The Business of Creators
The Business of Creators podcast is for content creators and professionals in the creator economy. Each week we speak to the businesses supporting the creator economy with new tools and effective means of monetisation. Subscribe to the show to learn more about the people powering this amazing new industry. The origin of the show is actually a network I set up in 2017 called The Business of Influencers, back when everyone was talking about influencers and not creators. I built the network to bring people together and it grew to more than 500 people as the creator economy boomed. But I've never liked the word influencer.Having spent more than 20 years in the media industry, I am deeply passionate about supporting creative talent. Today I am the co-founder of a business called Electrify Video Partners which invests in creators. And I created this show to raise awareness of this great industry.
The Business of Creators
How Hacksmith Turned a $1M Gamble into More Than $6.5M on Kickstarter with COO Ian Hillier
This is how a YouTube channel turned one tool into over $6.5 million with no paid ads. In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd talks to Ian Hillier, COO of Hacksmith Industries, about how they transformed a side project into a massive Kickstarter success.
Launching products for sale? Start with a .store domain. Top creators like MrBeast, Dude Perfect and Hacksmith use .store to build clean, memorable web addresses like YourName.store, boosting clicks, driving sales and making it crystal clear where fans can shop. Grab yours now: https://go.store/boc11
Hillier shares the full journey — from failed prototypes and risky investments to building a scalable product line and transitioning off the content treadmill. If you’re a creator thinking about launching your own product, this is a must-watch.
Topics Discussed:
- How Hacksmith’s multi-tool became a $6.5M Kickstarter hit
- The difference between white-labeled vs. built-from-scratch products
- The mindset shift from sponsorships to self-sustaining product sales
- Lessons from manufacturing, design, and community feedback
- Why premium products win in the creator economy
Key Takeaways:
- Learn how to validate and scale a physical product with your audience
- Discover the real costs and timelines behind high-quality product development
- Understand why custom, premium products outperform generic ones
- Hear the strategies Hacksmith used to build hype without paid ads
- Get actionable advice for launching a product that actually sells
Listen to learn actionable strategies to grow your creator business — and don't forget to subscribe to the channel for more insights on the business of creators!