Good morning. We are so grateful to everyone who attended our inaugural Press Publish NYC creator summit yesterday. It’s not lost on us how many of you traveled, took time off, or even commuted from Manhattan (a feat) to hang out with us.

And to the readers who couldn’t make it yesterday, please know that none of this would be possible without you either.

Now? Some big picture takeaways from the event that creator Macy Gilliam told us was like “the who’s-who of your phone.”

— Hannah Doyle & Syd Cohen

Over 500 creators and operators joined us in Brooklyn yesterday for an all-day summit to celebrate the creator community, meet future collaborators, and learn about creativity and business.

We chatted with creators from Portugal, Dubai, and Manchester while sipping Nami matcha and met creators we’ve only talked to through Zoom (hi, Bricks and Disorder). We chatted with operators across politics, tech, and film.

Press Publish NYC was a little bit of everything, but we think the event is aptly summed up by our two surprise guests: Casey Neistat and The Diary of a CEO host Steven Bartlett. 

Both represent two ends of the creator industry spectrum: the artist and entrepreneur. Everyone in the room and just about all of the conversations we had landed somewhere between those two. 

Here are some of the top takeaways, from artistic advice to business strategy (and a whole lot in the middle). →

Don’t forget where you came from when the numbers start skyrocketing—and “don’t fake it.” Education creator Cleo Abram reminded us of the importance of authenticity, saying that one of the biggest risks creators face when growing is being “led by your own audience rather than your own creativity.” 

Adobe Premiere video editing software is coming to iPhone, Adobe Global Head of Social Jared Carneson announced live onstage. The free app lets users start a project on desktop and finish on mobile—and vice versa.

Creators who succeed in the long-run are willing to fail fast and try again, especially with products. “Shots on goal is the most important thing. If an advent calendar or video game doesn’t work, what’s the next thing?” Slow Ventures partner Billy Parks said. “That’s the most important mindset, as well as a relationship to your audience.” 

AI is getting louder and louder. “Voice is the next frontier,” Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman said. “The next phase we’ll see is interactive podcasting where you can ask a question mid-flow and that’ll be an always on stream of high quality personal content.” Microsoft’s Copilot, which can package audio transcripts into a podcast format, was Press Publish NYC’s notetaker throughout the day.

The best branded content brings the partner in on the bit. Creative marketing leader Valerie Zhang encouraged creators to enhance their brand partner’s “brand DNA” by letting their audiences in on an inside joke. For example: Zhang’s collab with Marc Jacobs mixed the NY-based luxury brand with Canal Street’s famous faux luxury market.

Finally? “Don’t let your words become wallpaper,” Bartlett said in a live recording of The Colin and Samir Show to close out the day. Overused turns of phrase like “like and subscribe” and “now a word from our sponsors” have lost meaning to listeners. Want your audience to do something, from clicking to buying to engaging? Find a way to surprise them.

Sponsored by beehiiv

When Colin & Samir launched The Publish Press, they needed a tool built for more than just sending emails. They needed a platform designed to scale a multi-platform media business.

That’s why they chose beehiiv, where architects can:

From independent writers to creator-led brands like The Publish Press, the industry’s smartest operators are already building on beehiiv. Ready to scale? Check out all that beehiiv has to offer.

The content we’re looking forward to reading, watching, and listening to this weekend from Press Publish NYC attendees.