Hey World 👋
It was a random Tuesday evening in Hong Kong. Ali Abdaal was hosting an event. Dozens of people showed up, and at least half of them wanted a job.
One of us (Becky, hi 👋) had just spotted something on the YouTube community tab: a teammate, Ines Lee, was in town. So a quick message: “Hey, are you going to be at the event tonight?”.
Ines wasn’t going. She was at the airport. But she mentioned something: “I’m working on the job description for the writer position.”
That was the opening.
After the event, instead of joining the queue of people asking vague questions about “working together,” one of us beelined straight to Ali with a pitch that took about ten seconds:
“Hey, I’m Becky. I’ve been writing professionally for seven years. Ines told me you’re looking for a writer. I’ve worked for David Perell’s writing course for the past two years. And I don’t need a visa.”
Ali handed me his phone and said, “I need your phone number.”
🚪 The Third Door
Alex Banayan coined this concept. The first door is the main entrance (the application form, the queue, the bouncer). The second door is the VIP entry (knowing the right people, being a nepo baby). The third door? That’s the kitchen. The staff exit. The gap in the fence that only works once.
Most people in the creator economy didn’t get their jobs through the first door. They found their own weird way in.
That elevator pitch worked because it wasn’t a pitch at all. It was a series of signals: I know the role exists (insider knowledge). I know your team (credibility). I’ve done this for someone you respect (proof). And I’ve already solved your biggest hiring headache (no visa sponsorship needed).
Every single thing in those ten seconds was something Ali would have been mentally checking off. And most of the other people at that event? They were leading with “I love your content” and hoping enthusiasm would be enough.
🎙️ Start a Podcast, End Up With a Job
Bhav also got her job through a third door. This was around 2021. She had just started a podcast interviewing creators, and she reached out to Ali for a chat when he was still in Cambridge. Just two people nerding out about creative stuff over coffee.
Ali happened to be launching the Part-Time YouTuber Academy. Bhav was fresh enough to relate to students but a step ahead of most of his students. So Ali said: “Want to come help out?”
No formal application. No CV. Just being in the right space, doing the right things, and being genuinely interested in the work. Six to nine months of helping out later, a full-time role materialised.
So You’ve Heard About Third Doors. Now What?
Cool, so you want to get hired by your favourite creator. You’ve clocked that the front door isn’t the only way in. But what do you actually do?
We pulled together our best tips from both sides of the hiring table (Bhav has actually been on the other side of application screening). Here’s what actually works:
1️⃣ Stand out in the application process
You’re up against 50, 100, even 200 applicants. Most of them are sending the same generic portfolio and hoping for the best.
Don’t do that.
Go one step further. Remake one of their posts. Create a carousel they haven’t done yet. Record a 60-second Loom walking through your work and why you’d be great for the role. One person we know literally built a website called “hireme[creatorname].xyz” and it worked.
The “anything else you’d like to add?” box on the application form? That’s your chance to shine.
2️⃣ Be human (please)
We get it. You love this creator. They changed your life. You want to work with them so badly you can taste it.
But don’t overdo it by spamming their entire team across every platform. I recently got a LinkedIn request, an Instagram DM, and a public tag from the same applicant in the space of 48 hours. That doesn’t say “keen.” It says “run.”
Reply to a rejection email warmly and leave it at that? Great. Find a genuine shared interest and engage once or twice? Brilliant. But the moment it tips into “I’ve messaged every person on the team page,” you’ve moved from keen to kinda creepy.
3️⃣ Be a creator yourself
This is the cheat code. You’re trying to get a job in the creator world. The easiest way to prove you belong? Create something.
It doesn’t have to be big. A Substack. An Instagram account. A YouTube channel with twelve subscribers. The point is you have work to show and opinions to share. When someone clicks through to your stuff and goes “oh, they actually get this,” that’s worth more than any line on a CV.
4️⃣ Connect genuinely (not “network”)
We hate the word networking. It sounds slimy and corporate and like you’re collecting business cards at a conference you didn’t want to be at.
Connecting is different. Go to creator events. Ask questions in group chats. Engage with people at your level (not just the big names). Offer value before you ask for anything.
The creator world is actually pretty small. You follow one person, discover another, do a small project, build a reference point, and suddenly you’re in the room when the third door opens. But only if people actually know who you are and genuinely enjoy having you around.
Good luck! And whether or not you’re looking to post for yourself or to get hired, go hit publish ;)
Becky & Bhav x
🚨 P.S. If you want to connect with other small creators, come along to our Creator Office Hours.
📺 For those of you who prefer to watch on YouTube 👇
💼 Want to work with us? Book a call with Becky or Bhav
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