It got me thinking today after some discussions about people trying to start entertainment-related businesses. Their goal is obviously to get as many people watching as possible, since high engagement opens doors to opportunities like sponsorships. But recently, I’ve seen examples of creators getting only 500 to 1,000 views on their videos and thinking that’s enough to land big corporate sponsorships. A lot of people see that as pretty delusional.
What really stood out to me was how the people running these projects said they couldn’t invest in better equipment to make their content look more professional until they got those sponsorships. That’s backwards. In business, you usually have to invest in the right equipment and resources first to produce quality material that can actually succeed.
You don’t need to drop tens of thousands on fancy gear, but you do need to invest in something good enough to attract an audience. That’s your job as the person trying to get attention. You have to prove that what you’re doing is worth watching.
It’s a lot like seeking investment. You can’t tell investors, “Give me a million dollars and then I’ll build the business.” You have to show that your idea works first. The same logic applies here.
What’s interesting is how easy it is to start ventures online now. You can literally pick up your computer and start creating content or selling products with almost no barrier to entry. But that low barrier seems to have created this mindset where people aren’t willing to invest in their own business first before expecting others to. You have to be willing to invest in yourself before anyone else will. If you’re not, why would they?