Jason Wilhelm

7 years ago I walked into Studio71 as Head of Gaming at 21….the youngest executive in the company. Before that I was a college dropout getting rejected from every job I applied to. Every MCN passed on me. Nobody wanted to bet on the kid who’d been making YouTube videos since he was 13. Studio71 was the first place that eventually offered me a job but only after I built my own business working with creators. Yesterday we bought the company. If you told 21-year-old me this would happen, I would’ve called you crazy. Hell, I still kind of can’t believe it typing this out. Work your ass off. Bet on yourself when nobody else will. Don’t take no for an answer. You can make anything happen.

@JoblessGarrett Appreciate you brother 🙏

@General Spoken like a true industry leader 🔥

Agreed but the investor piece is where it gets worse. The “thought leaders” investors lean on are talking heads and mostly came from traditional industries and got into the space early. Most were never creators. Most never operated alongside creators. Most don’t understand content or virality which is the actual engine of how creators win. If you can’t evaluate the craft, you can’t evaluate the businesses serving it. So they import playbooks from media, marketing, or tech and assume it’ll translate. In most cases it doesn’t. Investors trust the wrong voices, skip real diligence, and find out two years in. Jellysmack is the cleanest example. Scaled too fast. Stopped focusing on quality. Overhired. Signed creators to some of the most egregious contracts the space has ever seen. The other example no one says out loud: most management companies are brand deal shops dressed up as platforms. They sell creators on real careers and real businesses. They deliver just brand deals. The value proposition hasn’t meaningfully evolved in years. No product investment, no infrastructure, nothing built around how creators actually grow. One revenue stream. Cyclical. No defensibility. And not what creators were promised. The fix isn’t five thought leaders. It’s operators who’ve actually built something a creator depended on. The good news: all of this leaves enormous room for disruption. For anyone actually willing to innovate and challenge the status quo.

@Ryankia2 Facts

@General totally agree most “thought leaders” are too busy selling newsletter / event sponsorships vs actually working 😂

@ollieforsyth @fixatedstudio Key difference with us is that we built a lot of the infrastructure internally rather than others who are glorified middle men

@ollieforsyth @fixatedstudio We’ve got a whole team dedicated for this. UGC, Clipping and own some of the largest meme pages across IG / X. We’ve done massive campaigns for our creators and brands. Distribution is the future

Chief Clipping Officer might become a huge role in the future. Who are the best independent clippers out there? Add your work below!

Grand Theft Auto VI marketing expected to begin soon, Take Two CEO says

Creators don’t need networks anymore. They are the networks. Our acquisition of @Studio71US brings together 1,000+ creators and billions of monthly views. From first upload to global brand — all under one ecosystem.

Our first @fixatedstudio x studio71 mixer in the books! New faces, fresh energy, and a lot of excitement for what we’re building together 📈

@ericcouu LA for sure

Is dating worse in LA or SF?

📈‼️

Such an incredible night with a truly amazing team. Excited for the future 📈🚀

@ReneeRicky47323 Thanks dick

@General You still look like a clown

7 years ago I walked into Studio71 as Head of Gaming at 21….the youngest executive in the company. Before that I was a college dropout getting rejected from every job I applied to. Every MCN passed on me. Nobody wanted to bet on the kid who’d been making YouTube videos since he was 13. Studio71 was the first place that eventually offered me a job but only after I built my own business working with creators. Yesterday we bought the company. If you told 21-year-old me this would happen, I would’ve called you crazy. Hell, I still kind of can’t believe it typing this out. Work your ass off. Bet on yourself when nobody else will. Don’t take no for an answer. You can make anything happen.

@jfwong Fuck ya! DM me if you ever need anything

@General Congratulations dude! We are now under your banner, excited to work together.

@MattMrX Thanks bro 🙏hope you’ve been well

@General Congrats bud <3

@FaZeApex Thanks bro 🙏 hope you’ve been well!

@General Awesome man, congrats!

@july31 Lmaooo that’s right

@General Well your investors got you where you’re at today

@IamKrisLondon Appreciate you brother 🙏

@General Congrats man! 🔥

@Kross 😂 no hit @legitmeow

@General Does this mean I can complain to you about my original FB contract 🤣

@gorboob Appreciate you 🙏

@General 🐐

@EarsXBL Appreciate you brother 🙏

@General Congrats brotha! This is beyond incredible!