For all its promise and demands, there are things in the creator economy no one prepares you for. Rarely discussed situations that feel like traps to make you quit.
No. It’s not the first upload, sale, or “showing up” regularly. It’s when you realize that the months of crafting a unique product or service mean nothing without a container. A container that, though advertised as a one-day setup, drains you more than the work itself.
Let’s talk funnels.
Experts and Growth Hackers
If we go to YouTube, we see “experts” and “growth hackers” ardently pushing marketing platforms as if their lives depended on it. They smile a lot (amazing personalities or adderall energy), ensuring that you, too, can build a funnel as a side quest between inspired pomodoros.
Everything is “easy” and “straight to the point.” It’s there for you, waiting to launch. But is this really the case? Let’s use my recent empirical results as an actual case study.
Renegades of Magick
Over the course of eight months, I dedicated the first 3 hours of my day to working on my first course, Renegades of Magick.
- 2 Tiers.
- 80,000+ Words.
- 430+ Graphics and Diagrams.
- 11 chapters an overview videos.
Entirely produced by me, the work was a breeze. I looked forward to each session, whether it was writing, editing, or designing. Producing the videos, including the announcement, added a week. And done… I was ready. Or more so, ready to pick a platform to host it.
Platforms
After extensive research, I found my options were two as a small solo-creator:
Stan Store is claimed to be the easiest and most straightforward. So much that you don’t even need support. My further research showed that Stan Store can be limiting for two-tier courses, with graphics, videos, tons of material, and possible expansion. Plus, Stan Store was advertised by people I no longer trust, as their advice doesn’t necessarily apply to creators outside the US, UK, and Canada.
Systeme.io, on the other hand, is advertised to have 3 main infinite potential for expansion at free cost, though it takes “just a bit more hassle.” A lovely offer I couldn’t resist. Something their gurus don’t mention enough is that Systeme.io‘s support is one of the best I’ve seen (it really is). But is the other part true? Let’s start with “expandability” and “free stuff.”
First and foremost, you can build your business in so many ways with Systeme.io.
- Merch.
- Physical goods.
- 1-on-1 coaching.
- Etc.
You can also tweak and fine-tune the look of your funnels and have custom domains aligned with your actual website. Pretty neat, huh? You can also launch one basic course with Systeme.io’s freemium plan. All this is as good as it gets. Now onto the complexity and multiple-tier courses.
Free?
For Systeme.io, a 2-tier course means two courses handled by a single funnel, which means a Startup plan with a $17monthly fee. This is almost half of Stan Store‘s $29, so no objections here, although reviewers need to be more upfront about it.
Difficulty Level
Now let’s stop for a second. If Stan Store‘s gurus don’t lie, you can launch in a day with a link in bio. To a rational person, “a bit more” hassle and complications would imply what?
- A few days?
- A week?
- Okay, maybe 2 weeks of 1-2 hours per day, as some gurus like to shove in our faces. Let me know what you think.
Reality
Maybe I am stupid, but launching my course took me a total of 2+ months of day and night grind. This included:
- Reworking graphics.
- Formatting both tiers.
- Learning just enough DNS to not break my site.
- Navigating sessions with my hosting provider.
- Custom domains and Email logic.
- Test orders, edge cases, and receipts.
- Super basic UX/UI design and even coding for the Sales and Checkout pages.
- Countless support tickets and sessions with ChatGPT.
- A bunch of stuff I don’t even remember and have no idea what it is.
After it was finally done, or as done as these things ever get, I didn’t feel triumphant or proud. Although the course was the best work I’ve produced yet.
Facing the Void
I felt empty. Deprived of excitement and mentally flat. Questioning whether this was really worth it, especially in a niche as narrow and demanding as Esotericism. This reflected in all aspects of my work.
My output, which previously was pretty consistent on Substack (both long and short form), dropped substantially.
Pipedreams
The realization hit harder than any technical issue.
The actual problem was never the work itself. It was the expectations sold around it. Explicitly or not, we’re told that:
- “Effort is free.”
- “Putting in the work” is always virtuous.
- Overexerting and stretching ourselves always leads somewhere “meaningful.”
- “4-hour workdays.”
- “1 hour of meaningful work.”
- etc.
Sorry. I no longer believe these reflect reality. While this will be in another post, effort has costs. Cognitive load is real. And admin work, unlike AI, is fully capable of killing creatives.
Too much friction for too long can make you abandon a niche, a project, or a craft. Not necessarily because it’s “wrong,” but because of the hidden costs and surrounding systems that are mostly hostile to solo creators who simply want to be left creating.
Marketing Platforms
No. This is not a hit piece on Systeme.io from which I don’t see myself switching soon. It’s also not a recommendation to pick or not pick Stan Store.
I made my choice deliberately. You should do the same.
Systeme.io is powerful. Flexible. And (again) their support is genuinely some of the most responsive I’ve encountered anywhere. Seriously. When something breaks, someone actually answers. Weekends or Weekdays, it doesn’t matter.
The Issue
The issue isn’t platforms per se. It’s how they are marketed. As mentioned, Systeme.iois often described as “just a bit more complex” than plug-and-play. That framing is misleading. It’s quite deep and capable, but this comes with responsibility, decisions, and (potential) mental overload.
For a solo creator who despises admin work, that can make a day and night difference. But what do you know, Systeme.io recently changed their homepage motto from the “easiest” marketing platform to the “all-in marketing platform that just works.”
The change feels honest, and I believe (and sincerely hope) that it does work. However, “working” is not the same as being “easy,” so while appropriate, the change makes some reviewers seem inadequate.
The Real Question
This is where the initiatic experience happens.
When you realize that the real question isn’t “Can I build this funnel?”
It’s “Do I want my creative life structured around it at least for a while?” How long? Nobody knows.
Maybe the gurus are really smart, and you are not. That makes us two. Maybe realizing the true cost of a niche makes you leave it. Perhaps it makes you strip everything down and start from scratch. Maybe building a funnel will make you renegotiate your future place since the creator economy is woven from hidden costs no one speaks of.
I don’t know yet which outcome is correct. What I do know is that the biggest damage wasn’t caused by technical difficulties. It was caused by borrowed expectations. By believing that the path was smoother than it ever could be.
This isn’t a warning. It’s a field note.
If you’re about to build a funnel, understand this:
You’re not just setting up pages. You’re stepping into a completely different mode, which you may deeply dislike as a creator. Whether that ordeal is worth it, it’s a decision no guru can make for you.
Plan
So here’s what I’d do if I knew what I know now.
- I’d still pick up Systeme.io, due to its customizability and expandability, low cost, and great support.
- I’ll begin by dedicating not about 3 daily hours to writing and designing, but 2-2.5, and another one solely to the funnel, pushing all aspects of the project. By the time I get to editing, the funnel will be mostly functional.
- Or maybe I’ll start by doing nothing but the funnel for 1-2 hours per day, adjusting links, and testing pages.
The Moral of the Story
The bottom line is this: When you know the actual cost and situation, you can plan and estimate when to do what and for how long. Again. The idea of sharing my experience isn’t to make you quit, but to prevent you from getting crushed by wrong expectations.
—POTB