Future of Work: Passion Economy
About this GDI Review
Automation pressures continue to place traditional and gig economy jobs at risk. At the same time, a range of digital platforms including YouTube, Substack, and OnlyFans (to name but a few) now enable individuals to become entrepreneurs at historically low costs, creating and sharing content at scale with a theoretically unlimited number of fans. This emergent passion economy has turned attention into a scarce commodity – yet one that is largely governed by opaque algorithms.
What does this radical transformation mean for the future of work? Equally, how can key stakeholders understand and responsibly shape the passion economy going forward?
In this review, members of the GDI team identify and explore the mechanics of the passion economy as well as the implications of emerging models of work enabled by it. We analyze how creators navigate the vast passion economy ecosystem to build deep relationships with a loyal community of fans, all while monetizing their individuality across different mediums. Interviews with creators, regulators, platforms, and investors reveal further insights into core themes, ranging from platform dynamics to mapping creator archetypes. As the first major report on the passion economy, this review is designed to help key stakeholders better engage with the benefits and risks of this future of work – and transform it into one we can be passionate about.
THIS REVIEW WILL BE PUBLISHED SPRING 2023