Coffee with Creators Recap — A Morning of Connection, Creativity, and Clarity

On June 7th, Colin and Samir hosted Coffee with Creators —an unforgettable morning where over one hundred creators gathered at The Lighthouse in Venice to connect, share ideas, and build community on our creative journeys. From the laughter over creative prompts to vulnerable conversations about creator burnout, Coffee with Creators served up a shot of energy and insight for everyone who attended. Here’s a recap of what happened:

When Creators Gather, Magic Happens

Creators often work in silos—editing solo, scripting in silence, uploading alone. But on this overcast Saturday morning in Venice, silo was out of style. The creator community was coming together. There was something electric about seeing a group this large—all passionate about making videos—come together IRL with coffees in hand and video ideas on their minds.

The venue couldn’t have been more perfect. The Lighthouse felt like a blend of backyard comfort and studio sleekness. Creators mozied between cozy conversation areas and clean demo stations with coffees and tasty treats in hand. 

Forced Connections: Structured Chaos, Real Camaraderie

The morning kicked off with Colin and Samir’s welcome in the courtyard, setting the tone for the day. Then came a session led by their friend and comedian, Esteban Gast, who facilitated an experience called “Forced Connections”. The name was jokingly coined, but set the tone for Creators to get to know each other and begin sharing ideas:

It was part icebreaker, part creative jam session. Creators rotated in quick pairs or small groups, answering unconventional prompts like:

• “Why did you start creating?”
• “What’s an idea that’s too weird not to try?”
• “What two formats could you mash together for your next video?”

This ironically was the opposite of forced connections: It was empathy-building and true ideation sessions. It was vulnerable and insightful conversations in real time. The Spotter Studio team put their creator hats on and joined in and participated in conversations, too.

The Demo Bar: Thumbnail Therapy and Live Ideation

After the session wrapped, creators got hands-on time with the Studio for the first time at the demo bar. We had three stations and a steady stream of curious creators. We ran live demos of Studio’s newest ideation features—including Brainstorm, Projects, and Outliers.

Samir dubbed the experience “Thumbnail Therapy,” and it stuck. Creators opened up about their packaging struggles and got real-time support on how Studio can help with title ideas, thumbnail variations, and trend research.

From the many conversations we captured direct feedback from several creators, and we’ll be using those insights to evolve how Spotter Studio guides creators through the early, messy ideation process.

The Idea Wall: $1M Dreams and Shark Encounters

Through the morning, Creators could take to The Idea Wall. The Wall  was another community favorite—a pair of whiteboards filled with playful prompts that tapped directly into creator imaginations:

Prompt 1: If you had $1M to spend on a creative project, what would it be?

Responses ranged from heartfelt to hilarious:

• “Build a creator team + produce YouTube videos”
• “Create a short talk show and tour it”
• “Make a La La Land–style movie in Venice”
• “Invest in 1K creators to grow their gardens”
• “Take a year off and write a ton of music”
• “Put it all on red”
  
  

Prompt 2: I Tried the World’s (Adjective) (Noun)

• “Nicest shark”
• “Most expensive perfume”
• “Hardest editing software”
• “Deadliest botanist”
• “Poorest spider”

Not only were these fun icebreakers—they were idea starters. A few creators told us they left the board with real concepts they wanted to test on their channels.

From Vibes to Value: Colin and Samir Q&A and Thumbnail Therapy

The day wrapped inside the Lighthouse’s theater with a live, indepth Q&A featuring Colin and Samir. The conversation spanned everything from thumbnail design to creator burnout, with creators lining up to ask questions.

Some came with tactical asks—how to improve packaging, how to know when to pivot formats. Others got more personal—navigating exhaustion, evolving your brand without losing your voice, and figuring out what success really looks like.

One of the most powerful moments came when creators submitted their own thumbnails to be reviewed live. The feedback wasn’t harsh—it was thoughtful, nuanced, and shared with deep empathy. There was laughter, learning, and more than a few lightbulb moments in the crowd.

Creator Spotlight: FitLyssLifestyle Creator Climb

Among the crowd was Alyssa the creator behind FitLyssLifestyle, an aspiring full-time creator who spent the day soaking it all in—on her birthday weekend, none the less. In a conversation leading up to Coffee With Creators, Alyssa had this to say about her current place on her creator journey: 

“I’m not full-time on YouTube yet. But I tell my husband all the time: YouTube is my way out.And I believe that.Spotter Studio has helped me get closer to that reality. The thumbnail generation gave me confidence. The ideation tools helped me structure new video formats. The community made me feel like I wasn’t alone in this climb” 

It’s the community at events like Coffee with Creators that help reassure ourselves on our creator journeys. As Rob Gabel once said when asked if he could put one banner at the top of every creator’s YouTube homepage with one message: “This is a team sport”. We’re all in this together and the community helps us remember this fact.

What’s Next for the Studio and the Community

Events like Coffee with Creators remind us why we’re building Spotter Studio in the first place. Ideation software matters. But community is the connective tissue that ties everything together. What good is a Hit video if you don’t have a community of folks to celebrate with? 

We left with a notebook full of feature ideas, creator insights, and moments we won’t forget. The feedback from this day will shape the next wave of improvements to Spotter Studio—from simpler workflows to better idea generations.

To every creator who showed up: thank you. You made this event what it was. And to the hundreds more who haven’t joined us yet—we can’t wait to meet you soon and help bring your next hit video idea to life.