These boring niches are printing money for creators

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The Hidden Creator Middle Class: Popular YouTube Channel My First Million Dived Into Million-Dollar Businesses Built in Niche Communities

Popular YouTube channel My First Million recently dived into something fascinating: the "creator middle class" - YouTubers and content creators who are quietly building massive businesses (often $5M+ annually) in niche communities, despite having relatively modest follower counts.

This isn't about the mega-influencers you see everywhere. These are methodical entrepreneurs who've spent years building trust in specific niches, then monetising that authority in ways that would make traditional business owners jealous.

The Woodworker Who Built a $6M Empire

Take Jonathan Katz-Moses, a woodworking YouTuber with 600,000 subscribers who posts just once monthly. His company, KM Tools, generates roughly $6 million (£4.8M) annually selling woodworking equipment to his devoted community. He recently raised $2 million (£1.6M) from Slow Ventures and is projected to reach $100-200 million (£80-160M) revenue within a decade.

What's remarkable isn't just the numbers - it's that his audience sees him as the helpful mate who teaches them skills, not a distant celebrity. This authentic connection translates directly into purchasing decisions when he recommends tools or launches his own products.

The Schlubby Car Reviewer's $450M Platform

Doug DeMuro exemplifies this perfectly. His deliberately unpretentious car reviews have built such trust that his Cars and Bids auction platform has facilitated over $450 million (£360M) in vehicle sales. Users now frequent the platform who don't even know Doug exists - he's built a legitimate two-sided marketplace from YouTube content.

From Corporate to Ranch Empire

Mary Heffernan transformed herself from Bay Area restaurateur to ranch owner, documenting the journey on Instagram for 400,000 followers. Her Five Mary's Ranch now sells subscription beef boxes, courses, whiskey, cookbooks, and tallow products - multiple revenue streams all built on authentic storytelling about ranch life.

The Investment Thesis Behind Creator Businesses

Billy Wilmot from Slow Ventures, who's backing several of these creators, explains their approach: they're not investing in content creators, they're investing in entrepreneurs who happen to use content as their marketing channel. They look for creators with 5-10 years of deep niche expertise who can build businesses with venture-scale potential - think $100 million+ (£80M+) revenue.

The key is identifying passion categories where people spend real money: everyday carry gear, home improvement, specialised hobbies, skills-based content. These aren't audiences looking for entertainment - they're communities of enthusiasts willing to pay premium prices for products recommended by trusted voices.

Other Success Stories Worth Noting

The detail creators are particularly interesting. Larry from Ammo NYC has 2.3 million subscribers detailing celebrity cars and sells premium car care products. Detail Geek has 4 million subscribers cleaning extremely dirty vehicles. Then there's Tonster, a former Sherwin-Williams employee who got fired for making paint TikToks and now runs his own paint brand with 2.3 million TikTok followers.

Jocko Willink, the ex-Navy SEAL, has built multiple business lines including leadership courses, tactical apparel, and Jocko Fuel energy drinks - likely generating $100M+ (£80M+) revenue across his empire.

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The Authenticity Advantage

What's striking is how low-fi many of these operations remain. Mary from Five Mary's Ranch still shoots everything on her iPhone. The focus isn't on production value but on genuine expertise and authentic storytelling. Audiences can spot performative content instantly - what works is real knowledge shared by someone who's genuinely passionate about their subject.

The Business Model Reality

Here's where it gets interesting: building one of these businesses typically takes 2-4 years of consistent content creation before serious monetisation kicks in. Most successful creators had 5-10 years of niche expertise before starting their content journey. This isn't a quick win - it's a long-term commitment to becoming a voice of authority in your space.

The monetisation path usually follows a predictable pattern: start with affiliate links to existing products you genuinely use, create digital products like courses or guides, then develop your own physical products based on audience feedback. The most successful eventually build subscription or recurring revenue models.

The Hard Truth About Creator Economics

Recent data reveals the challenge: only 12% of full-time influencers make over £40,000 ($50,000) annually. The middle tier (50K-500K followers) is getting squeezed as brands polarise their spending between mega-influencers and hyper-niche micro-influencers. Many creators deliberately choose to remain "small" to maintain work-life balance and avoid the mental health costs of chasing explosive growth.

The Systems Approach to Creator Success

The future belongs to creators who build infrastructure rather than chase viral moments. Successful middle-class creators focus on diversified revenue streams, ownership of audience relationships, predictable income models, and business infrastructure that can scale without constant personal involvement.

For anyone considering this path, the key insights are clear: pick a niche where you can monetise (avoid pure entertainment), start documenting your own learning journey, plan for 2-4 years of consistent content before major revenue, and always think about what products you could eventually sell to your audience.

Here's What This Actually Means

This isn't about becoming the next MrBeast - it's about building sustainable businesses within passionate niche communities. The opportunity is significant, but it requires genuine expertise, authentic connection, and the patience to build trust over years rather than chasing quick wins.

The creator middle class represents the future of entrepreneurship: using content as a marketing channel to build direct relationships with customers, bypassing traditional retail and advertising entirely. For those willing to commit to the long game, the rewards can be extraordinary - we're talking about building £4-40M+ businesses from bedroom setups and iPhone cameras.

The key is starting now, staying consistent, and always thinking about how to add real value to your audience's lives through both content and eventual products.

To your success,

Lewis

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