Entrepreneur: Stan Price

Business: Stanimus (formerly PapaStanimus)

Tilt: Reactions to videos to make viewers laugh

Scene: YouTube (1.75M), Twitter (4.9K), Discord (31K), Instagram (429), Facebook (132K), merch

Snack Bites: 

  • Stanimus quit Twitch after six successful years and moved to the more creator-revenue friendly YouTube (where sponsors and ads, not just viewers, pay up.)
  • On YouTube, he started with a new tilt – talking about internet pop culture. But it was the response to his reaction videos that led him to refine the tilt that now has over 1.75M subscribers.
  • He tells other creators to keep working at their other job(s) until they make more money at their content business than their “day” job.

Why We Stan: We love a content entrepreneur who takes a well-evaluated risk – giving up their existing audience – when they don’t see a future in the business model. Stanimus also recognizes researching and understanding his target audience is the key to success.

The Story of Stanimus (aka Stan Price)

He quit Twitch. After streaming 40 hours a week in his full-time content business, Stanimus (aka Stan Price) stopped.

As he tells tubefilter, he thought he hit the ceiling and didn’t like Twitch’s primary revenue stream – “hustling for tips.” Instead, it was more a nickel-and-dime strategy as he encouraged viewers to give money during his streams and took 50% of the $4.99 a month subscription fee he charged.

In 2021, he changed the business – leaving Twitch (though he still pops up every month or so) and going on YouTube. He also switched up his content tilt, going from game-focused streaming to reaction videos.

@PapaStanimus didn't see @Twitch business model working well for the long run, so he moved to @YouTube. #Stan #ContentEntrepreneur #CreatorEconomy Click To Tweet

“People choose to watch me because I keep it real and can relate to people on a personal level. I am not over the top and talk to my audience as if we are friends hanging out, which in my mind, is exactly what’s happening,” he tells Wealthendipity. 

“Building a relationship with your audience and truly understanding them is also critical to being a competitive channel. Those who understand their audience the most win.”

Stanimus reacts to other people’s videos that give a snapshot of “life,” including this one from TikTok’s executive appearance before Congress:

In this one, he shares his thoughts about people feeding hawks in a video:

Leaving his audience behind for the unknown on YouTube

None of his Twitch community followed him to YouTube, as he tells tubefilter. That didn’t matter. His new sweet spot is even more successful as his YouTube audience totals over 1.75M. He’s focused on YouTube Shorts, though he mixes in long-form videos and podcasts, too. 

But he didn’t tilt toward reaction videos at first. Instead, he planned his transition from Twitch, opting to learn YouTube by launching a series called The Feed, with him talking about “internet pop culture, gaming culture, and newsy things.”

@PapaStanimus wasn't afraid to change his #ContentTilt as he learned more about what his audience preferred. #Stan #ContentBusiness Click To Tweet

A smart content entrepreneur, Stanimus realized his reaction videos got the biggest reaction, and that became his tilt.

But he didn’t give up what he learned on Twitch. Stanimus expanded his business with a Discord community to coach others on streaming.

Today, his content business earns $10K to $20K a month, and his goal is to hit $100K a month so he can invest more in his videos, according to Wealthendipity.

And one more thing.

When should creators quit their day job?

Stanimus’ advice for people interested in creating a content business? He tells Wealthendipity: “Start your business on the side first and don’t quit your job until you are making a lot more than you do at your job. Wait until it literally costs you more to be at your job over focusing on your business. If the time you spend at a job is costing you money, it’s time to quit.”

About the author

Ann regularly combines words and strategy for B2B, B2C, and nonprofits, continuing to live up to her high school nickname, Editor Ann. An IABC Communicator of the Year and founder of G Force Communication, Ann coaches and trains professionals in all things content. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter.