What We Learned at Press Publish NYC 2025

What We Learned at Press Publish NYC 2025

The creator economy converged in Brooklyn this September for Press Publish NYC 2025, a sold-out world class event hosted by Colin & Samir that brought together over 400 creators, operators, and industry leaders from across the globe. The one day event featured coffee with creators, an all-star lineup of speakers, plenty of time to hang out, and surprise appearances by Casey Neistat and Steven Bartlett, two figures who represent opposite ends of the creator spectrum: the artist and the entrepreneur.

There was also a pizza party and Richard Branson popping a bottle of champagne on a cruise ship.

What stood out wasn’t just the star power but the clarity of themes that emerged. From the tension between art and analytics to the future of AI’s role in creativity, Press Publish made one thing clear: creators aren’t just adapting to change in the business of attention, they’re defining it. Here are the biggest takeaways from Press Publish NYC 2025.

The Artist and the Entrepreneur

The two surprise guests set the tone for the day: Casey Neistat and Steven Bartlett. They couldn’t be more different in approach, yet both delivered lessons every creator could use.

Steven Bartlett, host of Diary of a CEO, spoke candidly about his early missteps forcing audiences into platforms they didn’t want. “Being romantic about your own solution vs. listening to the customer can bankrupt you,” he admitted. His advice was to meet audiences where they are, not where you want them to be. Later, he revealed why he turned down a $100M offer for his podcast: “I valued independence and decision-making freedom over short-term money.” For Steven, the creator path is about systems, reflection, and long-term ownership.

Casey Neistat brought the opposite lens. He pushed back on the very phrase “creator economy.” “The original spark was about creativity and connection, not the economy,” he said. He warned against the addictive pull of numbers: “The metrics drug is real… views, subs, and dollars can warp artistic intent.” For Casey, creativity always comes first, business second. His mantra summed it up: “Some things are too important to be taken seriously.”

Casey and Steven may look like opposites, but their stories show how much overlap there really is. Casey built his name as an artist, yet he’s made savvy business decisions along the way. Steven thinks like an entrepreneur, but he also obsesses over craft and storytelling. That mix is what makes them stand out. They’re creative outliers not because they chose one side, but because they managed to carry both. For creators, the takeaway is clear: study outliers like Casey and Steven. The most durable paths often come from blending creativity with strategy, not choosing between them.

As our very own Dom Sanya put it, “Steven is data-driven, analytical, with an entrepreneur mindset—focused on not being romantic about art but about winning. Casey is an artist-first filmmaker, skeptical of analytics, valuing the purity of creativity.” Different as they are, both landed on the same truth: great pieces only work when they respect and elevate creativity that comprises them.

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The Evolving Role of Short Form

Short form video came up as a piece of today’s creator playbook. One speaker called it “the easiest way to gain visibility,” since it inserts you directly into someone’s feed at the moment. Another described it as “a resume or elevator pitch”, a quick way to showcase personality and credibility before asking for a longer watch. Long form, by contrast, is where creators “earn the right to tell a deeper story” and build sustained loyalty over time.

Colin gave the audience a great mental model to think about impact:

“We feel like there are three different ways to watch short form. First, there are regrettable moments when you scroll a video and think, ugh, I wish I hadn’t spent time on that. Then there are forgettable minutes. Content that feels fine in the moment, but if someone asks what you just watched, you can’t even remember. And finally, there are memorable minutes. The ones tied to culture, jokes, or experiences that stick with you and get shared. That’s the kind of content you want to make.”

That lens resonated because it reframes the goal to not just grow views, but making content people carry with them, reference, or even remix. Delivering on viewer satisfaction.

Adobe’s Jared Carneson added a practical layer, announcing that Premiere editing software is coming to iPhone. “This isn’t a watered-down version. It’s redesigned for mobile, based on what creators asked for,” he said. Features like AI-assisted noise reduction and seamless cross-device workflows are designed to “put professional tools directly in your pocket” and lower barriers for short form editing.

The message was clear: treat short form as discovery and long form as depth, and lean into tools that make it easier to move between the two. The winners will be the creators who don’t just chase views but focus on making those views memorable.

Authenticity as a North Star

Authenticity was the day’s through-line. Cleo Abram set the stage early: “Don’t fake it.” She cautioned against chasing audience demands at the expense of your own instincts, warning that creators risk losing themselves if metrics make every decision.

Casey Neistat echoed that concern but widened the lens. He compared YouTube’s evolution to Hollywood in the 1970s, when studios still took creative risks before data-driven formulas took over. “This is what happens to art when they’re given access to the data,” he said. The warning wasn’t about rejecting numbers altogether, but about recognizing how easily the pursuit of performance can squeeze out the spark of creativity.

Steven Bartlett added another angle: identity itself can become a trap. If you cling too tightly to a format or a niche, you can miss the chance to adapt when new opportunities appear.

Authenticity doesn’t mean resisting growth. It means holding onto the part of the work that feels essential. Or, as Casey put it: “Some things are too important to be taken seriously.”

Brand Partnerships That Work

Brand deals surfaced as another key theme. Valerie Zhang argued that the best partnerships feel like inside jokes between creator, brand, and audience. She pointed to her Marc Jacobs campaign that blended luxury DNA with Canal Street’s counterfeit culture: a concept that worked because it spoke the language of her community.

Casey Neistat echoed this when he said he feels offended if brands only value his follower count. What matters to him is whether they value his creativity. Steven Bartlett agreed: wallpaper ads don’t work. Fresh ideas do.

Dom’s reflection tied these threads together: whether you’re a creator-first artist or a business-minded operator, brands must respect and amplify creativity to earn their place in your content.

AI’s Future in Media

Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, delivered one of the most forward-looking talks of the day. He predicted that voice interactivity will transform the media. Imagine podcasts where you can ask questions mid-conversation and get dynamic responses.

AI was already present at Press Publish itself, with Microsoft Copilot automatically packaging session transcripts into podcast-ready content. This is just the beginning. Creators should expect new formats, new workflows, and new ways audiences will want to engage.

The signal here is less about replacing creators and more about reshaping the canvas they work on. Those who experiment early will shape the standards of tomorrow.

Building Durable Creator Businesses

Beyond content itself, the Press Publish NYC explored how creators evolve into modern day media companies. Ashley Alexander described spotting signals for her matcha brand by listening to repeated requests from her community. Comments became the earliest indicators of demand.

Billy Parks put it bluntly: success comes from “shots on goal.” Instead of over-investing in perfection, creators should treat content and ventures as experiments. Launch, test, learn, repeat.

The thread tying it all together is resilience: build ventures that outlast algorithm swings, align passion with audience resonance, and grow from solo operator to owner of your own creator company.

The Power of Community

For all the talk about tools and trends, the heart of Press Publish was community. Jarad (me!) from the Spotter team noted that 76% of attendees identified as creators, but the curated mix of Hollywood producers, platform operators, and sponsors created connections that rarely happen in isolation.

Creators often work alone, and the day underscored how nourishing it is to gather in person. David from Spotter pointed out how even micro-details, like candle scents or background music in a studio, can change the energy of an interaction, ultimately shaping the quality of the gathering. Whether around a new video or a brunch in Brooklyn with your creator crew, the details matter.

One note from Samir in his welcoming remarks was in the application process, many attendees explicitly said they came to meet someone new. The event delivered on that, proving that curated environments don’t just transfer knowledge, but they multiply value and help move us from the attention economy to one centered around true, meaningful connections within the creator community.~

Final Note

Press Publish NYC 2025 made one thing clear: the creator economy is cruising, and creators are the ones steering. Casey Neistat reminded us that creativity has to come first, that chasing numbers without meaning is a trap. Steven Bartlett showed how systems, discipline, and ownership can turn creative work into something that lasts. Together, they reflected the spectrum of what it takes to thrive today: art and entrepreneurship in the same breath.

Across the day, we saw how short form drives discovery, how authenticity protects the heart of the work, how the best brand partnerships respect creativity, how AI is reshaping the creative canvas, and how community keeps creators grounded.

For anyone building in this space, the path forward isn’t about choosing one philosophy over another. It’s about holding onto the spark that made you start, while building the resilience to grow, adapt, and connect. The future of the creator economy will be written by those who manage to do both.

A huge thank you to Colin, Samir, and the Press Publish team for pulling together such a sharp, inspiring group of like minded creators, operators and sponsors. The mix of conversations, community, and creative energy was exactly what this industry needs right now. We left with new ideas, new friends, and a lot to look forward to.

Same time next year? : )

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