Make Money With Content

Why 95% of Content Fails to Make Money

Let's take a trip down memory lane.

Before crypto, I had 178K+ followers in Latin American comedy. Over 70M views.

And I made less than $1K total (not per month).

Why?

Because audience size ain't cash.

The niche matters.

The kind of attention you attract determines your financial success.

Recently, a friend connected me with someone looking to start a podcast.

And they wanted to know how to monetize it.

But they were asking the wrong question.

(And don't worry—if you're not starting a podcast, this applies to Twitter, newsletters, YouTube, or any content. The principles are universal.)

Step 1: Define Your North Star

A lot of people start a podcast because they love talking to smart people.

That's fine.

But if you want to turn conversations into cash, you need a strategy.

Ask yourself:

"If someone bumped into me at ETHDenver next year and I said my life was the best it's ever been, what happened to make me say this?"

It could be building a profitable investment firm or creating a media company focused on zk.

Whatever it is, we need a clear target.

Now make sure your content moves toward it.

Step 2: Content Builds Authority & Lead Flow

Success isn't about audience size.

It's about who is listening.

You don't need millions of followers.

You need the right followers.

Look at Andy and Robby from The Rollup.

Started with a podcast.

Built authority in modular & alt VM ecosystems.

Now, they’re leveraging that into investment deals.

The formula is simple:

• Pick a niche

• Build credibility through high-signal content

• Monetize through services, investments, or deal flow

Step 3: Niche Down (Eventually)

You can start broad.

But at some point, you'll need focus.

Niche is typically best.

When you go broad, you compete with everyone.

When you go niche, you can be the big dawg.

If I had to start again today, I might focus just on DePIN, then maybe expand to IOT and AI as those worlds overlap.

Then add in Solana as most DePIN lives there.

The strategy? Start narrow and expand as you dominate.

Step 4: Monetization Isn't What You Think

It's very difficult to monetize content directly through ads.

Much easier to have a backend offer.

For a podcast, that might be writing reports for industries verticals like DePIN.

Example: Daily recaps of the news are too wide to easily monetize.

Better to go specific: updates in a particular part of the industry.

To audit yourself, ask monthly:

• Who's engaging with my content?

• Am I attracting potential clients? Why not?

• What topics resonate most with my audience?

Over time, you'll dial in the niche with the highest ROI activities.

Step 5: Play The Long Game

Content is a long game.

You don't need it all figured out right now.

These things can change down the line.

The key is to start, get feedback, and refine.

TL;DR

Don't just think about what content you're making.

Think about why and who it's for.

The goal informs the strategy.

The right audience beats a big audience.

The best way to monetize is to align your content with your long-term vision.

Keep building,

Jax 

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