In an era where brand deals and sponsorships often define success for content creators, Lucy Guo is championing a different approach. As the founder of Passes, Guo is on a mission to empower creators with tools to build their own sustainable businesses.
“At Passes, we’re creating tools to help creators become entrepreneurs through different revenue streams that they own,” Guo explains. The platform facilitates a variety of income sources for creators, including “membership communities, live streaming, one-on-one calls and more.”
Guo’s vision for Passes was born out of observing challenges in the creator economy, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. “During COVID, people in general became lonelier,” she reflects. “So they started leaning on membership communities.” While platforms like Patreon had paved the way, Guo saw an opportunity to innovate further.
“I had this hypothesis that if you built a CRM system and built tools to make creators and fans feel even more engaged and have a closer connection, creators will make a lot more money,” Guo shares. This approach aims to give creators deeper insights into their audience’s preferences and behaviors.
Passes caters to a diverse range of content creators, from lifestyle and gaming to music and podcasting. The platform’s unique selling point is its focus on direct creator-fan engagement. Guo reveals that “the majority of a creator’s revenue comes from their DMs or subscriptions actually tied to direct messages.” This model allows creators to offer tiered subscriptions, with higher-priced tiers including perks like unlimited direct messages.
The platform has attracted an impressive roster of talent. Guo mentions that “Shaq has those podcast episodes on Passes” where he offers “special Q&A and extended episodes, and bonus episodes.”
In a significant move into the world of college sports, Passes has recently partnered with the University of Texas. “We recently onboarded University of Texas’s top 40 athletes,” Guo shares. “We have everyone from the football players, basketball players, to the baseball players.” This partnership taps into the growing market for student-athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness.
The results speak for themselves. According to Guo, Passes has “over 1000 creators and is making tens of millions of dollars a year”. Perhaps even more impressively, she notes they’ve “created several millionaires.”
Looking to the future, Passes is expanding its offerings. Guo reveals plans for a marketplace feature, allowing creators to “sell digital and physical goods.” This will include custom merchandise, signed items, and even unique experiences like one-on-one video calls or social media follows.
Guo’s long-term vision for Passes is ambitious. “The goal is to really create these unicorn creators,” she states, hinting at plans that involve “a lot of financial education and opportunities” for content creators.
In a move that signals Passes’ commitment to growth and innovation, the company recently welcomed Seth Melnick, a former TikTok executive, as its new Chief Business Officer. Melnick brings over 15 years of experience in scaling startups, having previously served as Global Head of User and Product Operations at TikTok.
When asked about broader trends in the creator economy, Guo predicts a continued shift towards membership communities. “More and more creators are moving towards membership communities because they’re realizing that it is a more reliable source of income than brand deals,” she observes. This stability is crucial, as Guo notes that for many Passes creators, “80 to 100% of their income comes from Passes.”
On the topic of AI in content creation, Guo offers a balanced perspective. While acknowledging that “creators are very scared of AI,” she believes it will ultimately “enhance their productivity.” She even foresees a future where creators might license out their likeness for brand deals, potentially working with “1000 brands, versus just doing one brand a week.”
For aspiring creators looking to monetize their content, Guo’s advice is clear: “Consistency is key.” She emphasizes the importance of daily content creation, particularly on platforms with high discoverability like Instagram Reels and TikTok.
As Passes continues to grow, it’s expanding its reach into new verticals. Guo hints at upcoming partnerships with more universities and mentions recent additions to the platform including top athletes like LSU gymnasts, race car driver Lindsey Brewer, and golfer Paige Spiranac.
In a digital landscape where creators often struggle to build sustainable businesses, Passes is emerging as a powerful ally. By focusing on direct creator-fan relationships and diversified revenue streams, Lucy Guo and her team are helping to reshape the creator economy, one passionate entrepreneur at a time.
This article was part of a longer interview for the Business of Creators.
