got asked to go and interview this woman who's making $100 grand a month from OnlyFans. Nice. Is that wild? Apparently she's like a marketing whiz and has done a really good job.”
Number
A Challenge cast member makes $133K a month on OnlyFans
Citing onlyfansmetrics.com (a 'Baremetrics for OnlyFans' tracking ~500 models), Shaan notes a reality-TV personality named Kayla is estimated to earn $133,000 a month on OnlyFans.
$133K
OnlyFans creator monthly earnings · USD/month
“She's making $133,000 a month on OnlyFans, which is insane, right?”
Idea
An ISA agency that grows OnlyFans creators for a revenue cut
Shaan relays Ben's idea: instead of being the 10-millionth Facebook-ads agency for brands, build the first agency that grows OnlyFans creators on an income-share basis, taking ~15% of the new revenue you generate via marketing and paid budget.
“I'll help grow your OnlyFans, but it's like an income share agreement. I get 15% of every, uh, you know, monthly subscriber, every, every $1,000 you make in monthly subscribers. And so it's like an ISA for OnlyFans creators.”
Steal thisStart the first OnlyFans growth agency on a rev-share/ISA model rather than competing on commodity brand ads.
Number
OnlyFans: $2B paid to creators, 100 making $1M+ in 4 years
Per a tweet Sam reads aloud, OnlyFans grew in four years to 1 million creators, $2 billion paid out to creators, and 100 creators each making at least $1 million, making it a multibillion-dollar company.
$2000M
Total paid to OnlyFans creators in 4 years · USD
“OnlyFans lets creators charge for access to content. In 4 years, OnlyFans grew to 1 million creators, $2 billion paid to creators, and 100 creators making at least $1 million. What? That's crazy. So this is like a multibillion-dollar company already.”
Number
OnlyFans likely north of $100M in subscription revenue
Shaan estimates OnlyFans is doing more than $100 million in subscription revenue (before taking their platform cut), as creators flock to a platform that lets them monetize content the big networks ban.
$100M
Annual subscription revenue · USD/year
“but OnlyFans I for sure bet— I would bet you for sure they're in north of $100 million in subscription revenue, and then they take their cut.”