Video Summary - Why Forbes is WRONG about creators, beehiiv VS Kit, magazines are back?

Summary of the Video’s Main Points

The hosts review Forbes’ newly released “top creators” list for 2026, noting it’s largely dominated by YouTube creators.
They argue the methodology feels subjective because Forbes provides limited detail about what key metrics mean (e.g., “engagement rate” and an “entrepreneurship score”).
MrBeast is highlighted as #1 (again) with ~$300M in estimated earnings. The hosts say the exact numbers may be off, but the estimate is roughly plausible.
They suggest Forbes’ estimates can either understate or overstate real figures depending on the creator—so the list is better viewed as discussion fuel than a precise measurement tool.
They believe the ranking favors creators with the broadest audiences (entertainment and international reach) rather than the most valuable creator businesses.
“Missing” creator debate: Alex Hormozi (and Leila Hormozi by mention) is repeatedly called out as an obvious omission—positioned as a major business creator whose impact is comparable to others on the list.
Another concern: Forbes may be mixing different types of creators (business creators vs. entertainment creators), which makes comparisons less “apples-to-apples.”

The hosts observe that being higher on the list often correlates with creators who have expanded into multi-platform, multi-product businesses (e.g., holding companies and branded products), not just YouTube.
By contrast, creators lower on the list are described as monetizing in a way that feels less like a full business operation and more like content performance.
They speculate that live streaming/streamers may become more represented over time, since streaming monetization varies.
At the same time, they note the content burden can be intense—citing that YouTube creators who try streaming often burn out.

The hosts briefly discuss how some creator-originated projects can move into traditional media, including theaters and mainstream entertainment pipelines.
They treat this as an ongoing pathway and suggest more examples may show up in future Forbes creator lists.

The conversation shifts to whether print media is returning—especially magazines rather than mass-market newspapers.
Mountain Gazette is profiled as a specific example: it was revived by a buyer in 2020 for about $5,000, after decades of decline.
- The hosts describe it as a twice-year premium, coffee-table-style publication with large photo spreads and long-form articles.
- It’s positioned as a collector item.
Broader argument: print tends to work best when it’s luxury and niche, and when advertisers want access to hard-to-reach, high-value audiences—instead of competing with the fast news cycle of digital.
They reference additional models:
- “Rolled-up” print assets (e.g., Firecrown Media).
- Niche magazines targeting specific professional groups (e.g., Colossus, described as a premium tech/investor publication).
Key thesis: print isn’t only about subscriptions and ads—it also deepens fandom by creating something tangible people keep, share, and display.

The hosts cover Kit’s recent product release, framed as one of their most impressive updates in about a week before the episode.
Major Kit items discussed:
- MCP access (described as “table stakes” if you want to compete).
- SMS via SlickText for Kit subscribers.
- Subscriber Signals: enrichment intended to provide more intent/data to publishers (compared loosely to HubSpot-style enrichment).
- Additional improvements: engagement/cohort analytics, monetization/ads tooling, landing page editor updates, integrations, and “abandoned checkout.”
They interpret this as part of a broader ESP/newsletter platform innovation wave, where companies aim to capture more of the creator lifecycle using first-party data and segmentation.
Beehive’s upcoming July launch is teased as another major product event. The hosts speculate it may focus on improving core needs—especially usability—and potentially SMS as a logical expansion.
They caution that ESPs shouldn’t try to become an “everything app” or “creator OS,” because expanding too broadly can reduce focus.
At the same time, they note these platforms are expanding scope to capture more enterprise-like opportunities.

The episode is sponsored by Circle, promoted for communities/memberships/courses.
- Circle AI is described as more than chatbot-style advice—positioned as an “AI partner” to help build products faster.
The hosts announce New Media Summit returning to Austin Feb 25–26, 2027 and share newmediaummit.com for details.