Expensive Effort

𝑰𝒏 𝑻𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚'𝒔 𝑾𝒂𝒗𝒆:

🎨 How creative struggle became premium content
💰 Why messy processes cost more than polished results
🔍 Three industries charging extra for behind-the-scenes access
⚡ What this means for authenticity and value creation

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒇𝒕

Traditional luxury was about hiding the work. Seamless service, perfect results, and making everything look effortless.

Now we're paying extra to see the struggle.

This is the Expensive Effort shift - where the backstage pass becomes more valuable than the front-row ticket, and watching someone work costs more than buying what they made.

The messier and more unfiltered the process, the higher the price. The smartest creators have figured out something backwards: people will pay more to see the making than to own the outcome.

𝑬𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒚 𝑺𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒔

Patreon's Process Premium
Creators charge higher fees for behind-the-scenes access to work-in-progress. Musicians post unreleased demos and rehearsal footage to premium subscribers, making millions by selling raw songwriting sessions and early recordings. Live-stream platforms let fans watch painters or coders work in real-time, with people paying extra to watch over their shoulder.

Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare
This NYC restaurant seats diners around an open kitchen where they watch chefs work and chat about dishes. The tasting menu costs around $430 per person, with the cooking process being part of what you pay for. Guests aren't just buying food - they're paying premium prices to see the labor that creates it. The kitchen becomes the show, and watching the work justifies the price.

Gucci's Behind-the-Scenes Content
In 2024, Gucci released "Who is Sabato De Sarno? A Gucci Story" - a 20-minute documentary giving viewers access to creating their newest collection "Ancora." The film shows the work and dedication behind the creative process, inviting people into the workshop. This behind-the-scenes content isn't just marketing - it's how luxury brands now justify premium prices by making the effort visible.

𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝑵𝒐𝒘?

Three things are making visible effort valuable:

1. AI Makes Human Mistakes Precious: As artificial intelligence creates perfect content instantly, human struggle and visible effort become rare and valuable. The mistakes, revisions, and messy creative process prove it's made by real people, not algorithms. Imperfection becomes proooof of humanity.

2. People Are Tired of Fake Authenticity: After years of polished, perfect content, people want realness. But they've learned that "authentic" can be just as fake as anything else. Showing the actual work - the drafts, failures, and do-overs - feels more genuine than just claiming to be authentic.

3. We've Moved Beyond Experiences to Process: We moved from buying things, to buying experiences - now, we're buying the making itself. The journey becomes more valuable than the destination, and watching someone work becomes entertainment worth paying for.

𝑭𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑰𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔

• Process as Product: Companies will start selling their work methods as actual products. The "how we do it" becomes as valuable as "what we made." Expect more brands selling access to their creative process, decision-making, and behind-the-scenes content.

• Showing Your Work as Status: Making your effort visible will become the new way to signal expertise and authenticity. Brands that win will make their work compelling to watch. Hidden work will feel suspicious; transparent work will build trust and justify higher prices.

• Imperfection on Purpose: Companies will deliberately show their rough edges, failed attempts, and revision processes. The perfectly polished brand will feel fake, while the brand that shows its struggles will feel real.

Work becomes the luxury. Showing that real people spent real time making something will justify higher prices than hiding the work behind perfect automation.

𝑸𝒖𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝑻𝒊𝒑𝒔

🎨 Document Your Process: Start capturing the messy middle of your work - the drafts, revisions, and behind-the-scenes moments. Don't just show the final result; show how you got there. Create content around your methodology, not just your outcomes.

💡 Embrace Strategic Messiness: Stop over-polishing everything. Let people see the real work, the iterations, and even the failures. Share your decision-making process, your creative struggles, and the human elements that AI can't replicate.

🔍 Package Your Labor: Consider what parts of your work process could become products themselves. Could you offer access to your creative sessions? Workshops where people watch you work? Behind-the-scenes subscriptions? Make the journey as valuable as the destination.

𝑵𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝑾𝒂𝒗𝒆

See you next week, same time, same place.

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Stay wavey,

Haley