Heyo! Thanks for dropping by! 👋

I’m a Creator Economy Strategist who believes the best brands today behave like creators. 

I put this belief into practice when I formerly co-founded and ran Sequel Media, a creator-led marketing agency, where for two years we helped brands unlock creator-level attention through scroll-stopping, video-first content, generating 50M+ organic views and growing over 100k followers across client accounts.

I also built our agency’s own presence from the ground up, taking the Sequel Media page to 10k followers organically. 

With 8+ years across copywriting, creative strategy, and creator-led marketing, I’ve partnered with brands like Memorae AI, Yulu Bike, Tata Digital, American Tourister, Peter England, and Lee Jeans.

I'm currently open to roles where creators, culture, and growth intersect.

If you enjoy talking creators, content, and what’s next, let's chat!


Cheers ~
From your guy, 
Varun Vasuraj

UGC + AI influencers on Insta/YT will be the biggest trends in 2026.

I truly believe that.

And honestly, the logic checks out. 👇

Brands still spend tens of thousands on a single “big” creator post, cross their fingers, and hope the algorithm is in a good mood that day.

Sometimes it works, but most times it doesn’t.

Instead of:
→ booking multiple creators at once
→ paying high CPMs to boost views
→ hoping some of them hit

Now compare that to building your own AI-led creator ecosystem.

You can now:
→ create 100s of AI influencers
→ automate ~75% of the content pipeline
→ control distribution and frequency
→ test different hooks, etc.
→ experiment with angles

but why 75% and not 100%? because not everything can/should be automated

- posting still needs to be manual
- accounts must be warmed up like real humans
- fully automated posting = shadowban

Platforms hate lazy, spammy behaviour

If you figure out how to do this well on Reels and Shorts, you’re operating ahead of the trend curve.

Especially for smaller brands without massive budgets, organic scale beats paid influence every single time.

The next phase of marketing isn’t about finding the loudest voice in the room. It’s about building your own voice and knowing how to distribute it.

P.S. the right AI stack will make or break this approach

Varun Vasuraj

Heyo! Thanks for dropping by! 👋

I (formerly) co-founded a Creator-led Marketing hub called Sequel Media. We helped brands generate creator-level attention through scroll-stopping video-based content, new age content strategies, and partnering with like-minded creators. We helped turn brands into a content creator.

I have 8+ years of experience in copywriting, creative strategy, and creator-led marketing for brands such as Dell India, Yulu Bike, American Tourister, Lowe’s, and Lee Jeans.

Wanna e-meet over coffee? Let's chat!


Cheers ~
From your guy, 
Varun Vasuraj

⚡ I help brands market like content creators • Prev. Co-founder & Creative Head of Sequel Media

Lately, LinkedIn has started to feel… different.

I call it the Instagramification of LinkedIn.


More “Instagram energy” on a platform that was built for actual professional value.

And don’t get me wrong, I’m all for being human.

People connect with people, not resumes, I get it.

But somewhere along the way, we’ve started confusing relatable with relevant.

Not every post needs to be funny, nor every story needs to be personal. And most posts definitely don't need a picture of your breakfast

LinkedIn works because it sits in that rare middle ground:

→ Human and useful.
→ Personal and professional.
→ Relatable and valuable.

When everything turns into generic social content, the platform loses what makes it powerful in the first place - real insight, real conversations, real opportunities.

If I wanted Instagram content, I’d scroll Instagram.

Here, I want ideas. Experiences. Perspective.

Something that actually makes me better at what I do.

Be human and be real.

Just don’t forget why people come to LinkedIn in the first place.

A 19-year-old intern just built a 500M-view UGC machine for Wispr Flow.

In under two months, Wispr Flow racked up half a billion organic views.
And the entire system was designed by a student who’d only been making content for a few months.

That alone should tell you...

UGC isn’t dead.

What worked here wasn’t “send a script and hope it goes viral.”
It was a system built around creative freedom, fast feedback, and strong instincts.

Creators weren’t boxed into rigid brand guidelines.

They were trusted to speak in their own voice, in their own style, to their own audience.

So the content didn’t feel like ads. It felt like culture.

Then came the smart part.

The moment a video started popping, the team didn’t overthink it.
They shared the winning format across the creator network and let everyone reinterpret it in their own way.

Same idea. Different execution. Way more reach.

Instead of vague advice like “make it viral,” creators were given specific, usable hooks.

Real frameworks they could plug into the content they were already good at making.

That’s the evolution of UGC.

It’s about finding people with taste, curiosity, and the freedom to experiment.

When you get that right, the system does the heavy lifting.

We’ve seen this across multiple brands now.

UGC works when it feels native, when it moves fast, and when creators don’t feel like they’re reading from a script.

And the brands that treat creators like collaborators instead of ad placements are the ones winning attention and performance.

Big ups to Tobin Tang!

P.S. I’m planning to create a free “Guide to UGC in 2026”, drop a 🔥 if you’re interested

Wispr Flow

Polymarket

How many AI-native tools do you actually use every day?

Not tools you’ve tried once.
Not experiments.
Real, daily-use tools.

If you’re being honest… probably just one. (we all know which one)

Which is crazy, considering how much money, hype, and media attention AI has pulled in over the last couple of years. 

Every major technological shift doesn’t just introduce new tools, it completely reorganizes how work, companies, and entire industries function. 

Industrialization → factories + management
Naval power → limited liability companies
The internet → startups + VC model

We just don’t know what that version of the world looks like yet.

Step outside the tech bubble for a moment and ask a regular person what AI means to them.

Most will talk about “ChatGPT.”

So the real question isn’t IF AI will change work.

It’s HOW.

And startups will be the first place we see that answer.

Here’s the part founders should really be thinking about: 

If building software becomes ridiculously easy, what’s actually defensible?

Your feature advantage? Copied in a month.

Your model? Commoditised in a week.

Your UI? Replicated in a day.

What doesn’t get cloned overnight is attention, trust, and distribution.

That’s why behavior hasn’t shifted yet.

Not because AI isn’t powerful, but because nobody has built enough credibility, relevance, and emotional connection to make people change their habits at scale.

It’s not about who has the smartest AI. It’s about who knows how to get attention, earn trust, and build an audience early, before the product is fully baked.

Build the distribution first. The product can catch up.


P.S. posting after a while feels gooooood 👋

Sorry to burst your “excuse” bubble…

But Instagram’s CEO said that posting timings don’t matter.

And that didn’t surprise me at all.

Because a lot of the “growth hacks” people swear by today have never really made sense if you zoom out and think about how platforms actually work.

I’ve been preaching this for a while:

- replying to every comment instantly
- commenting on your own posts
- stuffing captions with keywords
- obsessing over hashtags
- over-designing covers

None of these things magically make your content good.

And none of them change how people feel when they watch it.

So why would they suddenly unlock reach?

Here’s the shift that changed how I think about content:

Stop blaming the algorithm. Start thinking about the audience.

→ Instead of asking, “Will the algorithm push this if I post at 6:47 PM?”

→ Ask, “Are my people even online around this time?”

If they are, post it. If they’re not, wait.

It’s really that simple.

What’s incredible is that all the data about your audience is freely available at your fingertips. Its all right there in your profile’s analytics.

And more importantly, if the video is actually good, it will find its way.

Maybe fast. Maybe slow.

But it won’t disappear just because you missed some imaginary “perfect window.”

Good content doesn’t need tricks.


P.S. tbh my team and I are also guilty of believing the hacks at some point 👀

Algorithm Fatigue: Manychat’s Creator Report is out!

Here’s a summary, from my POV 👇

Tldr:

→ The creator economy isn’t heading toward louder, flashier, more automated content. It’s moving toward real.

→ People are tired of perfectly packaged personalities and scripted energy. It will always be about connection, honesty, relatability.

→ Financial stability is in diversifying revenue streams. 

→ You can post every day, automate half your workflow, chase trends nonstop… but if it doesn’t feel human, it won’t stick. (ahem, AI)

→ Trust is the new metric. And trust only comes from being genuine.

→ Creators who stay grounded, imperfect, and relatable? They’re the ones who last.


👉 Now, for the readers:

1. The Doom Scroll is winning (for now):

Attention spans are shrinking. Engagement is dropping. 

And creators? A lot of them are quietly stepping away.

More people are choosing passive consumption over active engagement.

2. “Is this even a real job?”

31% of creators report that people still don’t see content creation as a legitimate career.

And it makes sense.

When your income depends on trends, platforms, and vibes, it’s hard to plan a future.

However, data shows that creators are dedicating 20–25 hours a week solely to content creation, not including admin work.

Real job much?

3. Creators still see themselves as people, not brands

50% of creators don’t think of themselves as businesses.

And weirdly? I think that’s a good thing.

Because the moment creators stop feeling human, content starts feeling corporate. 

Relatability disappears. Authenticity fades.

4. Most creators aren’t making real money (yet)

3 out of 4 creators earn under $10K(~9L) a year.

Contrary to my previous point, while you don’t see yourself as a business, you still need to run like one.

Relying on platform payouts alone is like building a house on rented land. (39% report it as their #1 source of income)

Real sustainability comes from multiple income streams.

5. Fake is the fastest way to lose followers

The #1 reason people unfollow creators? They feel inauthentic.

→ Over-scripted videos.
→ Mass-produced content.
→ AI-generated personalities.

Audiences can smell it instantly.

Which is why raw, messy, handheld content is slowly making a comeback.

Real > Perfect.

6. Virality is a terrible career plan

55% of Gen Z creators considered quitting last year.

Why?

Because the internet sells the dream of “overnight success.” But doesn’t talk about the grind that comes after.

The truth is that virality is not guaranteed, and longevity is earned.

And let’s not mention the drain of staying chronically online.

7. To be AI… or not to be?

18% of creators say AI is their biggest challenge in 2026.

And 41% of users straight up say they won’t support fully AI-generated creators.

They connect with vulnerability, imperfection, and real stories.

Tech can enhance creativity, but it can’t replace humanity.


Check out the full report here: https://bit.ly/49PsRQz

Manychat

The TRUTH about the YouTube algorithm

If you’re a content-first brand or aspiring creator, read this:

First off, there’s way too much noise online about “the algorithm.” You don’t need 47 frameworks or secret hacks. You just need to understand what YouTube is actually trying to do.

The simplest way to think about it? 

The YouTube algorithm is automated word of mouth.

Thats it.

It’s not sitting there deciding who deserves success or who doesn’t. It’s just constantly asking: “What’s the best video for this viewer, right now?”

That’s also why a video from two years ago can suddenly take off. Not because YouTube “pushed” it, but because a new pocket of viewers finally existed who cared.

This is where most creators get stuck.

They post a video, see low views, and immediately think, “Why isn’t the algorithm pushing this?”

But YouTube doesn’t PUSH content → It PULLS content toward the right people.

Everything flows from the viewer outward. Always has. Always will. In that sense, the algorithm IS the audience. It’s just reflecting their behavior back at you.

Whether your video gets shown comes down to two things:
- Do people click it?
- And do they actually watch it?

no click → no watch → no watch → no distribution.

That’s why titles and thumbnails matter so much. You can’t win on YouTube if nobody chooses your video.

And here’s the uncomfortable part:

If your videos aren’t getting traction, it’s not because YouTube hates you. It’s because viewers are choosing something else.

There’s also real competition now. A lot of great content already exists. So your video has to earn its place.

For most creators(and most definitely brands), being different, clearer, more human, more honest, is the real edge.

That’s how you grow on YouTube. Not by fighting the algorithm, but by understanding the people it’s built for.

………………………

👉 Shoutout to Aprilynne A. for this visual, check out her YT channel for insane deep-dive YouTube breakdowns

it’s wild that Cluely casually generated 300 MILLION organic views in THREE MONTHS through a UGC farm.

And honestly, it’s one of the clearest examples I’ve seen of how this whole thing has shifted without most brands even noticing.

What stood out immediately was that this wasn’t some massive creator spray-and-pray operation. 

They didn’t start with hundreds of people. They didn’t drown creators in scripts. And they definitely didn’t try to “outsmart” the platforms.

They found one video that hit. Then, they paused and asked the uncomfortable question most teams skip: “why did this work?”

Once they understood that, scaling became obvious. Instead of copying the video frame by frame, they let other creators interpret the same idea in their OWN VOICE. (that part matters more than people realize)

Another thing that really clicked for me, most of the creators weren’t seasoned UGC pros. Some were good at explaining things clearly. Some just knew how to tell a story. Some barely spoke at all and still held attention. 

Totally different strengths, and that diversity is exactly why it worked.

Instead of forcing everyone into the same mould, they built guardrails and let personality do the rest. 

→ Clear expectations
→ Trial periods 
→ Coaching
→ Feedback 

A system that felt intentional.

That’s the part most brands miss.

UGC falls apart when it’s treated like a content factory instead of a creative ecosystem.

We’ve seen this play out repeatedly at scale. The brands that win aren’t JUST pushing for more volume every week. 

They slow down just enough to understand what’s resonating, then build systems that let that insight compound.

Huge shout out to Katie Xu for giving us a peek into the BTS of their viral content engine 👏

Cluely

Head of Marketing at Cluely

people are seriously sleeping on YouTube’s collaboration feature, and it’s wild to watch.

(brands, read this)

It’s a straight-up discovery hack.

Here’s the feature in a nutshell:

You can now tag up to five other channels on a single YouTube video (long or short). The video lives on the channel that uploaded it.

however, YouTube starts distributing that video to the subscribers of EVERY tagged channel.

Read that again fam

The video shows up in multiple subscriber feeds at once.

and yes, the views, likes, comments, watch time… all of it counts across the collaborators.

which basically means YouTube is encouraging shared distribution in a way we haven’t really seen before.

This Tennis Grand Slam video is such a clean case study.

→ One video highlighting the best moments from the four major Grand Slams.
→ Four official tennis channels collaborating.
→ Four massive audiences with natural overlap.

Instead of four separate videos competing with each other, they pooled attention, and let the algorithm do the rest.

From a brand perspective, this is huge.

It’s about peer brands tapping into adjacent audiences without feeling forced or salesy.

and yet… hardly anyone is using it.

Most brands are still stuck in the mindset of “our channel, our growth, our metrics,” when YouTube is literally rewarding collaboration and shared trust right now.

It’s a whole feature just to maximize distribution.

Every founder loves to talk about being “bootstrapped”.

But none of them talk about how much is strapped to their boots.

Brands prioritizing short-form content (Instagram), here are some big updates:

→ Reposts boosts distribution, they aren’t just “nice engagement” anymore
→ Reels are still the discovery engine, but watch time and replays matter way more than likes
→ Captions + on-screen text matter a lot (Instagram is clearly leaning into search)
→ Stories help overall account health more than most people think
→ Shares and saves > vanity metrics (Meta is openly rewarding this behavior)

This is a big year for brands (and creators) willing to adjust rather than complain.

Short-form content is how real communities are being built on the platform.

Don’t ignore that shift.

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