#34 It Jobs & the Post-Influencer Era
We’re so back! Today we’re talking jobs and the inevitable burst of the influencer bubble. Remember in 2020 when we clapped for essential workers? What a time.
Once again, the irony to post this as a Certified Content Creator™️ isn’t lost on me. I’m a woman of contradictions. xoxo Esther 💋
💸 What I’m Divesting From
🤳 Influencers.
What was your dream job growing up? I know it wasn’t creating slides and sending emails.
I wanted to be an inventor. The correct word would be engineer, I know that now, but I was 7 and my dreams didn’t entail engines. But enough about me.
We’ve always had “it” jobs. The ones that defined ambition for an entire generation.
The big status job in the early 2000s, was journalist or editor. No wonder, with the big movies and series of that era: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, 13 Going on 30, Never Been Kissed, Sex & the City. And of course: The Devil Wears Prada. I don’t think I’d have my current job had I not started writing for magazines on the side while completing my fashion design studies.
By the end of the 2000s, reality tv shed light on jobs that were previously kind of mysterious. Fashion designer1, thanks to Project Runway and the City (a spin-off from the Hills focused on launching Whitney Port’s career). Then came the rise of the chef, elevated by Top Chef and Chef’s Table, where food became art.
By the 2010s, we entered the entrepreneur era. The founder mythos was born thanks to Shark Tank, the rise of the LinkedIn influencer and the crazy start-up valuations of the time. Arguably, some are still drinking the Kool-Aid:
Now? The skill has dissolved entirely. The dream is to be seen. To cultivate a vibe, build a following, and monetise your personality. Influencing has become the default fantasy.
Being a YouTuber is Gen Alpha’s top job aspiration. More than 30% of 12 to 15-year-olds say they want the career, according to a recent report from social commerce platform Whop. The gig is followed up by 21% of the kids aiming to become TikTok creators. (Fortune)
But any bubble is bound to burst. Recession or not, consumers are tightening their belt and brand can’t keep up with marketing spend. And if we’re all influencers, who are we influencing?
A shift is coming. Some careers I’d rather invest in instead:
Operator-Creators will trade front-facing fame for back-end control. Think ghost brands, agencies, distribution power.
AI-Whisperers will treat tools like extensions of self, building automations, micro-products, and ambient influence.
Scene Architects will bring people together offline. Curating salons, retreats, and cultural gravity. Virality isn’t a KPI.
The next wave isn’t about being everywhere. It’s about knowing where to prove essential.
📈 Bullish news
Berkshire Hathaway's big bounce: Warren Buffett is going out on top, telling shareholders on Saturday that he will hand over the CEO role at the end of this year after six decades running the company. The S&P is down about 3% for the year, while Berkshire is up about 20%. (Axios)
Lucy Guo Is Now the World’s Youngest Self-Made Woman Billionaire, Beating Taylor Swift. A fundraising deal at her old company Scale AI will catapult her stake to more than $1B. (Inc.)
Can AI make dating apps feel more human? This startup that's raised $2 million thinks so (Business Insider). Matchmaking is back baby! One of my fav subjects to cover in Oblique Forecasting perhaps? Meanwhile in China: Chinese singles are looking for love in video chats — with thousands following along in real time (WaPo).
Novo Nordisk opens weight loss drug Wegovy to telehealth; Hims & Hers shares rocket 23% (CNBC)
No more caps on London bankers bonuses!!!!!! (Bloomberg)
📉 Bearish news
How a recession can play out (Axios)
Google is quietly sliding targeted ads into AI chatbot interactions. (Bloomberg)
Meta lost $4B on its metaverse division, and somehow still posted a strong Q1. (Business Insider)
LVMH’s Moët Hennessy to Cut Workforce by 10% (BOF). Champagne demand is down and operating costs are up.
If you’re looking for me, here’s my Instagram and my Sicilian house’s Insta. Here’s my LinkedIn. Choose wisely, or don’t.
Damn, I’m now realising I’m the most basic of bitches. Took me a minute but here we are.
You forgot: vibe curators