The Golden Age of Gatejumpers
News flash: you don’t have to play by the established rules anymore. Look around you and you can find countless examples of people who have bypassed the Old Economy gatekeepers on their way to success. We’re entering a golden age of gatejumpers.
Andy Samberg is a popular actor on Saturday Night Live known for hilarious SNL Digital Shorts like “Dick in a Box” and “Lazy Sunday.” He joined SNL in 2005 along with the other two members of his comedy troupe The Lonely Island. The group started creating comedy skits together in Junior High and eventually started creating video shorts and parody music videos for the web.
The Lonely Island didn’t rely on traditional gatekeepers to find success. Instead, after attracting a raving audience through alternative sources like the short film festival and web video platform Channel 101, the gatekeepers came to them. The Dudes (as they call themselves) were invited to write for the MTV Movie Awards which brought them to the attention of Lorne Michaels, producer of Saturday Night Live. They’re now one of the best parts of that show, and it was all possible because they started producing content and distributing it on their own.
New media doesn’t always have to be a stepping-stone for old media, either. People who find success by bypassing gatekeepers will increasingly choose to continue producing via the “alternative” channels because of the benefits of having a direct connection with your audience.
Just 18 months after Gary Vaynerchuk started his energetic web video series “Wine Library TV,” he appeared on the Conan O’Brien show. Since then, Gary has appeared on just about every old media TV channel and talk show, including CNN, The Today Show and Nightline.
Gary is now practically stalked by major television networks who have offered him numerous opportunities to bring his highly successful show to old media. And yet, Gary continues to turn them down. Is he holding out for a better deal? That could be, but it could also be that he just doesn’t need old media to get what he wants. He’s become one of the most sought-after speakers at new media conferences and really loves what he does. If he’s happy and successful already, why let old media rules and constraints get in the way?
All around us, the gatekeepers of the old economy are dying. Talent and promotion will once again matter more than relationships. If you aspire to become a writer, an actor, a musician or a consultant, you no longer have to operate within the established power structure to succeed.
New media is much more egalitarian. It has leveled the playing field. Self-publishing is a legitimate path to success. If you’re talented and are willing to put real effort into promotion, you will be discovered on the social web.
The bad news for gatekeepers is that information and power is becoming increasingly democratized. It’s not so easy for them anymore. In many industries, gatekeepers are on the verge of irrelevancy, and they are in panic mode as they slowly begin to realize it.
Chris Guillebeau, A Brief Guide to World Domination
