The Startup Ideas Podcast
The best businesses are built at the intersection of emerging technology, community, and real human needs.
Mispriced Attention Arbitrage Opportunities
Timeframe: Current opportunity window is 1-2 years before institutional buyers dominate
What's Changing
Attention markets remain inefficient despite maturation, creating arbitrage opportunities for sophisticated buyers
Driving Forces
Rapid creator economy growth outpacing pricing sophistication
New platforms and formats creating pricing confusion
Information asymmetry between brands and creators
Most brands still using outdated CPM-based thinking
Winners
- Brands that contact creators directly vs agencies
- Companies testing large creator cohorts simultaneously
- Marketers who understand engagement over vanity metrics
- Businesses that move fast on new platforms/formats
Losers
- Brands paying agency markups and standardized rates
- Companies focused only on top-tier creators
- Marketers using traditional media buying approaches
- Businesses that wait for established best practices
How to Position Yourself
Build direct relationships with micro and mid-tier creators
Test pricing across large cohorts to find arbitrage
Focus on engagement metrics over follower counts
Move quickly on new platforms before they become efficient
Early Signals to Watch
Example Implementation
“E-commerce brand finds TikTok creators with 100K followers charging $500 when Instagram creators with same following charge $2000, resulting in 4x cheaper customer acquisition”