You may have heard that "attention is the new oil." But in practice, what does this mean for those who create, manage, or live off the creative economy?

In recent years, we have seen a silent — but profound — shift in the market’s value logic. If before it was the content itself that attracted the limelight, now it is the reach it generates. Attention has become an asset. A scarce, measurable, and, above all, negotiable asset.

Platforms, brands, and now investors are paying more attention (literally) to those who consistently move audiences. And we’re not just talking about millions of followers — but real, engaged communities that mobilize, buy, and interact.

If you are a creator or agency, you are sitting on an invisible treasure. The question is: are you treating your attention as a business?

Attention has become capital: how this changes the game

In the new market logic, attention is no longer a byproduct of content — it is the main product. The time someone dedicates to listening, watching, or interacting with you is increasingly scarce… and therefore, more valuable.

If before the value of a brand or creator was measured by the number of posts, portfolio, or even followers, today investors and partners want to know:
how much attention can you capture and maintain?

This changes everything.

Because attention is transferable, scalable, and monetizable. A creator who consistently engages 500,000 people has more influence (and potential return) than a R$ 500,000 advertising operation with lukewarm reach.

And the market has already realized this.

Today, investment rounds in creators and collectives are not based solely on revenue — but on indicators like audience retention, engagement, recurrence, and growth potential. The attention economy is closer to venture capital than to the advertising market.

Those who capture attention can now capture resources.

What investors are keeping an eye on (and you should too)

Investors are no longer looking just for growing revenue or solid contracts. They want predictability, scalability, and perceived value — and qualified attention delivers all of that.

Here are the main positive warning signs for those thinking like investors (and should act like one):

1. Real engagement > followers

Inflated likes no longer impress anyone. What matters is how much your base reacts, comments, shares, and — most importantly — buys or mobilizes when you come into the picture.

2. Ability to scale without increasing fixed costs

Creators and agencies that know how to scale attention (live streams, campaigns, digital products, drops) with a lean structure are seen as lightweight growth machines.

3. New era financial metrics

CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost), LTV (Customer Lifetime Value), churn, repurchase rate. Yes, startup vocabulary has already reached your universe — and understanding these indicators is what separates the investable creator from the dependent one.

4. Flexible monetization model

Whether through collaborations, proprietary products, events, subscriptions, the more diversified and predictable your revenue, the greater the investor's confidence.

5. Long-term narrative

Investors want vision. What’s the plan? Where do you want to be in 2 years? How do you transform attention into legacy, community, and cash flow? A creator with a business discourse becomes a strategic asset.

Creators and agencies: how to become an investable “attention company”

You already have the main asset: attention. The next step is to structure this as a business. And yes, this applies both to solo creators and to agencies that manage talent, projects, and campaigns.

Here’s the practical path to become an investable attention company:

Formalize your operation

Have a CNPJ, organized contracts, regular accounting, and issue invoices. This may seem basic, but it’s one of the main filters for funds and partners. An investor does not put money into informality.

Build predictable cash flow

Anticipating your receivables can be the turning point. Instead of waiting 30, 60, or 90 days to receive, you gain immediate liquidity and can reinvest in what matters: growth, team, production.

Be clear about your numbers

Do you know how much it costs to generate 1,000 real clicks? What’s your average conversion rate? How much money flows through your operation per month? Creators and agencies that control their metrics stand out — because they convey trust and control.

Position your brand as an asset

Your image, your branding, your community: all of this is intangible — and measurable. Having a strong and coherent narrative is as important as having good numbers.

Professionalize without losing your soul

Investors buy structure, but they also buy essence. Creators and agencies that manage to grow without becoming a commodity win in both worlds: public attention and capital interest.

Trends and opportunities: what’s coming

The attention economy is moving from behind-the-scenes discussions to becoming a formal and competitive market. Those who position themselves now can surf the next wave with an advantage. Here’s what is gaining traction:

• Platforms and funds creating vehicles to invest in creators

SPVs (Special Purpose Vehicles) and microfunds are already being structured to invest in creative talents as if they were startups. This means: raising capital in exchange for equity or return on future campaigns.

• Agencies as hubs for creative capital

Agencies that operate multiple creators and communities are starting to be seen as attention accelerators. With well-defined processes, these structures attract investment as scalable operations.

• Creative equity and performance-based contracts

Hybrid models are emerging: fixed part + variable + profit sharing from projects. This aligns interests and transforms talent into a long-term asset.

• Tailored financial solutions for the sector

Anticipating receivables is no longer exclusive to large companies. With platforms like DUX, creators and agencies can access capital without relying on banks, loans, or absurd deadlines.

• Attention as the official valuation metric

Startups, campaigns, and collectives are being evaluated based on the potential attention they can generate. This changes the game for those with a strong community but still not monetizing 100%.

Attention is a business — and you are already a partner

If you are a creator or agency and move attention every day, congratulations: you are already operating a business. The difference is that now the market also sees this as a business.

The attention economy has matured. Capital has arrived. And the criteria for value are no longer just revenue or portfolio, but reach potential, brand coherence, and the ability to turn attention into results.

Those who understand this early structure their operations to grow with autonomy. Those who ignore it will continue trading attention for crumbs while others scale intelligently.

You don’t need likes — you need liquidity.

Ready to transform attention into autonomy?
DUX anticipates your creative receivables so you can scale without waiting.
💸 Talk to us and discover how to access capital at the pace of your audience.
👉 Talk to DUX.