Looking forward to seeing how this develops! Question: is there a world in which the Producer IS the talent? Thinking of this in the context of documentary film... producers constantly deliver the goods in a field where the "talent" changes from project to project.
Great question and IMO Totally plausible—if the producer is willing to become the brand. In the creator economy, community is currency. That means stepping out from behind the scenes, building a direct relationship with an audience, and shaping a clear identity that people want to follow, not just projects they want to watch.
In documentary especially, where producers often drive vision and consistency across shifting subjects, there’s real potential. But it takes intention: showing up, engaging, sharing process—not just product. If a producer is up for that kind of visibility and dialogue, there’s no reason they couldn’t be the talent too.
Super interested to hear how this goes. Excited there are more and more orgs bringing the back end needed to fuel building that creator and audience relationship that empowers sustainability for storytellers to do what they want to.
Love the stories and energy you all deliver every time. Many ppl have said that I need to build something in public, especially since I have an engaged community.
My years at TMZ definitely prepared me for stuff like this. So it seems like the next step is to become an action taker and jump right in on this opportunity.
Just hit them on the link and mention open gardens. Jae and Peter are super accessible. Also — read m Simon Owen’s last substack on Jonathan Skogmo. There may be some overlap with your trajectory and Jonathan’s.
This is genuinely exciting. It feels like a powerful evolution in the creator economy as it empowers creators to leverage their existing fan base and truly own their work. That alignment of incentives (regulated, meaningful investment with tangible upside) strikes me as a compelling path forward. Kudos to the Open Gardens team for taking the leap and testing it in real time. I’m looking forward to seeing how this model reshapes financing and builds stronger, more sustainable creator-audience relationships.
Looking forward to seeing how this develops! Question: is there a world in which the Producer IS the talent? Thinking of this in the context of documentary film... producers constantly deliver the goods in a field where the "talent" changes from project to project.
Great question and IMO Totally plausible—if the producer is willing to become the brand. In the creator economy, community is currency. That means stepping out from behind the scenes, building a direct relationship with an audience, and shaping a clear identity that people want to follow, not just projects they want to watch.
In documentary especially, where producers often drive vision and consistency across shifting subjects, there’s real potential. But it takes intention: showing up, engaging, sharing process—not just product. If a producer is up for that kind of visibility and dialogue, there’s no reason they couldn’t be the talent too.
Super interested to hear how this goes. Excited there are more and more orgs bringing the back end needed to fuel building that creator and audience relationship that empowers sustainability for storytellers to do what they want to.
Love the stories and energy you all deliver every time. Many ppl have said that I need to build something in public, especially since I have an engaged community.
My years at TMZ definitely prepared me for stuff like this. So it seems like the next step is to become an action taker and jump right in on this opportunity.
Should I just hit the link or email y’all first?
Just hit them on the link and mention open gardens. Jae and Peter are super accessible. Also — read m Simon Owen’s last substack on Jonathan Skogmo. There may be some overlap with your trajectory and Jonathan’s.
Thanks Ben. Also just read Simon’s substack, definitely a gem story! 🔥
This is genuinely exciting. It feels like a powerful evolution in the creator economy as it empowers creators to leverage their existing fan base and truly own their work. That alignment of incentives (regulated, meaningful investment with tangible upside) strikes me as a compelling path forward. Kudos to the Open Gardens team for taking the leap and testing it in real time. I’m looking forward to seeing how this model reshapes financing and builds stronger, more sustainable creator-audience relationships.