Dan Koe: The Influencer Era Is Over—Instead of Millions of Followers, We Now Prefer Everyday People Sharing Their Lives

It used to feel like you needed a million followers and an untouchable, glamorous lifestyle to make an impact on social media. Lately, though, it’s the everyday people—speaking comfortably to the camera, sharing a 30-day challenge or a simple life skill—who resonate the most. Popular creator Dan Koe recently released a video exploring “the death of the influencer,” bluntly declaring that the influencer era is over. Rather than obsessing over perfect lives entirely disconnected from our own, people now want to see real struggles and genuine growth. He proposed an interesting new perspective: the future of social media belongs to the Artisan.

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Forget being an influencer—let’s focus on building as an artisan

Dan Koe divides social media creators into three categories:

First is the familiar influencer. They chase attention, and their content often provides short-lived stimulation, but consuming too much actually leaves your brain feeling a bit fatigued. Second is the personal brand. They treat social media as a sales channel, where every single post is aimed at conversion rates and sales.

The third type—and the state Dan Koe recommends most—is the Artisan. Artisans refuse to be held hostage by algorithms. They use social media to support the work they genuinely love, whether that is a book, a piece of research, or a unique life philosophy (like bestselling author James Clear or psychologist Jordan Peterson). To them, likes and income are just natural byproducts of putting good ideas out into the world.

Your perspective is an irreplaceable niche

Many people want to start sharing their lives online, but the first roadblock is always: “I don’t know what my niche is.”

Dan Koe says that you are actually that niche. You don’t need to live an incredibly special life; even if you share the most ordinary daily experiences, as long as you bring your unique perspective, you will attract people on the same frequency. A practical 30-year-old woman will naturally resonate with the worries of another practical 30-year-old woman. This is a real connection that no AI or celebrity can replicate.

Let’s get started: build a museum of inspiration

If you aren’t sure what to share, Dan Koe suggests first building a museum of inspiration for yourself.

When we look at the exact same viral trends every day, the things we write will naturally be the same as everyone else’s. If you want to have a unique perspective, you need to find high-density sources of inspiration. Rather than constantly scrolling through short videos, it’s better to put down your phone and flip through some classic books, or follow creators who truly make you stop and think.

When you come across a sentence or idea you like, don’t trust your memory too much—save it to your phone’s notes app immediately. It doesn’t need to be organized perfectly. As long as you build the habit of collecting, combining other people’s good ideas with your personal experiences will turn into a completely new and unique thought.

A 30-day experiment for yourself

If you are also drawn to this artisan lifestyle of focused idea accumulation, Dan Koe offers a very practical 30-day experiment:

• Week 1: Build a museum of inspiration. Find 5 creators you admire and save one good idea every day.

• Week 2: Try to find inspiration from the ideas you saved, change the angle, and write down your own views.

• Week 3: Start sharing on social media, and observe which topics resonate most with friends or readers and prompt questions.

• Week 4: Pick the question that interests the most people and organize it into a simple guide or a post sharing your takeaways.

This is actually not just about running a social media account, but also about organizing your own life. There is no need to rush into becoming a megastar influencer. Reclaiming your own voice and slowly turning the ideas you like into actual work is deeply fascinating in itself.

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