Derek is the cofounder of Viddsee, a creator platform for premium short form content with over 3B+ views, 40M+ monthly reach, and 5K+ filmmakers.
With 15 years as a media and technology leader, Derek has worn multiple hats – from developing products to selling content IPs. And his passion lies in growing communities around content, building empathy with IPs and characters, and driving action through impactful storytelling to shape culture.
Guest Author: Derek Tan
KISS taught me about staying relevant
I met Gene Simmons backstage at a KISS concert. I was working at Cooliris in the US, and we had an app LiveShare that brought people together based on common interest, location and time.
First thing he asked me was “how are we making money” with our collaboration.
Fast forward today, Youtube was showing me a video of how KISS is embracing the metaverse with virtual avatars of themselves and virtual production and motion capture for their latest concert.
I remember they said in the concert, “we were there for your parents, and now we are here for you”
And here they are using visual avatars to immortalise themselves and be around for our children and generations to come!
(I can imagine even long after they are gone, their avatar and music can live on. AI can help them write songs in their likeness, but with context in line with the future)
I can almost hear Gene Simmons asking the metaverse tech folks the same question he asked me “how are we making money?”
Thinking back, he is challenging me to think about how we can stay relevant in an evolving world but also how that change can be done in a sustainable way (my metaphor of making money to sustain oneself), our craft and our existence even.
But the mindset to embrace change, to reinvent ourselves is even more important.
Gene Simmons is 74 years old, and his band is playing with virtual avatars for their work.
My biggest takeaway in his question “how do we make money” to me is re-thinking the value our brand provides to the tribe we are talking to.
It’s not just their product (music) but building a brand community for future generations even when they are not around.
Now let me ask you “how are you making money” that sustains generations to come?
hashtag#sustainablegrowth hashtag#stayrelevant
(Photo: I had an all-access pass and went around taking photos, but as usual I forgot to take a photo with Gene Simmons and the band..)
