Welcome back to our "Build in Public" series! Last week, we witnessed something remarkable at Cannes Lions: a festival that built its reputation celebrating big agency campaigns is quietly becoming the epicenter of creator economy innovation. Here's what that evolution looked like from the ground up.

When the Festival Chooses Its Future

Cannes Lions 2025 made a choice. Walk the Croisette and you'd see it everywhere: fewer champagne-soaked agency parties, more creator-focused breakfast panels. Fewer Golden Lion campaign showcases, more conversations about building sustainable creator businesses.

The shift wasn't subtle. It was intentional.

The festival that once celebrated creativity as an output is now obsessed with supporting creators as entrepreneurs. And everywhere we looked, people were hungry for exactly what we're building.

The MagicBrief Moment That Changed Everything

The clearest signal came during Catherine Goetze's interview with George Howes, fresh off selling MagicBrief to Canva. As George explained how he'd built a platform to rescue marketers from spreadsheet chaos, Catherine's immediate response crystallized the entire week:

"I need a MagicBrief for creators."

We looked at each other in almost disbelief and raised our hands: "That's us! That's GYST!"

That wasn't just a clever comment from CatGPT. It was the moment Cannes Lions revealed its new DNA: a festival shifting from celebrating what agencies create to building what creators need.

George had solved operational chaos for marketers. We're solving it for creators. Same insight, different market. Same need, different solution.

The audience response was immediate and telling: vigorous nodding, phones out taking notes, conversations that extended long after the panel ended.

Three AI Panels, One Creator-First Vision

The festival's creator-first evolution was most evident in how AI was discussed. Three major panels, three different approaches, but the same underlying mission: How do we use AI to level the playing field for individual creators?

Jeffrey Katzenberg at the Tubi Cabana drew parallels to Disney animators embracing computer graphics in the '90s. The lesson wasn't about technology replacing humans; it was about humans using technology to compete with bigger players.

will.i.am and Sir John Hegarty at COLLINS House debated AI conscience and consciousness but agreed on something more practical: AI should democratize capabilities that were previously available only to those with massive budgets.

Steven Wolfe Pereira at Whalar's sunset panel demolished the last excuse: "I have an amazing idea but don't know how to build it." His response? "With AI tools, that excuse is gone."

This is exactly our thesis with GYST: AI should give individual creators access to the same business intelligence that big media companies pay consultants millions for.

The Business Side of Creative

But the real validation came in quieter moments between panels.

Laura Edwards from Wild Vision describing her creator clients: "They're brilliant at content, not as much at business."

Alix Earle mentioning her founder dreams but feeling overwhelmed by business complexity.

Andrea Casanova choosing to build creator economy infrastructure instead of traditional venture-backed startups.

Every conversation reinforced the same reality: creators have figured out the creative side. They need help with everything else.

Mel's Stage Moment

Watching Mel be interviewed by Evan Shapīro was a masterclass in reading the room. As she explained how GYST turns creators into CEOs of media empires, the audience wasn't just listening, they were relating.

These weren't polite nods. This was recognition. The kind that happens when someone articulates a problem you've been struggling with but couldn't quite name.

The creator economy has matured to the point where "just create good content" isn't enough anymore. Creators need business infrastructure. They need professional tools. They need to be treated like the media entrepreneurs they've become.

From Jeans to Rooftop Realizations

I started the week melting in jeans and a button-up (never trust a Brazilian's French Riviera fashion sense...), surviving on USB-powered pink fans and frozen yogurt from The Female Quotient.

I ended it on the Creators Rooftop with a Cannes Lions limited-edition lager, reflecting on how far we've come since those AB InBev warehouse days in Brazil.

But the real journey was watching Cannes Lions itself evolve in real-time. A festival built to celebrate agency creativity is becoming a conference dedicated to creator empowerment.

The conversations happening weren't about winning awards for campaigns. They were about building businesses that last.

What This Means for GYST

We didn't go to Cannes to validate our product. We went to understand our market. What we discovered was an entire industry undergoing the same transformation we're building for.

Cannes Lions 2025 wasn't just a festival. It was a signal: the creative industry is ready to invest in creator success, not just celebrate creative output.

Every panel, every conversation, every casual exchange reinforced our core belief: brilliant creators shouldn't have to choose between creative excellence and business sustainability.

They should have both. And increasingly, the industry agrees.

Next year, we won't be observing this transformation. We'll be part of the infrastructure making it possible.

P.S. Shorts are definitely happening next time. And Alix, we're still saving you that cofounder seat.