Creator Science – Episode #298: "9 Things I’m Doing Differently in My Business"
Host: Jay Clouse
Date: March 26, 2026
Episode Overview
In this solo episode, Jay Clouse provides a candid look inside his evolving approach as a creator and entrepreneur in 2026. Framing the moment as an inflection point in the creator economy—where the initial fervor has cooled and attention has shifted to AI—Jay outlines nine key shifts he’s making in his business. These include a return to foundational principles, ramping up experimentation, leveraging AI thoughtfully, deepening community onboarding, and prioritizing authentic connections. Jay’s aim is to balance sustainability, personal fulfillment, and business growth—while distilling actionable strategies for fellow creators facing similar industry headwinds.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Return to the "1,000 True Fans" Model (06:26)
- Jay reflects on the changing landscape, observing less new energy in the creator economy as interest moves toward AI. He finds this shift positive for creators committed for the right reasons.
- Kevin Kelly’s "1000 True Fans" principle is more relevant than ever. Jay re-examines this model, emphasizing slow, steady growth over chasing viral hits and focusing on deepening artist-audience relationships instead of growing massive audiences.
- Quote:
"You don’t need a million followers or whatever, I think that still holds true and maybe more true than ever." – Jay (08:18)
- Jay critiques ultra-optimized content, likening it to “ultra processed foods”—good for fleeting metrics but not nourishing. He expresses desire to lean into authentic, educational content, especially around building trust.
2. Being More Outspoken (18:23)
- Jay is committed to voicing his opinions more publicly, leveraging the independence that comes from avoiding heavy ad sponsorships.
- He admires Rich Roll’s transparency in addressing controversy and wants to emulate this level of honesty, even if it means challenging software companies, platforms, or individuals.
- Quote:
"I want to be real with you because nothing matters more to the business than people like you, people who've been supporting the work for a long time." – Jay (20:35)
3. Increasing the Rate of Experimentation (21:20)
- Jay emphasizes that experimentation is the only reliable method for consistent revenue growth due to the ever-changing landscape of online business.
- This year, he’s implementing monthly themed experiments in his membership, the Lab, beginning with “April: The Month of Revenue Experiments.”
- Jay invites listeners to join in, design an experiment to increase revenue in one area, and share results for communal learning.
- Quote:
"All the benefits of new strategies go to the people who are early movers… but any winning strategy degrades over time." – Jay (22:13)
4. Updating Member & Subscriber Onboarding (29:51)
- Jay will simplify and personalize onboarding for both newsletter subscribers and the Lab members.
- He notes that engaged members (those who comment more than they post) are the real backbone of community retention and wants onboarding to encourage “village” behavior.
- Onboarding will center on early wins, clear next steps, and actionable guidance from the most successful community members.
- Quote:
"Everybody wants a village, but nobody wants to be a villager." – Jay (31:46)
5. Expanding In-Person Events and Experiences (47:46)
- Inspired by colleagues in the financial independence world, Jay is brainstorming ways to create more offline community experiences for Creator Science—not just for Lab members but for the broader audience.
- Official retreats or public events may roll out in 2027, with a trial meetup planned for Craft & Commerce Conference attendees in June 2026.
- He sees events as a way to diversify revenue and strengthen the community.
6. Delegating and Getting Time Back (AI & Team Leverage) (53:11)
- Personal goal: Take off the months of November and December entirely.
- Jay is skeptical of AI hype, noting many creators are “playing,” not genuinely saving time or money with AI.
- He wants to use AI (especially OpenClaw agents) for substantive business tasks—research, planning, admin—but not for content creation itself.
- Quote:
"The way that I want to use AI in my business is to actually save me time, actually save me money or generate more revenue." – Jay (55:25)
- Jay seeks a business that creates value for the audience and freedom for himself, not one that dominates his life.
7. Building Internal Tools and Automations (1:00:35)
- Inspired by what’s possible with AI, Jay and his team are developing a suite of internal tools:
- Masterminds app: Tracks groups, members, leaders.
- Fitness dashboard: Logs workouts and key metrics.
- Monthly KPI Dashboard: Visualizes revenue, audience growth, and trends.
- Content Inspiration app: Surfaces best-performing posts for easy repurposing.
- Content Design app: Quickly generates branded graphics for content posts.
- Membership CRM: Replaces ChartMogul, integrates Stripe and Circle data, predicts churn risk, and surfaces at-risk members.
- He’s focused on “proactive intelligence”—tools flag issues needing attention, ultimately freeing up his time.
- Jay positions these not as step-by-step AI tutorials, but as inspiration for others to build their own systems.
8. Focusing on Long-Term, Values-Aligned Partnerships (1:13:41)
- Jay is dialing back on short-term sponsorships, reserving them solely for brands and products he uses, loves, and can fully endorse.
- Emphasis is on mutually beneficial, long-term collaborations that don’t compromise audience trust.
- Quote:
"If your audience trusts you, they are seeing [a sponsorship] as an endorsement. If you endorse a company you don’t actually align with or believe in, that has a long term negative effect on your brand…" – Jay (1:14:50)
9. Initiating Relationships Without Expectation (1:16:02)
- Jay attributes much of his business’s success to unexpected, serendipitous relationships, often years in the making.
- He encourages using spare moments to reach out—without agenda or expectations—to creators you admire, in order to plant seeds for long-term connections.
- Quote:
"If the starting point is when you are hoping to get something out of that relationship, that’s not a good foot to start the relationship on." – Jay (1:17:38)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
Rejecting “processed” content and recommitting to audience relationships:
“I want people to like my work. I want people to be interested in what I have to say, and I don’t care if it reaches the most people possible, I just don’t.” (12:22)
-
On current AI distraction:
“Humans are the rat and prompting LLMs is the dopamine right now. It is magical… But the way that I want to use AI in my business is to actually save me time, actually save me money…” (55:17)
-
Community insight:
“The best members are commenting like five to ten X more than they’re posting… I want to improve onboarding to share that.” (32:45)
-
On playing the long game with business relationships:
“There has been nothing more valuable in my business than the relationships that I’ve built. And oftentimes it’s surprising... something big happens years later.” (1:16:07)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Macro Trends in Creator Economy: [00:14–06:26]
- 1,000 True Fans Model Explained & Applied: [06:26–18:00]
- On Being More Outspoken & Authentic: [18:23–21:20]
- Commitment to Experimentation & The Lab’s Revenue Experiments: [21:20–29:51]
- Revamping Community & Email Onboarding: [29:51–47:46]
- Events, Experiences & Community Expansion: [47:46–53:11]
- AI for Time Leverage and Personal Wellbeing: [53:11–1:00:35]
- Building Internal Tools & Automations: [1:00:35–1:13:41]
- Long-term Partnerships and Brand Integrity: [1:13:41–1:16:02]
- Connecting Without Expectation: [1:16:02–end]
Final Recap (1:18:37)
Jay summarizes his nine focus areas for the year—reminding listeners that aligning their business strategy with personal fulfillment, authenticity, and real audience relationships is not just possible, but essential for sustainable creator success.
Useful Links:
“Slow growth is still growth.” – Jay Clouse