Welcome to The One Person Startup podcast. I'm your host, Amado Aguilar, and today we're getting into something that's changing the entire creator landscape.
We've entered what I'm calling "The Creators Economy Level 2" - and if you're a content creator, coach, course creator, or anyone selling information products online, you need to understand what's happening right now.
The Shift in the Creator Economy
When I first started in this space, everyone was buying tons of information-based digital products. They paid good money for information because it simply wasn't easy to find.
But that doesn't work anymore. Information is too easy to find now. Everyone is sharing information, and so many more creators are putting out content every single day. We've reached the next level of the creator economy.
Let's call it "the age of results, systems, and experiences." - Creator Economy Level 2.
The AI Revolution
AI has completely transformed how people access information. It's made it easier to get steps, guides, advice - it's even becoming a teacher, assistant, guide, mentor, and so much more.
So you have to think - what can you provide that isn't readily available anywhere else? What value can you offer that people can't get from a free AI tool?
But what can that possibly be? AI has the whole internet available to pull information from. It has all the answers. It has all the strategies, even if they're outdated.
But here's what AI doesn't have:
It doesn't have feelings.
It doesn't know fear.
It doesn't know regret.
It doesn't know confusion.
It doesn't have relatable history.
It doesn't know what goes through your mind when you second-guess yourself and battle with the idea of quitting or continuing. It doesn't know the thoughts that race through your mind when someone insults you, when your car breaks down, when your kids get in trouble, when you get snowed in, when you're low on cash, when you're starving, when you have no emotional support.
It doesn't understand anything that people have to mentally deal with while chasing their dreams, knowing it can all fail if something goes wrong because you're down to your last dollars, bills are piling up, your employer is forcing unplanned overtime, you're feeling burnout, and your body feels exhausted after a long day's work.
The Reality of Everyday Life
It's not as simple as having a set of tasks to complete because you already have tasks to complete. Go to work, punch in for 8-12 hours, pay bills, shop for groceries, maintain your hygiene, maintain your car, your home, your relationships, and still squeeze a little time in for leisure because you just need a break from the daily grind that wears you down.
But you can't stop, so you need to unwind a bit before doing it all over again. And again. And again.
AI doesn't know what that feels like. It can't possibly share these kinds of experiences or know how to really deal with them because while everything looks good on paper, in reality, your energy gets drained, accidents happen, working with others doesn't always align, emotions flare up, opportunities suddenly appear, your boss promotes you to more pay but with more responsibility, more work, more time... and the world wants more of you.
The Human Connection
It's what we desire as humans - for others to want us in some way and to some capacity. We do everything for status, appreciation, recognition, or to support, to care, to self-indulge.
A million things are juggling around us, and the systematic step-by-step guide from a professionally prompted chatbot that spits out a 1,000+ word wall of text in a pretty framework with headings and dividers is supposed to be the solution to our "simple" lives?
If you believe that an AI can just magically take all the juggling pins off your hands and allow you to deeply focus like some Shaolin monk on some extreme new skill, with all your life's spinning saucers balanced on chopsticks, then you don't understand the majority of humanity.
Everyday people don't know about half the stuff you know about because they care more about everyday interactions - their relationships with friends, family, and partners. They care about what they're going to do on the weekend, where to watch the game, where to go hiking, where to vacation, where to have dinner. They care about going to the gym, getting that summer body, eating a healthy diet, and improving their health.
They don't care about the best prompts to write a blog post in their client's voice to produce 30 pieces of short-form content and one thread a week. They don't care about reading or writing a weekly newsletter, doing hours of research about the latest Grok update, or finding the best email service provider to connect with their audience every Saturday morning.
The 1% Opportunity
AI is the future.
99% of the population doesn't care.
You are the lucky 1% that does.
You are the lucky 1% that is taking advantage of this opportunity - an opportunity of a lifetime.
When people look back on history, they think:
"I wish I sold shovels during the gold rush."
"I wish I struck oil so I could become rich."
"I wish I could have invented the iPhone."
They think, "I wish I could be rich to give my family everything we dream about, so we would never have to worry about expensive healthcare, expensive food, cars breaking down on our way to work, or money problems when the landlord pushes an eviction notice through the door, or the repossession letters from the car financing company, or the relationship problems caused by lack of money and other basic needs like transportation, shelter, and a better living situation."
The AI Gold Rush
AI can always spit out an answer, but it doesn't actually know the real experiences, feelings, and emotions that people go through as they pursue their dreams.
AI has the answers and can outline plans with steps of how to make something happen, but it doesn't take into account what can happen everyday in our lives because life is unexpected, and spontaneous things happen more often than we realize.
AI is the next gold rush with tons of people trying to sell shovels, gold pans, and excavators. You're in the middle of this rush, but what I've learned from observing the creators around me is that what worked a couple years ago doesn't work now.
Information is abundant and easy to get. It's free all across YouTube, easily provided at the top of Google's AI summaries, free from OpenAI and its fierce competition - Claude, Grok, Deepseek, and more.
Information is almost as easy to get as oxygen. You pull a phone out of your pocket, and you're connected to a wealth of information. So, your offer cannot be what is abundantly available anymore. It's no different than me going to the tropical islands of Hawaii or the mountain tops of Wyoming and filling a glass bottle with oxygen to sell back to the public as the "best" O2 you can get in a 16 oz glass.
You Are the Offer
I'm not going to tell you anything revolutionary here that will help you become a millionaire because AI could do that already. What I will share with you is that your information is no longer the offer - but you are.
People want to know what you think.
People want to know what you would do in their shoes.
People want to know how you deal with life while pursuing your goals.
Because you know what it feels like to experience their pains.
Because you know what it feels like when things go wrong.
Because you know what it feels like to be overwhelmed with everything when all you want is to finally succeed at the one thing you teach.
I'll have to cut this off right here and pick it back up later because I've got stuff to do. I have to get out of bed, help my kids, make some breakfast, do some school work, work on the side business, and handle everything else life is dropping on me.
But don't worry, you can always find me here if the algorithm decides to share me with you, or you can guarantee to find me in my newsletter.
This is Amado Aguilar, and I'll see you next time.
Final Thoughts
AI can give you the answers, but it can’t give you the human edge.
Your experiences, your struggles, your wins—that’s what makes you unique. That’s what people connect with.
So, stop trying to compete with AI on information. Start competing on connection.
Because at the end of the day, people don’t just buy products. They buy you.
See you next time,
P.S.
The 5-Step Product Marketing Blueprint
If you’re ready to stand out in the age of AI, I’ve got something for you.
It’s called the 5-Step Product Marketing Blueprint—a free guide that shows you how to market your products using five proven strategies.
This isn’t just about information. It’s about creating a system that works for you, even when life gets messy.
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