Why streaming is the next big thing for makers

As we are heads down building Shipstreams 2.0—a platform for programmers streaming—I’ve been thinking a lot about the future of streaming code and why we are building this platform.

Here are some quick thoughts on why I’m bullish on streaming in 2019.

How streaming changed everything for me

First, let me provide some context. Over the past few months, streaming sort of changed my life!

Last September, I built a startup in 24 hours and streamed it all on Twitch. Then I did it two more times.

Here you can see the effects of streaming on my Twitter audience:

After doing a few of my own 24 Hour startups, I launched the 24 Hour Startup Challenge, a challenge for others to live stream themselves launching a startup. The event was a massive success.

This growth is not purely from the act of streaming, but I believe it is the main reason.

New talent on the maker scene

We are seeing much new “talent” on the maker scene. Younger makers that are more “hardcore” (for lack of a better word). They ship faster and are finding new ways to market themselves.

Established makers aren’t streaming, but these new, upcoming makers (hungry for success) are doing it with great results—look at Ethan, Sergio, Steph, and many others.

But, even though some people have had success streaming, there is no one who is truly “known” for streaming.

The “Ninja” of streaming startups?

For those that don’t know, Ninja is the most popular gaming streamer right now—and makes a lot of money off of Twitch.

Who is going to be the “Ninja” of streaming startups?

Ninja became a household name when Drake joined his stream. Maybe one day, Elon Musk will join a maker’s stream and it will be a massive startup event!

Streaming is the new “open startup”

For context, an open startup is one that openly shares metrics such as revenue, users, and traffic.

It is a very awesome and valuable concept, but from a marketing perspective, it has become more ubiquitous over the years as more people are embracing it. In other words, it’s not as great of a marketing tactic as it used to be.

So how can the open startup be taken to the next level?

The Open Startup 2.0 will be one that streams everything, including building, marketing, and all the business processes and behind the scenes on an ongoing basis.

Blogging just doesn’t cut it anymore

Documenting your journey is one of the key elements of building your audience and your brand.

Blogging has become tougher. The barrier to entry is lower than ever—too many people are doing the same thing (i.e. 12 startups in 12 months over and over).

Streaming does give deeper insights into your process (and mistakes) than blogging. It is more tangible and relatable. Blog posts get glossed over by readers.

I believe video media and streaming are the next mediums that will net great results for makers. And in a more distracted world, it will capture audiences faster.

Ethan for example is putting a lot of focus on his YouTube account in 2019. He also did a stream with Sergio “just chatting” which did really well.

Building a deeper connection with your audience

The one thing we know streaming is good for is building your audience.

Live streaming is the most natural way to build your audience. By showing your face, your intimate code, and your thought process, you develop a relationship with your viewers that is extremely valuable. More so than social media and blogging.

And building a deeper connection equals to more upvotes, likes, retweets, connections, and most importantly, users and money.

Killing two birds with one stone

The other massive benefit of streaming is that you are effectively doing two things at the same time:

1. Building product, and
2. Building your audience.

Rather than spending extra hours writing blog posts, you are building your audience while you are working. No extra work required.

Productivity

The least talked about benefit of streaming is productivity.

When have I been the most productive? While livestreaming. And I was very productive. Probably 3-4 times more than I would be not streaming.

I launched three different startups, each in about 18 hours. Procrastinating and browsing Twitter is not an option when dozens of people are watching.

I also once live streamed myself writing a blog post draft—which was really fun—and I wrote it much faster than I would have without streaming. There is a lot of value in streaming the more mundane activities too. You don’t have to launch a startup every time you stream.

Daily streaming

In 2019, my goal is to stream on most days for a couple hours. I want to see how daily streaming will affect my productivity.

I also implore others to do the same, give it a try. Although it may seem intimidating, it’s really not that scary—and who knows where it will take your career.