This story was originally published on Passionfruit.
We’re reaching out to leaders on the business side of the creator economy to get their insight for creators looking to launch and develop their careers. This week, we spoke to Brendon McNerney, an ex-Vine star and the CEO and founder of Clash, a new short-form video platform with exclusive fan-creator interactions and a form of virtual tipping. McNerney chatted with us about his former life as a creator, what he thinks of social media’s monetization woes, and the future of fan-funded creator careers.
In 2013, McNerney was in his early 20s and said he had the “wonderful beautiful accident” of downloading Vine. He began to post videos with a self-deprecating style of humor, and within a few years, his comedy garnered an audience of over 700,000 followers.
But despite his quick path to cultivating a large audience, McNerney felt his experience as a creator to be often isolating and challenging.
McNerney recalled that his first brand deal was for only $75, and back then, he was excited for even a small paycheck. “It is painful to be a creator if you are not a top creator that is getting the majority of brand deals and ad revenue,” McNerney said.
