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☆ Influencer-marketing startup Grin has laid off staffers in a new round of cuts
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Amanda Perelli | Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The influencer-marketing platform Grin has laid off "many" staffers — in the company's third round of layoffs in recent months — a spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider. As the company grew, "a distance also grew" between the platform and its customers, the Grin spokesperson said in a statement. First, in November 2022, the company laid off 60 staffers, mostly in Grin's sales department, the company confirmed to BI at the time. Then, in March 2023, the company laid off several staffers across multiple departments, sources close to the company told Business Insider. The impacted staffers in this latest round of cuts will receive a three-month severance package and extended healthcare benefits, the Grin spokesperson said.

Persons: —, Grin, Brandon Brown Organizations: Business, Red, BI Locations: France

☆ Jellysmack president Sean Atkins is leaving the creator startup following recent layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Amanda Perelli | Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Jellysmack president Sean Atkins is leaving the creator-monetization upstart. Atkins was announced as president in September 2021 after serving as an advisor. Media executive Sean Atkins is out as president of creator startup Jellysmack, the company confirmed to Business Insider. His last day at the company is set for next Friday, a company spokesperson told Business Insider in an emailed statement. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: Sean Atkins, Atkins, Jellysmack, Stefanie Schwartz Organizations: Media, Business, Jellysmack Entertainment

The pay data includes salaries ranging from a data scientist position that offers $170,000 per year at Discord to a staff engineer role that earns $250,000 or more at Patreon. AdvertisementHere are the annual salaries for a job at FaZe Clan:Legal Counsel: $142,273 median starting range; from $133,308 to $194,437FaZe Clan did not respond to BI's request for comment. At LTK, a senior software engineer would make $130,000Courtesy of LTKLTK, formerly known as RewardStyle, is an affiliate-marketing and social-commerce platform used by influencers across Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. At Teachable, a level II senior software engineer would make $190,000Teachable is a platform where creators can build and sell online courses and coaching programs. Here are annual salary ranges for several jobs at Teachable:Data Analyst : $69,826 to $85,000: $69,826 to $85,000 Senior Software Engineer : $160,000 to $180,000: $160,000 to $180,000 Senior Software Engineer - Core : $150,000 to $170,000: $150,000 to $170,000 Senior Software Engineer II : $190,000: $190,000 Software Engineer: $125,000 to $135,000Teachable did not respond to BI's request for comment.

Persons: upstarts, we're, Justin Kenna, they've, ByteDance, Teachable, Konstantin Savusia, James Nord, Brandon Brown, Ryan Brown, Brian Mechem, Warby Parker, Grin, Amanda Perelli, Anthony, Alex Zaccaria, Nick Humphreys, Linktree's, Amber Venz, Baxter, Read, Sydney Bradley, economy's, Patreon, Chris Best, Jason Henry Substack Organizations: YouTube, Business, FaZe, Safety, Software, Security, Enterprise Security, FaZe Clan, Fohr, Inc, Grin Technologies, Facebook, Keli Network Inc, Business Affairs, Jellysmack, Linktree, Ops, RewardStyle Inc, Networks, Mighty Networks, Mighty Software, Engineering, Sydney, Sydney Bradley One, BI, Staff, Social, Data Engineering, Trust, Quality Assurance, Hotmart, & $ Locations: California, New York, Texas, FaZe, Fohr, Jellysmack, Karat, Linktree, LTK, Instagram, Dallas , Texas, Teachable

☆ Moneyball-Plus: What Happens When Investors Treat Athletes Like Startups
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Joseph Bien-Kahn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +27 min

What if athletes could sell a percentage of their future earnings to investors, the same way tech entrepreneurs offer a stake in their promising new ideas in return for venture capital? "We look at the game very, very differently than everyone else," Schwimer tells the pitcher. Finlete is launching a fund that allows fans to buy shares in a prospect's future earnings. What if you could sell a share of your future earnings, he asked, for $10,000? Today, he says, more than 80% of the players BLA has invested in are outside the league's top 300 prospects.

Persons: They're, Michael Schwimer, —, Schwimer, BLA, haven't, Fernando Tatis Jr, We've, it's, Daniil, David Liberman, Garrett Broshuis, he'd, He'd, Houdini, Christian Petersen, Erik Kratz, Kratz, Cole Hamels, Hamels, Sean M, Marvin Bush, George W, Bush, Paul DePodesta, bankroll BLA's, Bill Miller, Miller, HBO's, Michael, Jeff Bezos, Bezos, I'd, I'm, Steven Duncker, Goldman Sachs, Elly De La Cruz, Dylan Buell, phenom, Scott Boras, Yermín Mercedes, Francisco Mejía, countersue Mejia, Gervon Dexter, they're, Dexter, Wharton, He's, he'll, isn't, scoffing, he's Organizations: Philadelphia Phillies, Big League, San Diego Padres, Benchmark Capital, Sports, Wharton Sports Business, MLB, University of Virginia, Partners, Phillies, Getty, AAA, Arizona Fall League, Ritz Carlton, Cleveland Browns, Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, Big League Advance, Chicago Bears, University of Florida, Huntsman, NCAA Locations: Maryland, Philadelphia, United States, baseball's, Latin America, America, Dominican Republic, Cleveland, Florida

☆ Tech startup Jellysmack laid off staffers in the US and France last month. Read the memo its CEO sent to employees about the restructuring, which includes a focus on AI.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Amanda Perelli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The creator economy startup Jellysmack laid off staffers in the US and France last month, Business Insider has learned. Jellysmack works with creators on distributing their content across platforms like Facebook and Snapchat to earn additional ad revenue, among other initiatives. We have to realign our resources around areas of the business where Jellysmack is seeing the most success. We encourage everyone to support impacted employees by reaching out to your networks to help our colleagues find their next opportunities. Jellysmack Technologies - Led by Robin (interim), this unit will continue to develop self-serve tech solutions that solve the pain points of creators.

Persons: Jellysmack, Snapchat, Michael Philippe, Philippe, Michael Philippe ,, What's, Sean, Axel, , Robin, Michael, Swann Organizations: Business, Facebook, BI, CSE, Works, Our, Jellysmack, Network Media Locations: France, French

Here's a secret some content creators are holding close to their chests: Facebook is an overlooked goldmine for cash. "There's so many ways to make money on Facebook that my manager calls it a cash cow," My Nguyen, the creator behind the viral food and recipe account MyHealthyDish, told Insider. Take Morgann Book, a lifestyle influencer with 2.8 million TikTok followers. Meanwhile, Nuseir Yassin of Nas Daily, whose account has 7 million TikTok followers, told Insider in 2022 that his monthly earnings from several Facebook accounts rounded out to between $60,000 and $70,000. Meanwhile, Cassandra Bankson, who uploads skincare-related content for her 437,000 TikTok followers, uses the company Decked to syndicate her content across Facebook.

Persons: She's, Nuseir Yassin, Here's, Instagram, Tom Alison, Wasil Daoud, he's, Daoud, TikTok, doesn't, Rob Clark, Jellysmack, Cassandra Bankson, she's, they'll, Adorian, Khamyra, Logan Nathanson, Nathanson Organizations: Facebook, YouTube, Nas Daily, Amazon Locations: Nas

☆ A food creator with almost 14 million followers shares his earnings from Snapchat, YouTube, and Facebook and how he's fundraising to donate meals for unhoused people
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Shriya Bhattacharya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

He's earned five figures so far this year directly from YouTube, Facebook, and Snapchat. Daoud started creating content in 2015, at age 13, by filming YouTube videos. Today, Daoud has almost 14 million followers across Snapchat , YouTube , TikTok , and Facebook . Platform Earnings YouTube $9,380 Facebook $9,265 Snapchat $4,704Daoud earns money directly from platforms' ad-revenue-share programsDaoud earns money directly from YouTube and Facebook through ads for long-form content. The money he's earned directly from Facebook so far this year is only around $100 less than what he's earned from YouTube.

Persons: Wasil Daoud, He's, Daoud, he's, TikTok, It's, it's, Jellysmack, unhoused Organizations: YouTube, Facebook, TikTok Locations: Snapchat, Los Angeles , California, New Jersey, LA

☆ ScorePlay, a sports media platform using AI, just raised $5 million in a round led by Alexis Ohanian's Seven Seven Six
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Lisbon and New York-based ScorePlay has secured a $5 million seed round from Seven Seven Six. A startup that has built a media operating system for sports has just raised $5 million in seed funding from Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian's Seven Seven Six. As a business-to-business software startup, ScorePlay makes its money by charging a monthly fee to organizations, depending on the range of services they use. The round was led by Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian's VC firm Seven Seven Six, which has previously backed climate tech Vaayu, and creator marketing platform PearPop. With the fresh funding, ScorePlay will grow its tech team so it can hone in on its enterprise offerings.

Persons: ScorePlay, Alexis Ohanian's Seven, Xavier Green, Lionel Messi, Declan Rice, Victorien Tixier, Alexis Ohanian's, Kevin Durant, Renaud Visage, Michael Philippe, Robin Sabban Organizations: Seven Seven, Premier League football, West Ham United, La Liga, Atlético de, Athletes, Seven, NBA, Tech Locations: Lisbon, New York, Atlético de Madrid, Manchester

☆ 7 creator startups that had the biggest VidCon presences, wooing attendees with parties, swag, and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Amanda Perelli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

These startups set up events and parties as a way to further establish their presence in the space. Gaming giant Roblox and course platform Thinkific hosted invite-only dinners and parties. Beyond the convention center panels and meet-ups, startups made waves with creators at nearby restaurants, hotels, and bars where brands, agencies, and startups hosted invite-only mixers and parties. The main theme of VidCon 2023 was learning how to become a successful creator, and startups capitalized by showing up in creative ways. Here were seven top creator startups with the largest presences at this year's VidCon:

Persons: Whalar, VidCon, Jellysmack Organizations: Gaming, Talent, Viral, Hyatt Regency, YouTube Locations: Anaheim , CA

☆ 7 top creator startups that made a big splash at VidCon, wooing attendees with exclusive parties, swag, and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Amanda Perelli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Persons: Whalar, VidCon, Jellysmack Organizations: Gaming, Talent, Viral, Hyatt Regency, YouTube Locations: Anaheim , CA

☆ VidCon 2023 showed how much the line between creator and fan has blurred. Here are 6 top takeaways from the annual creator industry conference.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Amanda Perelli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

VidCon, the conference for creators, professionals, and fans returned this year in Anaheim, CA. Last week, creators and industry professionals came together at the Anaheim Convention Center for VidCon. Beyond the panels, parties, and meet-and-greets, the real magic of VidCon was happening offsite, at nearby restaurants and bars where brands, agencies, and startups hosted exclusive invite-only mixers. At this year's VidCon, the divide between creator and fan faded, and many attendees identified with both. Snapping a photo with a successful creator became less valuable than actual time spent learning the secrets to their success.

Persons: Colin, Samir, Amber Tarshis, Instagram Organizations: YouTube, Cannes Lions, Anaheim Convention, VidCon Locations: Anaheim , CA, Anaheim

In an email to staff, its president said the "rise of short-form video" has sparked new challenges. A new round of layoffs at creator startup Jellysmack shows how much short-form video apps like TikTok have disrupted the creator-advertising ecosystem in just a few years. Jellysmack initially grew its business by helping creators repurpose YouTube videos on other ad-supported platforms like Facebook and Snapchat. Last January, it announced it had set aside $500 million to buy rights to older YouTube videos with the goal of making a profit from future ad earnings. It separately runs a creator-finance division called JellyFi, a program to help celebrities become digital content creators, and a division called JellySmash Productions that helps creators make and distribute content speedily.

☆ Creator startup Jellysmack has laid off staffers in the US and France. Here's the email its president sent to employees detailing the reasons behind the cuts.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Amanda Perelli | Shriya Bhattacharya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Creator economy startup Jellysmack laid off staffers in the US and France on Thursday. The creator economy startup Jellysmack on Thursday laid off staffers in the US and France as part of a larger company restructuring, Insider has confirmed. This news comes shortly after the creator economy startup began hiring for a new M&A leader to help integrate companies that it buys. Jellysmack has had several rounds of layoffs in the last year, and laid of staffers in France in February, as The Information reported. Jellysmack go-to-market 2.0Jellysmack's mission has been to help creators go bigger, by bringing them products, services, and infrastructure that helps them grow.

☆ Jellysmack is hiring a new M&A leader as it eyes acquisitions in the 'near future'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Creator company Jellysmack is hiring a new M&A lead to help integrate companies that it buys. Jellysmack said it's interested in M&A and could be "acquisitive in the near future." Creator startup Jellysmack is hiring a new executive to lead its M&A integration practice as the company looks to diversify its business and grow its content portfolio, a company spokesperson confirmed to Insider. "Jellysmack remains interested in the M&A market and could be acquisitive in the near future," the spokesperson said. "The VP, PMI role we are hiring for will ensure the integration of any acquisitions are successful."

☆ Snap shows have become a coveted way for influencers to make money. Here's how to get one, according to a manager who has landed 4 for his clients.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Marta Biino | Shriya Bhattacharya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Snapchat creators can pitch shows that appear on the platform's stories feed. Cameron Ajdari, an influencer manager who's landed four shows, shared his tips for a successful pitch. Of all the ways Snapchat creators can monetize their content, shows are becoming increasingly attractive because of the exposure they get on the platform. The content needs to be original, and the creator or licensor needs to have the rights to it. Ajdari shared the best practices that have helped his company pitch shows to Snap successfully.

☆ An influencer manager who's landed 4 Snap shows for his clients shares his top strategies for pitching the platform
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Marta Biino | Shriya Bhattacharya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

☆ Creator startup Jellysmack is investing $25 million in the video catalogs of kids and family influencers in partnership with Pocket.watch
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Amanda Perelli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Creator startup Jellysmack is setting aside $25 million to invest in kids and family influencers. The company is partnering with entertainment startup Pocket.watch to launch the fund. Creator startup Jellysmack is betting on kids and family influencers by setting aside $25 million to finance top stars. The company is partnering with entertainment startup Pocket.watch — a studio that works with popular kids and family entertainment franchises like Ryan's World and Love, Diana — to invest in creators' YouTube back catalogs. Jellysmack it isn't the only creator startup betting on individual influencers as investments.

☆ I got laid off in December and took my side hustle full time. Here's my advice for anyone looking to build a business after a job loss.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Alexandra York | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ayomi Samaraweera was laid off in December and is now focused on her creator-economy startup. Samaraweera revealed her experience building a business after being laid off. Prior to being laid off, I did the necessary work to set myself up for success as a founder. During my day job, I created a robust network of creators, startup founders, and social-media experts to best understand the industry. I keep that in mind when I'm pitching the business to people including potential clients and investors.

☆ YouTubers and creator-economy insiders react to the sudden CEO shake-up, and describe the challenges that will define the future of the platform
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Amanda Perelli | Marta Biino | Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki is stepping down, and being replaced by chief product officer Neal Mohan. YouTube chief Susan Wojcicki's sudden announcement on Thursday that she is stepping down has sent shockwaves through the creator community. Wojcicki has been YouTube's CEO since 2014, and joined parent company Google in 1999 as its first marketing manager. Chief product officer Neal Mohan will be taking over her role, having previously been in charge of key products like the short-video platform YouTube Shorts and launched subscription services YouTube Premium and YouTube TV. "Susan understood from the beginning the importance of content creators on YouTube," said Alessandro Bogliari, CEO and cofounder of The Influencer Marketing Factory.

☆ An ex-TikTok employee turned full-time creator shares the exact DM and email she used to score a brand deal when she had 2K followers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Shriya Bhattacharya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ayomi Samaraweera used to be an Ernst & Young consultant before working at TikTok and Jellysmack. Here is the DM and email she used to get her first brand deal with Fishbowl with 2,000 followers. She had used Fishbowl since beginning her career at Ernst & Young. Today, Samaraweera has almost 20,000 TikTok followers, which has allowed her to charge more for sponsored content than she used to. I'm reaching out as I connected with the Fishbowl account on TikTok and they pointed me in your direction re a possible brand partnership.

☆ TikTok is laying off employees from its talent acquisition team
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Dan Whateley | Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

TikTok has laid off employees on its human-resources team focused on talent acquisition and recruiting. The scale of TikTok's layoffs, which occurred earlier this week, wasn't immediately clear. TikTok initiated a new round of layoffs this week, letting go of staffers who worked in talent acquisition and recruiting at the company, according to two people familiar with the matter. A handful of people who identified themselves as TikTok employees also posted about the layoffs on LinkedIn. It's unclear whether TikTok's layoffs will impact its broader recruiting and talent acquisition strategy.

☆ Creator economy experts say 2023 will be a buyer's market for M&A. Here are 5 themes to watch, from tech buyers like Shopify to startup consolidation
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Marta Biino | Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

"As a result, institutional acquirers, like PE firms who still have dry powder to spend, will start snatching up mid-to-large sized creator startups at much more advantageous prices." Insider spoke with creator-economy and market experts about what deals and the broader M&A landscape in 2023 may look like. "They're going to see that the creator economy exists as a direct failure of them to support creators," Gestetner said. "But if an opportunity arises for us to significantly enhance our capabilities to make us a better business powering the creator economy, we'll consider it." Startups can expect consolidation in saturated marketsThe crowded niches within the creator economy startup sphere could also face a wave of consolidation.

☆ Creator economy insiders share the 5 trends that could change the industry in 2023, from a flood of Gen X and millennial creators to a startup reckoning
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Amanda Perelli | Sydney Bradley | Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Insider asked creator economy industry professionals to share their predictions for 2023. We spoke with investors, influencer marketers, and industry experts, who shared their best predictions for the creator economy in 2023. Live shopping could finally have its moment in the USIndustry insiders may have been premature in declaring 2022 the year of social and live shopping. Some creator economy startups might close their doorsThis past year, layoffs have been rampant in the creator economy, as companies like Patreon and Jellysmack reacted to the economic slowdown by letting employees go. "Venture capitalists think this isn't the time to be betting on the creator economy, so the next nine months will be really tough."

☆ It's just the beginning of M&A in the creator economy. Industry experts predict 2023's top trends, and the buyers and sellers to watch.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Marta Biino | Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

"As a result, institutional acquirers, like PE firms who still have dry powder to spend, will start snatching up mid-to-large sized creator startups at much more advantageous prices." "They're going to see that the creator economy exists as a direct failure of them to support creators," Gestetner said. "But if an opportunity arises for us to significantly enhance our capabilities to make us a better business powering the creator economy, we'll consider it." Startups can expect consolidation in saturated marketsThe crowded niches within the creator economy startup sphere could also face a wave of consolidation. In the creator economy, companies bet on the fact that YouTube advertising revenue on the videos will increase as the audiences of creators grow and they gain more views.

Insider is keeping tabs on which creator economy companies are cutting back on staff. For more than a year, the creator economy was a red-hot industry flowing with new players, big deals, and massive investments. According to Crunchbase, funding for VC-backed creator economy startups topped $939 million in 2021. Those sunny days are coming to a halt, however, as creator economy startups grapple with a looming recession. Here are 24 creator economy companies that have laid off staff, as of December 2022:Note: Companies are listed in order of when layoffs occurred, with the most recent first.

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