In 2008, Kevin Kelly theorised that a successful creative person only needs a few thousand true fans to have a successful career. If that small group of fans ar

In 2008, Kevin Kelly theorised that a successful creative person only needs a few thousand true fans to have a successful career. If that small group of fans are willing to throw you $20 for a book or a t-shirt or a CD every year, you can make a middle-class income. You don't need to be a star, you don't need the backing of a record label or a publisher or a movie studio. While initially promising, this theory didn't seem to bear out in practice. Many creative people replied that the numbers just didn't add up. Margins are too thin, expenses are too high, promotion is too difficult. Unless you're absurdly lucky, you can't make a decent living without access to a mass audience via the traditional media. Patreon seems to be the technology that brings this theory to life. A huge variety of creative people now have a regular, sustainable income thanks to their Patreon subscribers. If you can find 1000 people willing to throw you an average of $5 a month, you're earning more than the median US household. With those subscribers paying your bills, your merch sales and ad revenue and whatever else are just gravy. It's SaaS for creatives - recurring revenue always trumps one-off sales. http://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/ http://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/