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Meet Lennie — creator economy startup extraordinaire praising NYC's opportunities

Author

Brett Dashevsky
January 02, 2024

Hey! Welcome to the Creator Economy NYC newsletter — the premier place for all things creator economy in the Big Apple.

We’ve officially exited the weird void of time between Xmas and New Year’s — welcome back to reality.

That being said, happy new year! I hope 2024 brings you a wonderful year filled with great accomplishments and good health. Let’s get out there and crush it.

This week, I’m spotlighting Lennie Zhu, the Founder and Head of Product at 01 Labs, a product consultancy that specializes in building software for the creator economy.

With almost a decade of experience in product and strategy, Lennie has built products for hundreds of millions of users and has helped ~15 venture-backed startups build and grow.

Excited for you to meet Lennie and get some takeaways.

Other stops along the way:

  • First event of the year

  • Cool stuff from community members

  • News bits

  • Job openings

  • Personal picks

Was this email forwarded to you?

CITY SPOTLIGHT

Insights from the frontline: Lennie Zhu on innovation in the creator economy

Lennie has built products for and advised 14 (and counting) top creator startups like F*** You Pay Me, Chartmetric, HIFI (acquired by Block) and more, building for the teams of top creators and media companies such as Mr. Beast, Hot Ones, Buzzfeed/Complex, Paramount, Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Lil Nas X, Universal Music Group, and many more.

While Lennie has now been a software product manager for 7 years, her journey into product management started at American Express, where informal coffee chats revealed a world where design, analytics, strategy, and human interaction intersected. This revelation prompted her to enroll in an intensive product course at General Assembly, sparking a career in product management.

When she was still in college, Lennie already knew she wanted to support creatives and initially set her sights on the fashion industry. But after a couple of internships, she learned that the fashion industry wasn't as fast-paced as she wanted.

Instead, she pursued roles in strategy and product management at big companies like American Express and WeWork. It was only in 2020, during a career transition from WeWork, that she saw the chance to again blend art with technology in her work.

That opportunity lay within the creator economy

Her next step launched her into product consulting in the creator economy space. She initially pursued the consulting path as a short-term way to explore and study the creator tech space while minimizing risks linked with working with early-stage startups… but she quickly fell in love with the space, and built a niche for her successful product consulting business as the creator economy exploded. 

Outside of her professional life, Lennie is a creator herself as an immersive artist and event producer, which is what inspired her to explore the creator economy in the first place.

Her mission is to build tools that empower creators to pursue their dreams while also forging sustainable livelihoods. Her understanding of the creative world, paired with her experience in business and tech, uniquely positions her to carry out this goal — driving real change for creators everywhere.

Lessons and insights into building products that support the creator economy

During my convo with Lennie, she shared 5 key insights that shed light on the nuanced world of product development within the creator economy. Her expertise and experiences offer valuable lessons for anyone building and innovating in our industry.

1. Innovation and product development for creators

When building products for creators, Lennie stressed the importance of having a connection with the creative spirit, saying:

"It's critical to be a creator/creative to understand one."

Creators live a different lifestyle than those in corporate jobs or following established career paths. Understanding this difference helps in building tools they genuinely need.

Lennie also highlighted the fragmentation of the creator economy, cautioning founders against the oversimplification of its diverse niches.

“Grouping all these industries into one term is very misleading," she noted, urging startups to take "a very critical eye to market sizing and their product development roadmap. Just because your product is built ‘for creators’ that doesn’t mean 50M people will find your product useful. More often than not, it will be a small fraction of that overall market.”

2. Tailoring products for diverse creators

When discussing how to tailor products for a variety of creators, Lennie emphasized the importance of deep understanding and engagement:

"You have to deeply understand their workflows, their mindsets, fears, and pain points."

What this translates to in practice is lots and lots of conversations, in the form of interviews, taking in content, watching content about making content, and knowing/being a creator yourself.

In Lennie’s view, truly impactful product design comes from being embedded within the community you're serving.

3. Challenges and opportunities in today's creator economy

Lennie discussed the dual nature of the current climate in the creator economy, marked by both challenges and opportunities.

She pointed out the "big decrease in VC investment in 2023" and the difficulties of navigating "massive gatekeeper platforms," like social media or streaming platforms. Yet, she also noted an opportunity:

"As the competition shrinks, only the strong will remain."

This scenario can be advantageous for companies that have proved their worth by capturing creators that other platforms lose as they close shop.

4. Traits of successful creator economy startups

From her experience helping numerous startups scale and succeed, Lennie identified common traits among the most successful ones:

  1. diverse and knowledgeable founding team/csuite

  2. deep-rooted community connection

  3. strong online presence

She touched on that leadership should have a cross-section of creative industry OGs — like media, music, and social media — as well as operators from traditional tech who have the hard skills to build software.

Finally, Lennie stressed that meeting creators where they are, often online, through a strong social presence helps brands embed their product deeply within creators’ daily lives and communities.

5. Common pitfalls leading to failure

Lennie openly shared the common reasons behind many startups' failures in the creator economy, citing three:

  1. distribution

  2. lack of product market fit

  3. no brand connection

Marketing to creators can be challenging without an existing network, and creators often forget about products that fail to make a lasting impression.

"It's hard to get their attention," Lennie said, emphasizing the importance of not only understanding but also resonating with creators in order to build lasting relationships.

“Creators need to develop a relationship with a brand and feel that you understand them, are on their side, and are in their worlds.”

New York City's influence

Lennie emphasized the strategic importance of NYC in her work within the creator economy, stating:

"There are basically 2 places you should be based if you want to work in this space, and that's NYC or LA."

Her New York roots are a source of pride and practical advantage:

“I'm a born and bred New Yorker so I'm biased, but I prefer being in NYC because it allows for greater access to the tech / operator talent, while still brimming with creatives, especially music, whereas LA holds more of the social media / entertainment community. Companies in this space should have a presence in both places in my opinion.”

This blend of technological and creative resources in New York provides a unique advantage for anyone building products in the creator economy.

"As a founder, it's a great place to meet operator talent and investors if you're building a tech product.”

Lennie also highlighted the benefits of the city's vibrant creator community:

"There are definitely many creators who live in NYC too, so it's easier to have in person meetings with them.”

The proximity to a vast network of creators facilitates collaboration and fosters a sense of community vital for growth and innovation.

She also touched on the dynamic nature of creator economy meetups in the city:

"There's a small but strong contingency of those in NY... with a small community, you have the opportunity to see the same people again and again and develop actual relationships and friendships, which is critical.”

My favorite response was when Lennie said “…however, I would like to see more creator-oriented conferences hosted here instead of LA.”

Same Lennie… same — and we will make this happen soon enough.

Lennie's story is an inspiring tale of embracing continuous learning and creativity, marking her as a key player in shaping the future of art and technology.

If you’re looking to work with Lennie via her consultancy or hire her for full-time senior product roles (especially within the video, AI, or creative production spaces), you can reach her directly on LinkedIn, email her at [email protected], or connect with her on Twitter!

CITY HAPPENINGS

I have found community service to be the best way to come together and truly connect. So we’re hosting our first epic community service event on Monday, Jan 15 (MLK Day) to give back to our city.

Join fellow leading creators and builders as we pack boxes of food together, each brimming with over $250 worth of nutritious and premium groceries to be distributed to those in need in NYC.

​After packing together, we’ll wrap the day up with a celebratory dinner and drinks with beautiful views (located in Industry City, BK). It’s gonna be a blast and I’d love to see you there.

RSVP, and share with a friend! The more volunteers, the better.

We’re teaming up with Passionfroot on Tuesday, Jan 30 to host an awesome mixer & panel event focused on forming successful and sustainable brand <> creator partnerships. More details and speakers to be announced soon.

Subscribe to the events calendar here.

FROM THE COMMUNITY

Have something to include in a future edition? Submit it here!

THE NEWSSTAND

JOBS

Hiring in the creator economy? Submit your job here!

PICKS OF THE WEEK

STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING DOORS PLEASE

Thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you thought by replying back to this email.

Wishing everyone an awesome first week of the new year. Remember: you didn’t come this far to only come this far 🚀

See you next week,

Brett

Hey! Welcome to the Creator Economy NYC newsletter — the premier place for all things creator economy in the Big Apple.

We’ve officially exited the weird void of time between Xmas and New Year’s — welcome back to reality.

That being said, happy new year! I hope 2024 brings you a wonderful year filled with great accomplishments and good health. Let’s get out there and crush it.

This week, I’m spotlighting Lennie Zhu, the Founder and Head of Product at 01 Labs, a product consultancy that specializes in building software for the creator economy.

With almost a decade of experience in product and strategy, Lennie has built products for hundreds of millions of users and has helped ~15 venture-backed startups build and grow.

Excited for you to meet Lennie and get some takeaways.

Other stops along the way:

  • First event of the year

  • Cool stuff from community members

  • News bits

  • Job openings

  • Personal picks

Was this email forwarded to you?

CITY SPOTLIGHT

Insights from the frontline: Lennie Zhu on innovation in the creator economy

Lennie has built products for and advised 14 (and counting) top creator startups like F*** You Pay Me, Chartmetric, HIFI (acquired by Block) and more, building for the teams of top creators and media companies such as Mr. Beast, Hot Ones, Buzzfeed/Complex, Paramount, Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Lil Nas X, Universal Music Group, and many more.

While Lennie has now been a software product manager for 7 years, her journey into product management started at American Express, where informal coffee chats revealed a world where design, analytics, strategy, and human interaction intersected. This revelation prompted her to enroll in an intensive product course at General Assembly, sparking a career in product management.

When she was still in college, Lennie already knew she wanted to support creatives and initially set her sights on the fashion industry. But after a couple of internships, she learned that the fashion industry wasn't as fast-paced as she wanted.

Instead, she pursued roles in strategy and product management at big companies like American Express and WeWork. It was only in 2020, during a career transition from WeWork, that she saw the chance to again blend art with technology in her work.

That opportunity lay within the creator economy

Her next step launched her into product consulting in the creator economy space. She initially pursued the consulting path as a short-term way to explore and study the creator tech space while minimizing risks linked with working with early-stage startups… but she quickly fell in love with the space, and built a niche for her successful product consulting business as the creator economy exploded. 

Outside of her professional life, Lennie is a creator herself as an immersive artist and event producer, which is what inspired her to explore the creator economy in the first place.

Her mission is to build tools that empower creators to pursue their dreams while also forging sustainable livelihoods. Her understanding of the creative world, paired with her experience in business and tech, uniquely positions her to carry out this goal — driving real change for creators everywhere.

Lessons and insights into building products that support the creator economy

During my convo with Lennie, she shared 5 key insights that shed light on the nuanced world of product development within the creator economy. Her expertise and experiences offer valuable lessons for anyone building and innovating in our industry.

1. Innovation and product development for creators

When building products for creators, Lennie stressed the importance of having a connection with the creative spirit, saying:

"It's critical to be a creator/creative to understand one."

Creators live a different lifestyle than those in corporate jobs or following established career paths. Understanding this difference helps in building tools they genuinely need.

Lennie also highlighted the fragmentation of the creator economy, cautioning founders against the oversimplification of its diverse niches.

“Grouping all these industries into one term is very misleading," she noted, urging startups to take "a very critical eye to market sizing and their product development roadmap. Just because your product is built ‘for creators’ that doesn’t mean 50M people will find your product useful. More often than not, it will be a small fraction of that overall market.”

2. Tailoring products for diverse creators

When discussing how to tailor products for a variety of creators, Lennie emphasized the importance of deep understanding and engagement:

"You have to deeply understand their workflows, their mindsets, fears, and pain points."

What this translates to in practice is lots and lots of conversations, in the form of interviews, taking in content, watching content about making content, and knowing/being a creator yourself.

In Lennie’s view, truly impactful product design comes from being embedded within the community you're serving.

3. Challenges and opportunities in today's creator economy

Lennie discussed the dual nature of the current climate in the creator economy, marked by both challenges and opportunities.

She pointed out the "big decrease in VC investment in 2023" and the difficulties of navigating "massive gatekeeper platforms," like social media or streaming platforms. Yet, she also noted an opportunity:

"As the competition shrinks, only the strong will remain."

This scenario can be advantageous for companies that have proved their worth by capturing creators that other platforms lose as they close shop.

4. Traits of successful creator economy startups

From her experience helping numerous startups scale and succeed, Lennie identified common traits among the most successful ones:

  1. diverse and knowledgeable founding team/csuite

  2. deep-rooted community connection

  3. strong online presence

She touched on that leadership should have a cross-section of creative industry OGs — like media, music, and social media — as well as operators from traditional tech who have the hard skills to build software.

Finally, Lennie stressed that meeting creators where they are, often online, through a strong social presence helps brands embed their product deeply within creators’ daily lives and communities.

5. Common pitfalls leading to failure

Lennie openly shared the common reasons behind many startups' failures in the creator economy, citing three:

  1. distribution

  2. lack of product market fit

  3. no brand connection

Marketing to creators can be challenging without an existing network, and creators often forget about products that fail to make a lasting impression.

"It's hard to get their attention," Lennie said, emphasizing the importance of not only understanding but also resonating with creators in order to build lasting relationships.

“Creators need to develop a relationship with a brand and feel that you understand them, are on their side, and are in their worlds.”

New York City's influence

Lennie emphasized the strategic importance of NYC in her work within the creator economy, stating:

"There are basically 2 places you should be based if you want to work in this space, and that's NYC or LA."

Her New York roots are a source of pride and practical advantage:

“I'm a born and bred New Yorker so I'm biased, but I prefer being in NYC because it allows for greater access to the tech / operator talent, while still brimming with creatives, especially music, whereas LA holds more of the social media / entertainment community. Companies in this space should have a presence in both places in my opinion.”

This blend of technological and creative resources in New York provides a unique advantage for anyone building products in the creator economy.

"As a founder, it's a great place to meet operator talent and investors if you're building a tech product.”

Lennie also highlighted the benefits of the city's vibrant creator community:

"There are definitely many creators who live in NYC too, so it's easier to have in person meetings with them.”

The proximity to a vast network of creators facilitates collaboration and fosters a sense of community vital for growth and innovation.

She also touched on the dynamic nature of creator economy meetups in the city:

"There's a small but strong contingency of those in NY... with a small community, you have the opportunity to see the same people again and again and develop actual relationships and friendships, which is critical.”

My favorite response was when Lennie said “…however, I would like to see more creator-oriented conferences hosted here instead of LA.”

Same Lennie… same — and we will make this happen soon enough.

Lennie's story is an inspiring tale of embracing continuous learning and creativity, marking her as a key player in shaping the future of art and technology.

If you’re looking to work with Lennie via her consultancy or hire her for full-time senior product roles (especially within the video, AI, or creative production spaces), you can reach her directly on LinkedIn, email her at [email protected], or connect with her on Twitter!

CITY HAPPENINGS

I have found community service to be the best way to come together and truly connect. So we’re hosting our first epic community service event on Monday, Jan 15 (MLK Day) to give back to our city.

Join fellow leading creators and builders as we pack boxes of food together, each brimming with over $250 worth of nutritious and premium groceries to be distributed to those in need in NYC.

​After packing together, we’ll wrap the day up with a celebratory dinner and drinks with beautiful views (located in Industry City, BK). It’s gonna be a blast and I’d love to see you there.

RSVP, and share with a friend! The more volunteers, the better.

We’re teaming up with Passionfroot on Tuesday, Jan 30 to host an awesome mixer & panel event focused on forming successful and sustainable brand <> creator partnerships. More details and speakers to be announced soon.

Subscribe to the events calendar here.

FROM THE COMMUNITY

Have something to include in a future edition? Submit it here!

THE NEWSSTAND

JOBS

Hiring in the creator economy? Submit your job here!

PICKS OF THE WEEK

STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING DOORS PLEASE

Thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you thought by replying back to this email.

Wishing everyone an awesome first week of the new year. Remember: you didn’t come this far to only come this far 🚀

See you next week,

Brett

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