The GaryVee Audio Experience

Episode: How Creators Can Turn Virality Into Revenue with Stan | GaryVee x John Hu

Date: September 16, 2025
Guests: Gary Vaynerchuk (Host), John Hu (Co-Founder/CEO, Stan)

Overview

This episode dives deep into the rapidly changing landscape of the creator economy, focusing on how everyday creators—regardless of niche or follower count—can convert moments of virality into real, sustainable revenue. Gary Vee, joined by John Hu, co-founder of Stan (a creator-focused SaaS business platform), explores the democratization of entrepreneurship, the shifting power from institutions to individuals, and how tools like Stan empower anyone to build side hustles, start businesses, and monetize unique passions—even from totally random viral moments.

The conversation is a mix of Gary's signature high-energy rants, philosophical insights about opportunity in the new economy, tactical case studies, and a live brainstorming session about the future of content, community, and revenue. The duo outlines a new playbook for the 2020s and beyond: everyone—regardless of technical skill or ambition—can stake their claim in the attention economy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why "Virality" is the Most Under-Monetized Opportunity

• Virality is easier than ever—sustainable monetization is not:
  • Social algorithms now create frequent viral opportunities. Most creators, however, have no monetization infrastructure set up when the spike comes.
  • Gary: "Almost everybody right now has a uncomfortably high percentage likelihood of going viral if they post every day... All of them have no idea what to do with it." [25:10]
• Being "ready for the moment" is a game-changer:
  • If a creator has even basic digital infrastructure (like Stan), they can instantly turn that fleeting attention into subscriptions, products, courses, or community.

2. Stan's Core Mission and Features

• Empower anyone to work for themselves:
  • John: "SAN is everything you need to start a business. It's the simplest and easiest way—website, host a course, a community, charge subscription, charge for a service—all for $29/month." [06:24]
• Built from real pain points:
  • John built the original Stan because cobbling together various software platforms was too expensive for new creators.
  • Stan now serves 75k+ creators, facilitating over $300 million in revenue. [20:34]

3. From Passion to Randomness: The Evolution of Monetizable Niches

• Original "Crush It" thesis:
  • Monetize your passion + skill at scale, using content and audience-building.
  • Gary: "The only thing we really all the way have is every piece of us...Your niche is you." [65:42]
• 2025 version:
  • It’s not just about passion+skill, but embracing randomness. Posting random slices of life multiplies viral chances.
  • Virality can now be random—what matters is being prepared with something (anything!) to sell or a community to join when lightning strikes.
  • Gary: "I'm talking about the random economy...You could literally get millions of views about Smurfs." [24:07]

4. Case Studies and Real-Life Examples

John rattles off a series of diverse Stan success stories, showing the breadth of “monetizable”...

• Young creator teaching boomers social media:
  • "18-year-old Stone Frederickson made $100k in 2 months after turning 18—teaching boomers how to use TikTok." [21:13, 21:40]
• Bread-baking:
  • "Selena Camarillo, makes mid-six figures on a digital product for sourdough bread." [23:05]
• Crochet, parenting, fitness over 60, and more:
  • "Someone made almost $10k a month into crocheting; another teaching parents a phone-free life with kids; Eddie Abbey has made north of $1.5 million teaching 60-year-olds to stay fit." [23:37, 33:02, 34:21]

Gary: “I've always said, someone right now could make $100k/year talking about Smurfs.” [24:07]

5. The Tactical Playbook: What To Do When You Go Viral

Gary’s 365-day Random Post Challenge:

• "If you post something random every day, you’re highly likely to go viral...The money shot is being prepared when that happens." [25:10, 26:35]
• Infrastructure like Stan allows you to plug in instant monetization the moment a post takes off.
• "If you’re already set up, when people land on your account, they can buy your newsletter, course, or join your community." [28:54]

Types of products to set up on Stan:

1. Digital products (courses, e-books, guides)
2. Subscriptions/paid communities (niche groups, masterminds)
3. Calendar/booked calls (consulting, coaching, discovery)
4. Webinars (one-to-many education/events)

John: “You can just literally—oh shit, chicken pot pie is hitting—ask our AI to make a digital product in your voice and style and publish it in seconds.” [47:58]

6. The Hidden Power of Small Paid Communities

• People will pay for friction—e.g., $2/month to be in a group with other lawnmower fanatics is higher quality and more meaningful than open social media forums.
• Long tail, niche communities can scale into unexpected businesses (think “Mower Con” or “Inside-Out Shirt Nation”).
• Moderation hand-offs: Even if the original creator loses interest, the group can sustain by finding passionate “mods” and splitting revenue.

Gary: “You might wake up with a Saturday Lawnmower Con...with John Deere paying you $500k sponsorship.” [53:07]

7. Who Is This For?—A Blueprint for Everyone, Even Non-Entrepreneurs

• The combo of social algorithms and creator-friendly tech now empowers truly everyone, not just classic hustlers.
• Even those who aren't “business types” can win by starting the spark (random viral content/community), then recruiting passionate operators from within.
• "I believe that even the least entrepreneurial, most creative people can benefit... the Pickle Lady in Brooklyn can be the Garrett Camp of her community." [86:01]

8. First-Mover Advantage & Urgency

• We're still early—the attention economy is zero-sum, and the first to build in a niche can capture disproportionate value.
• John: "There's an arbitrage and alpha moment...There’s first-mover advantage to things. Now is the time..." [90:24]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the shift in monetization:
  • Gary: "99.9999% of people are not going to become Mr. Beast. 1% will get brand deals. 99% can build a $29 tech stack that makes them between $7,000 and $70,000 a year." [32:05]
• On the opportunity for everyone:
  • John: "Everyone has something to monetize. It's just about whether or not they have the tools and educational path to do so." [85:44]
• On randomness as opportunity:
  • Gary: "I don't believe anyone is sitting there realizing that their obsession with mowing their lawn could be $50,000 a year for their family." [37:25]
• On the urgency to start:
  • John: "There's first-mover advantage to things. Now is the time, if you've been questioning at all whether or not to do it—this is your sign." [90:24]
• On how sustainable communities are built:
  • Gary: "If you watch what happens in your community, pick the alphas, offer them part of the business—the operator runs it, you keep a share. That is replicable for literally every human on earth." [70:44, 88:11]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00-06:24 – Gary’s intro: context and why Stan excited him
• 06:24-13:12 – John’s backstory (immigrant kid, dance videos, Goldman, Stanford, building Stan)
• 18:03-20:45 – The pain points that led John to create Stan; first version’s origin
• 20:45-26:35 – Case studies: Stone Frederickson, Selena (sourdough), and niche monetization
• 26:35-29:09 – The random post challenge; the power of being always ready to monetize virality
• 32:05-34:21 – Monetizing outside the brand deal/ad route; building side income with tech stacks
• 37:25-40:37 – The “mowing the lawn” rant – passion, randomness, and long-tail potential
• 46:31-48:35 – AI-powered product creation in Stan; how to instantly capitalize on viral moments
• 49:11-53:07 – The long tail of niche communities as real businesses (“MowerCon”, “Inside-Out Shirt Nation”)
• 56:32-58:12 – Anyone can do this, not just entrepreneurial types; finding and incentivizing the “mods”
• 65:42-66:01 – “Your niche is you” – monetizing your full, random self
• 66:16-69:00 – The honest pushback: sustainability comes from doubling down & community handoff model
• 88:46-90:42 – Stan’s Swiss Army knife: the full tech stack rundown (booked calls, webinars, digital community, content sales)
• 90:43-end – Where to go, coming initiatives, closing thoughts

Episode Structure at a Glance

• Intro & Context – Gary explains the unusual depth of his involvement and why Stan matters
• Stan's Mission, Origin Story, and Product Breakdown – John’s journey and product vision
• Creator Case Studies & Real Examples – Concrete proof this works for broad types and niches
• The Evolving Thesis: Passion, Randomness, and the Coming Creator Revolution
• Technical/Tactical Playbook – Action steps, key product types, and maximizing viral revenue
• The Power of Community & Delegation
• Skepticism, Limitations, Honest Caveats
• Urgency and Next Steps – First-mover advantage, free trials, calls to action

Final Takeaway

If you post content (in any niche—or even totally random moments), it’s never been easier or more important to be prepared with basic monetization infrastructure. You don’t have to be an entrepreneurial mastermind; with affordable, all-in-one tools like Stan, almost everyone can capitalize on their attention, whether through products, community, or services. The next wave is here—the only thing left is showing up and experimenting.

Try Stan at: stand.store
Referenced Gary Vee Challenge/Resources: garyvee.com/stan