#KetchupTalks: Jeel Gandhi on the necessity of long-term thinking for young creators

In this conversation, Jeel Gandhi, CEO of Under25, breaks down why slowing down, focusing on clarity, and building community early can make all the difference. 

For a lot of young creators today, the internet feels both wide open and strangely rushed. There’s pressure to post, to grow, to monetise, to turn creativity into something immediately profitable, often before there’s even time to really understand the platforms and what they can do for you.

This conversation sits with those questions instead of rushing past them. It looks at how student creators approach money, platforms, and brand work at the earliest stages of their journey, and where those instincts often go wrong. From the difference between short-form visibility and long-form stability, to why engagement, trust, and audience quality matter more than follower counts, the discussion unpacks how sustainable creator careers are actually built. 

In this conversation, Jeel Gandhi, CEO of Under25, breaks down how young creators should really think about growth, money, and long-term value. From why rushing into monetisation can hurt more than help to how niches, platforms, and community trust shape real earning potential, she offers a grounded, honest look at what it takes to build a creator journey that actually lasts.

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When you look specifically at student creators, what patterns do you see in how they first approach monetization compared to how they should approach it?

Most student creators rush into monetisation far too early. The instinct is understandable - the thrill of a quick payout or free product feels like validation. But in the chase for the now, they tend to skip over the fundamentals that actually build something long-term.

Before thinking about earning, you need clarity on your niche, your creative voice and content quality. Are you building a community or simply posting? Are you improving with every content piece? These basics are the real unlocks. Quick monetisation earns income, but strong fundamentals build wealth through personal brands, IPs, affiliate marketing, and eventually, career pivots to acting, modelling, writing or even community-led commerce. Look at monetised brands like Emma Chamberlain’s Chamberlain Coffee or Kusha Kapila’s Underneat. It didn’t come from rushing but from depth and clarity.

Another big pattern is that student creators undervalue themselves. There’s still this misconception that “I need 50k followers to deserve a brand deal.” That’s outdated. Brands today value quality in terms of reach, community trust, and actual engagement, and not vanity metrics. Even with 1,000 followers, if your content is sharp, consistent, and relatable, you hold real influence. Gen Z creators forget that they’re building in the most democratic era of the internet, where micro is the new macro. Content creation is a lot like entrepreneurship. From Day 0 onwards, the moment you hit ‘post’, you’re building a startup, your own personal brand. Reports show that creators who approach their craft strategically, diversifying income, pricing confidently, and reinvesting their earnings, make nearly twice as much as those who operate casually without a long-term roadmap. The ideal sustainable path isn’t “create” and “monetise.” It’s “create,” “build trust,” “build community,” then you can layer in revenue streams slowly, strategically, and authentically. When you get that sequence right, the earnings stop being accidental and start becoming scalable.

How do monetization pathways differ for students depending on whether they lean toward short-form platforms like Instagram Reels versus long-form platforms like YouTube?

Each platform has its set of pros and cons, and it is no different for student creators. However, short-form and long-form platforms unlock very different creator journeys.

Instagram is incredible for early momentum. The platform tends to have a higher virality factor, the feedback loop is instant, and it gives young creators quicker growth results - reach spikes, new followers, and brand visibility. But Instagram monetisation can be inconsistent, with lower or sporadic income from brands. It’s a great place to build awareness, experiment, and test your voice.

​YouTube, on the other hand, is slower to grow because long-form content needs depth, storytelling, and higher effort. But once you build an audience, it’s one of the most reliable monetisation ecosystems in the creator economy. Students can earn through ad revenue, memberships, affiliate links, merch, and brand partnerships, driven by a loyal audience base. YouTube rewards consistency and community, which translates directly into sustained income. It’s not about choosing one over the other but understanding what stage you’re in. For students just starting out, short-form is a great entry point. As you mature as a creator, long-form allows you to convert that visibility into meaningful, long-term monetisation.

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Many young creators believe follower count is the starting point for monetization. In your experience, which early metrics actually change a creator’s income trajectory, and why?

Many young creators still assume that monetization starts with a big follower count, but that’s one of the biggest myths in the ecosystem. What truly matters is the quality of your audience and the depth of your engagement.

We live in an attention economy today, where attention is the actual currency. Metrics like watch time, retention, and repeat viewers matter far more. If people stay with your content longer, the algorithm trusts you more. This means wider reach, better ad revenue on platforms like YouTube, and stronger brand deals on Instagram. The audience profile also plays a huge role. The niche matters more than numbers. A tech creator with a smaller but sharper audience often earns more than a lifestyle vlogger with 5x the followers simply because the CPMs are higher and the community is more intent-driven. Geography, gender splits, and the overall relevance of your audience to a brand’s target segment can dramatically shift your earnings. And lastly, consistency. If you show up regularly and build a loyal community, then better monetization will follow. 

How does niche selection play out differently for student creators compared to older, more established creators? Are there niches where youth have a natural advantage?

I believe niche selection works very differently for student creators because the core of their content is relatability. For them, their niche is their life. That is, student life or student culture, like campus routines, fashion on a budget, study hacks, campus humour, gaming or streaming, vlogging their day, or even AI and tech. These are youth-first spaces where students naturally win because it is their lived experience. 

What younger creators also bring is agility. As digital natives themselves, they adopt trends faster, experiment more fearlessly, and understand meme language and internet behaviour. Whether it’s AR filters, new formats, or viral challenges, students tend to move more quickly than the rest of the ecosystem, giving them an edge. Meanwhile, older creators usually dominate niches that are heavy on reliability and trust factor - finance, parenting, health and wellness, and the like.

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What are some of the biggest early misconceptions you’ve seen student creators repeat about brand deals, CPMs, or algorithmic reach?

Student creators often start with assumptions that sound right but don’t hold up in reality. As mentioned, the biggest one is that more followers means more money. That’s not true because brands don’t pay for numbers; they pay for attention. Engagement and content matter more. A 5k creator with a tight niche can earn more per post than a 50k creator with low intent. Another misconception is that virality equals instant income. Going viral is great for visibility, but it doesn’t automatically translate into money. CPMs are still relatively low in India. The real multiplier comes from choosing the right niche where the audience is high-intent, and brands are willing to pay more to reach them.

And then there’s the myth that algorithms can be hacked. They really can’t. There are no secret hashtags or posting time tricks. The only things that consistently drive reach are quality, retention, consistency, and relevance. Algorithms reward creators who hold attention, and not those who try to game it.

Finally, many students believe their first brand deal will be big. In reality, early deals are small, sometimes even barter or free, and that’s normal. Those first few projects are about building a credible portfolio, understanding briefs, and showing brands what you can deliver. Only once your niche and content quality sharpen, is when you grow sustainably. The creators who win are the ones who don’t take shortcuts but build momentum.

For platforms like Snapchat or Meta where payouts can be unpredictable, how should a young creator diversify their monetization strategy from the start?

Platforms like Snapchat or Meta can be incredible for reach, but their payouts tend to be unpredictable. So, young creators need to think about diversification from day one, not as a backup plan later.

The smartest move is to diversifymultiple formats and platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat, and push their community to engage with them across email or Discord. Creators can also gauge how willing their community is to pay for exclusive content or merchandise. If favorable, then they can also leverage affiliate marketing, merch, and courses. In fact, many creators try Patreon once they have carved a niche for themselves, creating owned income streams. Even if you have only 50 fans paying Rs 300 per month, it amounts to a consistent income of 15k. 

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What do you think is the most overlooked monetization channel for beginners (affiliate marketing, digital products, community building, something else?)

For beginners, the most underrated and overlooked monetization channel is actually the simplest one: barter deals. Young creators often dismiss them because it’s not “real money,” but barter usually is your fastest way into the ecosystem. It helps you build a portfolio and get consistent opportunities. Early in the creator journey, momentum matters more than money, and barter gives you that momentum.

After that, affiliate marketing. It works with even 300 to 500 followers because brands care more about conversions, not scale. It’s one of the few monetization routes where beginners can directly prove commercial value. 

There are also channels nobody talks about enough: 

• Ad Rights to the content created as a part of the brand deal

• Rights for old or viral content, where platforms or pages pay to use your content that continues to perform 

• Memberships to micro-communities on WhatsApp, Discord, or Patreon

• For young creators, it is important to understand that monetization isn’t one big breakthrough, but a mix of small, smart revenue streams that compound over time and lead to real growth. 

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How do you see these creator trends playing out over the next few years? Share your thoughts in the comments below 

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