August 6, 2025
by Priyal Dangi / August 6, 2025
Forget waiting for the perfect job offer — today’s creators are launching businesses from their bedrooms. A new wave of Gen Z entrepreneurs is turning skills into income at record speed. According to Whop’s 2025 Online Earnings Report, millions of creators are monetizing their expertise by selling digital products, launching paid communities, and offering niche services.
What’s powering this shift? Software. Platforms for content creation, video editing, e-commerce, and social media management have become essential. These tools don’t just support digital ventures — they enable them, helping creators scale faster, automate smarter, and monetize more creatively than ever before.
This article provides you with the latest creator economy statistics, so you know where it’s heading and how to stay ahead.
Millions of creators are turning digital products, community memberships, and content monetization into serious income streams. But behind every sale or paid shoutout lies software that powers their creativity and workflows.
The data paints a clear picture: creator income may still be uneven, but the momentum is undeniable. As brand deals dominate revenue and marketers double down on creator partnerships, software continues to unlock new earning pathways. This shift reflects a broader redefinition of value, where influence, creativity, and digital infrastructure now drive real economic outcomes.
According to YouTube’s Culture and Trends Report 2024, a staggering 83% of Gen Z consider themselves to be “creators”. For Gen Z, side hustles go far beyond just making ends meet; they’re about purpose, autonomy, and building something of their own.
This generation is chasing independence, creativity, and control over their time. Rather than a backup plan, Gen Z looks at building something from scratch as their goal. Whether it’s a passion project or a scalable business, side hustles are their path to a future that reflects their values and ambitions.
That drive is translating into digital dollars. Gen Z is tapping into everything from gaming streams to social media and online coaching to diversify their income. Here’s how:
And unlike previous generations, they aren’t limited by location, capital, or gatekeepers. If there's Wi-Fi and a laptop, there’s a way to monetize.
The rise in the creator economy is largely software-driven. From designing content to launching digital products and monetizing audiences, software is the invisible infrastructure behind modern side hustles. According to Whop and supporting industry data, creators are building income stacks powered by mobile-first tools and AI workflows.
Software is an enabler of creativity, independence, and monetization, not just utility. The fastest-growing software categories empowering these hustles include:
Creators are not just using these tools — they’re influencing how future SaaS platforms evolve. Lots of marketers use AI tools to streamline content workflow.
Being a creator might sound like a dream gig (flexible hours, creative freedom, and no boss), but the reality is more complex. Content creators are navigating a rapidly changing digital landscape filled with fierce competition, time pressures, and mental health struggles. Behind the glamor of social feeds, the creator economy comes with significant hurdles that many hustlers are learning to manage on the go.
Still, the drive to create remains unshaken. Despite challenges like content theft, limited bandwidth, and constant pressure to grow, creators continue to push forward. They are driven by passion, autonomy, and the possibility of turning creativity into lasting opportunity. The creator economy may not be easy, but for most, it’s still worth the hustle.
Creators’ approach to income, work, and entrepreneurship is reshaping the economic landscape. As AI becomes even more embedded in creative workflows, it’s set to revolutionize how content is produced, tasks are automated, and efficiency is achieved, enabling creators to scale faster and unlock entirely new income streams in the evolving digital economy. Here’s how:
As AI tools continue to mature, creators are uniquely positioned to benefit, not only by streamlining content production but also by building sustainable, diversified income streams. The key will be balancing automation with authenticity.
Absolutely. Creators are leading economic change by leveraging side hustles as legitimate career paths, using software like Second Nature, and embracing flexibility as a baseline, not a perk. With a natural affinity for tech and a strong sense of independence, they are rewriting the rules of how, where, and why we work.
Crucially, AI is becoming an integral part of their hustle stack. From content creation and automation to streamlining research and task management, AI tools are allowing creators to work smarter and scale faster.
Creators are proving that software + hustle + AI = opportunity. Their approach is reshaping how we define success, education, and entrepreneurship. And as they continue to build digital-first careers, the ripple effects will reach across industries, redefining what it means to work, earn, and grow in the AI-powered age.
Ready to level up your creative hustle stack? Explore G2’s most popular AI tools to automate smarter, work faster, and create more.
Priyal Dangi is an SEO Outreach Specialist at G2. She focuses on offpage SEO strategies and content partnerships to boost organic growth and increase search visibility. With a keen interest in AI and marketing technology, she enjoys exploring how innovation is shaping the digital landscape. She also enjoys learning new ways to automate workflows and simplify complex tasks. When not working, she’s often out discovering new places.
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