Summary of Key Points
Xiaozaojun’s self-media platform for communication and science popularization, “Fresh Jujube Classroom,” has been in operation for 9 years. By consistently producing high-quality content, it has accumulated nearly 500,000 followers across various platforms, generating an annual income that is five times that of his previous company. This has allowed him to achieve financial freedom and a strong sense of achievement. However, he is now facing a growth bottleneck: declining interest in communication topics, short videos competing for traffic, the impact of AI on content creation, and his own health limiting his ability to update regularly. He is considering three options for transformation—switching to video production, moving into the AI field, or maintaining the status quo—and he wonders whether human self-media creators will eventually be replaced by AI. He hopes readers can provide some advice.
A “Hardcore Report Card” on 9 Years of Entrepreneurship: Success in Fans, Revenue, and Influence
In simple terms, the achievements of Fresh Jujube Classroom over the past 9 years are: turning a hobby into a more profitable career than working a traditional job.
- Fan Base: Nearly 300,000 followers on WeChat and 160,000 on Zhihu, totaling almost 500,000 followers across platforms, making it quite renowned in the field of communication science popularization.
- Content Production: He has written over 850 articles (3 million words), equivalent to 6 novels of 500,000 words each, and published 2.5 books (2 written by himself and 1 co-authored).
- Revenue: His annual income is now five times what it was when he worked for Company Z, and he doesn’t have to engage in socializing or flattering others; he earns money by creating valuable content, enjoying much more freedom and fulfillment than his previous job.
Current Challenges Hindering Growth
The slowdown in Fresh Jujube Classroom’s growth is due to a combination of four major changes in the industry:
1. The Decline in Interest in Communication: The hype around 5G has subsided, leading to a significant decrease in interest in communication-related content. Articles that used to attract tens of thousands of views now struggle to even reach 10,000.
2. Short Videos Competing for Traffic: People prefer short-form content, and long, graphic-rich articles (especially those on technology) are less likely to be read, with traffic being drawn to short-video platforms.
3. AI Threatening Jobs: AI can not only generate content quickly but also “absorb” high-quality human-created content, diluting the value of original creators.
4. Health Challenges: After 9 years of writing, his energy has declined due to aging, reducing his ability to update regularly and further affecting traffic.
The Three Paths of Transformation, Each with Its Own Set of Problems
Xiaozaojun faces three options, but none of them are easy:
1. Switching to Video Production: He tried this but didn’t succeed. Video production is ten times more difficult than writing and editing text; the communication topic has a niche audience, and building a team is costly. Moreover, he doesn’t want to create commercial content; he prefers to focus on providing valuable science popularization.
2. Moving into the AI Field: His AI-related content has performed well, but he fears that this might blur the identity of Fresh Jujube Classroom as a communication-focused platform and lose its existing followers. Starting a new account for AI would also require more energy, which he already finds challenging with his current workload.
3. Maintaining the Status Quo: This path likely leads to further decline in traffic; even the arrival of 6G won’t reverse the trend, as 6G is unlikely to generate the same level of interest as 5G, and AI will continue to compete for traffic.
The Big Question about the Future: How Long Can Human Self-Media Survive?
Xiaozaojun’s biggest concern is whether AI will completely replace human creators:
- The quality of AI-generated content may eventually match or surpass that of human writing.
- Technical science popularization content is particularly susceptible to being replaced by AI, as AI excels at organizing technical information.
- Even if he switches to the AI field, he might not be competing against other humans but against AI itself.
- Turning to opinion-based content? The market is too homogeneous, leaving him with little advantage. Relying on passion alone for long-term success is difficult.
His dilemma reflects that of many self-media creators: In the face of the challenges posed by AI and short videos, will the value of human-created original content still be recognized?
In conclusion, Xiaozaojun says that “the fate of the next decade depends on his choices this year.” Regardless of the outcome, he wants to continue serving his readers. This article serves both as a sharing of his concerns and a request for guidance from his followers.