What 30,000 creators in Dubai made painfully obvious about the global creator economy

Recently, I spent a week in Dubai with 30,000 creators at the largest creator economy conference in the world.

Not just attending — I was co-emceeing the 1 Billion Followers Summit, hosting conversations with creators, operators, and brands building real businesses at scale.

After back-to-back conversations with 7- and 8-figure creators and teams from around the world, a few patterns became impossible to ignore.

(But real quick, if you know someone sharp, and unreasonably curious — this might be the most fun job they ever have. Yes, Creator Match 🧩 is hiring, AGAIN)

Here are the 10 biggest takeaways…

1. Distribution is the moat (not talent)

Every breakout creator had one thing in common: relentless distribution.

Systems. Repurposing. Shipping weekly across platforms.

Talent gets attention.

Distribution builds businesses.

2. Community is now a distribution channel

Community is no longer a side effect of growth — it is the channel.

Brands are seeing more impact activating inside existing communities than:

• growing owned audiences

• chasing reach

• buying impressions

3. Brands that join outperform brands that sponsor

Logos don’t create trust. Participation does.

The brands winning aren’t “showing up for visibility.”

They’re contributing, listening, and becoming part of the room.

4. Monetization beats virality

The most successful creators weren’t the loudest.

They had:

• clear products

• clear funnels

• repeat buyers

You rent attention from platforms.

You own businesses through monetization.

5. Repeatable formats beat viral moments

Trust isn’t built through one hit.

It’s built through:

• consistency

• structure

• recognizable formats

Viral moments spike attention.

Repeatable systems compound it.

6. The long game is the advantage

Creators and brands building assets they own — not just platform reach — are far more resilient.

Algorithms change. Incentives shift.

But ownership lasts.

7. Opportunity is global, not local

Some of the fastest-growing creators I met weren’t from the US.

Africa, Middle East. Markets with massive reach and very little noise.

Content travels. Products travel. Your thinking should too.

8. Trust is moving into hybrid spaces

The strongest communities now blend:

• online interaction

• real-world context

• accountability

Digital trust gets reinforced when people share space, not just comments.

9. The creator economy isn’t a niche anymore

It’s reshaping how people think about:

• work

• income

• influence

Across every industry.

Creators aren’t replacing businesses — they’re changing how businesses are built.

10. At its core, community demand is about belonging

Loneliness and disconnection are real.

Brands aren’t just competing for attention anymore.

They’re competing to create belonging.

Community isn’t a tactic.

It’s a human need.

One personal note…

A year and a half ago, I was a management consultant working a corporate 9–5.

No speaking. No content. No audience.

Going public didn’t make me better. It made me visible.

Visibility creates momentum.

A few quick things before I go:

• Yes - you can get paid to speak around the world.

I’ll share more on that soon. (Quick clip here if you’re curious)

PS - Who is going to be in San Francisco for the Super Bowl this week 🏈?

We snagged a Creator Match 🧩 airbnb and will be helping some of our brand partners with several creator activations across the city, including creator dinners, brand meetups, man on the street content, office visits, and more

-AJ