Introducing FaintFlex

A newsletter covering new media and personality-driven startups.

Why am I starting this?

Studying creators is one of the best ways to learn how to build and serve a community organically, as well as identifying which audience the next great company could come from. Creators, especially those that reflect their audiences, are in the best position to build new ventures.

We’ve reached an interesting inflection point where building digital brands solely off running ads is no longer a sustainable option due to their rising costs and fatigue. And the best creators are realizing they don’t need to rely on sponsored content income from brands if they can build something valuable for their communities that can outlive themselves.

There’s a whole wave of industry professionals & resources teaming up with internet personalities to incubate new ventures, similar to Seed Beauty & Brandable, yet there’s no dedicated source unpacking the space.

Each month, I’ll uncover insights of brands founded by influencers, consumer startups that feel like personalities, the industry resources they use, and the most interesting creators and communities I discover on the internet.

To get a taste, checkout my related tweetstorms on The Influencer Economy & No Jumper.

Author

FaintFlex is written & curated by me, Aaron McClendon, an Entrepreneur in Residence at Detroit Venture Partners (StockX, 100 Thieves, Bloomscape). I’m obsessed with media-driven e-commerce, the communities they serve, and predicting the next big thing. Find me on Twitter & Instagram.