Why You Can't Build Creator Gravity (Pt. 2)

Are you creating for an audience and an algorithm...or for yourself?

Remember Bobbi Althoff?

Host of ‘The Really Good Podcast,’ Bobbi went stratospheric in 2023 for her dead-pan delivery and dry demeanor (who can forget her incredibly awkward interview with Drake—in bed no less—that put her on the map?).

If you can watch this entire interview, you’re a soldier.

From Jessica Alba to J Balvin, A-list celebrities lined up to appear on Bobbi’s show. For a moment, her rise to stardom seemed meteoric. But today, while her show still exists, she’s become more a cautionary case study than a cultural phenomenon.

What the hell happened? How did Bobbi go from adored anti-host to losing 10 million followers and being subject to the internet’s disdain?

The Inner Misalignment Problem

The answer lies in what I call the Inner Misalignment Problem.

While Bobbi was building creator gravity, the magnetic force around her online world that pulled in an audience, she had one fatal flaw: A disregard for the craft itself.

Bobbi didn’t choose podcasting to necessarily have meaningful conversations or spread ideas—she chose podcasting for the promise of profit. She tells Forbes how she got the idea for her show:

“I saw this video of a girl talking about how much she made from her podcast. She made at least $300,000 a year. And I was like, ‘That’s what I need to do next.’”

Let me be clear: Bobbi’s not a bad person for choosing a project with a high financial upside (I want money, too! Don’t you?)

However, this pursuit of profit without passion negatively impacted her work. Take this revealing exchange with an unamused Wired reporter about her (nonexistent) research process:

Bobbi: “I was researching how to interview people and I was like, ‘Oh God. This is a lot of work. Let me just go in there and know nothing.’

Reporter: “It is a lot of work.”

Bobbi: “Like, you have notes. I get to just show up.”

If someone won’t invest time or energy into their creations, why would we? That’s the problem about creating without passion: Passion drives you to master your craft, and that mastery captivates an audience.

But without the will to improve (or innate talent), Bobbi’s viewers found little reason to stick around. Her audience came from virality—those shooting-star moments, like when Offset roasted her: “I couldn’t even Google you. You’re not there yet.” (Side Note: Ouch.)

But virality isn’t gravity.

That’s what people forget about creator gravity: It’s not just about pulling people in—it’s about giving them a reason to stay in your orbit.

Is Passion Your Problem?

The Passion Problem isn’t as simple as a Bachelorette calling someone out for “not being here for the right reasons.” Most people aren’t villains—they’re just chasing a dream that doesn’t truly align with them.

To better understand this, let’s see how passion plays into each of the three pillars of gravity—and how it can help you increase your own:

1. Purpose: There is a clear mission.

2. Health: The content is “nutritionally rich.”

3. Energy: The work is undeniably yours.

Purpose

“How I earned $1.2 million from a podcast.” “The fastest way to earn $10,000 a month through Substack.”

The internet is awash with the siren call of creators earning life-changing sums of money, and it’s tempting to let those numbers steer our direction (as Bobbi did).

We start thinking: What does my audience want me to create? What posts will lead them to open their hearts and wallets?

While chasing trends can bring you success, it’s not sustainable. When your purpose is built around what an audience wants instead of what you want, your work stops fueling and starts feeding on you. Eventually, it vampirically drains you (Nosferatu style) until you’re empty.

Take Vanessa Lau. In 2023, Vanessa dissolved her seven-figure business and disappeared from social media indefinitely after realizing she’d created something that completely depleted her.

Health

A creator with passion creates “nutritionally rich” content. When you care about your craft, your bar for quality is naturally higher.

However, that rich, valuable content doesn’t always go viral. But you know what does? Content for the lowest common denominator.

Peruse Twitter or TikTok, and you’ll see this empty content everywhere: “99% of people don’t know this…” or “This course is more valuable than a $150,000 MBA” alongside rage bait.

People gobble up this algorithmic glut, and misaligned creators pile on. They chase metrics instead of meaning, misinterpreting views for connection and followers for fans.

Jay gets it.

But feeding your audience the equivalent of Cool Ranch Doritos doesn’t feel great. Deep down, you know you’re capable of more, and this incongruence shows up in your energy.

Energy

When you create for an audience instead of yourself, your energy warps, flattens. It’s exhausting to constantly edit out your personality, dismiss exploring creative rabbit holes, and dim your light in favor of what might “go viral.” This exhaustion seeps into your work until it annihilates your passion altogether.

And that’s the great tragedy of our time, isn’t it? It’s what Catherine Shannon calls “The Great Diminishment,” the phenomenon of crappily made clothes, movies, and food as our world prioritizes efficiency and profitability over soul and craft.

But in a world of apathy, devotion is your competitive advantage. Forget the audience and find what breathes life into you. Once you do, your creations undergo a metamorphosis—and remind people of their humanity. Excavating this energy is a blessing to both you and them.

As Rick Rubin puts it:

“The audience comes last…and it turns out when you make something truly for yourself, you’re doing the best thing you possibly can for the audience.”

What Now?

Well, definitely continue creating. We need you. The world needs you. (Imagine if your favorite [band/artist/singer] never put themselves out there.)

Just remember that the most important questions you’ll be asking yourself as you build your online world aren’t about your audience or algorithm: They’re about you.

If this never took off, would you still do it?

If fame never came, would the work itself be enough?

If money wasn’t the goal, would you still pour yourself into it?

For far too long, we’ve brushed aside the seriousness of creation. Every post, video, or newsletter adds to the mass of your digital planet. This planet, if built right, carries a gravity—your legacy—that lasts forever.

You might as well make it count.

This newsletter is part of a six-part series.

1. Creator Gravity: How to Pull People Into Your Orbit

2. WTF is Creator Gravity? (This Isn’t Your Traditional Influence)

3. What’s Preventing You From Building Gravity: Part 1

4. What’s Preventing You From Building Gravity: Part 2

5. 3 Ways to Amplify Your Creator Gravity (For Creators With 5,000 Followers)

6. How to Have a Lucrative Career From Gravity