The authority vs. influencer dilemma

Recently, a client asked me:

“I’m confused about this whole authority versus influencer thing. You say that they’re different, but people like Katelyn Bourgoin seem to do both. I feel like I should pick authority, but the influencer path looks easier. Am I thinking about this wrong?”

I took some time to percolate on this question.

She’s right that these people seem to blur the lines. But when I look closer at successful people like James Clear, Harry Dry, Jack Butcher, Amanda Natividad, Wes Kao, and Shane Parrish, they’re not actually blending two approaches – they’re executing one approach extremely well.

James Clear is a horizontal expert who chose the broad path from the start. He’s an expert in habit formation (horizontal) but doesn’t specialise in habits for sales teams or healthcare workers (vertical).

The distinction remains:

Authorities apply their horizontal expertise to solve specific vertical problems. Elite B2B influencers are experts who create broad content around their horizontal expertise without vertical application.

What creates confusion is that these elite influencers have such expertise in their horizontal, they seem like authorities. But their business model is fundamentally different.

My advice to my client, and you, is this:

Before you use these people as a benchmark for where you want to take your own business, understand why this influencer path is harder than it looks:

1/ Starting advantages you may not have

Some of these people enjoy advantages and opportunities that aren’t available to you. James Clear, for example, got his first 10,000 email subscribers by providing syndicated articles to places like LifeHacker more than ten years ago. That opportunity isn’t available today. Right place, right time. Same with the folk who get in early on a social media channel when organic reach is generous.

Some of them are well connected. Wes Kao co-founded the AltMBA with Seth Godin before she founded Maven and built her own personal brand. I have a client who, upon launching his own personal brand, has featured on one of the biggest podcasts on the planet (I’m talking top ten in the world), because he has a very good relationship with the host. Don’t get me wrong, both Wes and my client earned those relationships, but they act as an instant platform for recognition that you may not have access to.

2/ Luck

The influencer puts in the reps to increase the surface area of luck, but nevertheless, every one of them experienced a slice of good luck to get things going.

Alex H. Smith went from around 1,000 LinkedIn followers to around 30,000 in the space of a week on the back of two carousels that went viral back to back. They absolutely were brilliant carousels, but there will be other people out there who made equally brilliant carousels but didn’t go viral because the right people didn’t engage at the right time.

3/ World class at one short form content format

They all became world class at producing one short form style of content (that may lead to one type of very good long form). The short form helps them get attention through platforms like Substack, LinkedIn, and YouTube, which then feeds into their owned channel (usually email). And when I say short form, I mean content that’s easy to consume in 10 minutes or less.

They’re so good at the craft at that one content format that, in some ways, it replaces the craft of specialising in a vertical. They treat the content as a product, and often take little (if any) consulting engagements so as to pour half their time into content creation and the other into product development and execution. It’s a media business led by an expert in a particular horizontal with broad appeal.

Jack Butcher is a prime example of that, but many of the other people I listed previously are, too.

4/ Data hunters

They’re either voracious readers and/or obsessive data collectors. That data provides them with a unique bank of interesting stories and perspectives that they can weave together.

Harry Dry talks about Marketing Examples, which are mostly copywriting examples. Both of which are broad. But the volume of examples he curates (and then filters) means he discovers really interesting examples that haven’t been overused. Or, maybe they’re examples that we know, but he can layer them with three or four others to observe patterns.

It’s similar for James Clear. The huge amount of research enables them to create interesting punditry.

5/ The economic reality

Elite influencers face a different value equation:

• Lower per-client value - A positioning consultant can charge $60K for a SaaS workshop because the ROI is massive and specific. A “productivity expert” struggles to justify the same fee because their material is naturally of less value (to more people).
• Volume dependency - They need many more customers to hit the same revenue. Hence, the product-centric model.
• Platform risk - Their distribution depends heavily on algorithms. This model is practically impossible to execute without significant organic growth on at least one social platform.

However, the upside potential can be significant:

• Higher revenue ceiling - While per-client value is lower, successful horizontal experts often earn more annually than vertical specialists. James Clear likely generates more revenue than any niche consultant.
• Global scalability - Your market isn’t limited by geography or industry connections. Anyone with your problem, anywhere in the world, is a potential customer.
• Compound growth - Content creates lasting value. A viral piece today on the right platform (e.g. YouTube) can generate subscribers and sales for years.
• Business resilience - You’re less vulnerable to industry downturns or changes in any single vertical market.

So Which Path Should You Choose?

There are only two paths: authority or elite influencer.

The authority path: Solve expensive problems for a small group who recognise they need your specific solution. Higher per-client value, deeper relationships, premium pricing.

The elite influencer path: Build a media business around broad expertise. Lower per-client value, but potentially higher total revenue through volume and products.

This reminds me of a scene from Extras where Ricky Gervais’ character, Andy Millman, a failing actor, can’t decide between being a respected artist or chasing fame.

In a heated argument, his agent confronts him..

“Listen to me Andy. I can’t help you because I don’t know what it is that you want. Every time you come into my office, it’s something different. One day it’s about not selling out, being an artist. Next day you just want your face in the paper. What do you want? Do you want to be the world famous movie star or do you want to be the tortured genius making great art?”

“Both,” Andy says.

“Well there are only a few people in the world who have both those things. You will never be one of them. What do you want?”

The client I referenced at the start of this email wanted both. If she goes for both, she’ll likely end up with neither.

Authority or influencer. Pick one.

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