The essence of business is product quality, but why do 'popular creators' win in the AI era?

It's Panda.

The era of 'if you build a good product, it will sell' is completely over.

However, at the same time, this does not mean that 'product quality is not important'.

This seemingly contradictory situation is the reason why many people are confused about business in the AI era.

In this article, I will explain why 'popular creators' have an overwhelming advantage in the AI era, and how that connects to the essence of business.

The reality of 'product homogenization' that occurred in the AI era

From 2024 to 2025, what I, Panda, felt most strongly was the fact that the quality gap between products and services is shrinking rapidly.

Using generative AI like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, anyone can create high-quality content.

Using design tools like Canva and Figma, professional-grade visuals can be completed in minutes. Even video editing can be done with decent quality by beginners with AI assistance.

In other words, the hurdle to 'creating a product' has dropped dramatically.

This is a wonderful thing, but at the same time, it is creating a serious problem.

That is the reality that 'everyone can create similar products'.

For example, let's look at the online course market.

There are hundreds of courses with themes like 'How to use AI' or 'How to start a side hustle' that have almost no difference in content. From the student's perspective, it's a situation where it doesn't make much difference which one they choose.

In this situation, what becomes the deciding factor for purchase? It is 'who you buy from'.

The human instinct of 'wanting to buy from someone I can trust'

From my experience selling products as Panda, I can assert that people decide to purchase based on 'the person providing the product' rather than the product itself.

Let me show you actual data. In the online courses I operate, there are over 20 competitors handling almost the same content. The prices are also in a similar range.

However, when I ask students who chose my course for the reason, over 90% answer, 'Because I saw Panda's posts and thought I could trust you'.

In other words, trust in the creator, not a comparison of product content, is the deciding factor for purchase.

This is an instinctive human behavior.

When making uncertain choices, people prioritize 'recommendations from trusted individuals' above all else. Now that the number of choices has exploded in the AI era, this tendency has become even stronger.

Overwhelmed by too many choices and suffering from comparison fatigue, people are looking for creators they can trust, thinking, 'If this person says it, it must be right.' And then, they buy products from those creators.

The value of 'personal branding' created by the flood of AI-generated content

With the spread of AI, a vast amount of content is being generated on the web every day. However, much of it is similar in nature, lacking personality and originality.

Panda continues to post on note precisely to take advantage of this situation.

In a world overflowing with AI-generated content, sharing 'Panda's personal perspective,' 'Panda's real-life experiences,' and 'Panda's failures and lessons' allows for clear differentiation.

For example, if you search for the topic 'how to earn 100,000 yen a month with a side hustle,' thousands of AI-generated articles will appear.

However, most of them are just summaries of superficial information.

On the other hand, articles written by Panda include unique experiences, such as 'The reason it took me 3 months to reach 50,000 yen a month on note' or '7 strategies I failed at before earning my first 10,000 yen.'

This primary information is the greatest value in the AI era.

Readers are not looking for general theories generated by AI, but for the raw voices of people who have actually experienced things. That is why popular creators win.

An era where product quality alone does not lead to 'discovery'

I would like to add an important perspective here.

No matter how excellent a product you create, it is meaningless if it is not 'discovered' by customers.

In traditional business, you could secure a certain level of exposure by spending money on advertising.

However, in the AI era, advertisements are also flooding the market. People have developed skills to ignore ads, use ad blockers, and prioritize recommendations from trusted sources.

Analyzing the students of the courses run by Panda, about 80% have arrived there after seeing posts on note, social media, or YouTube.

Only about 10% come via advertisements. What does this mean?

It means that the flow of increasing the 'probability of being discovered' through continuous posting, building a relationship of trust, and then proposing products is the most efficient sales channel.

Popular creators can naturally create this flow of 'discovery → trust → purchase.' That is why they win.

A business without a voice is as good as non-existent.

There is a trap that many business beginners who consult with Panda fall into.

It is the trap of putting all your effort into making a good product and neglecting to share your voice.

Last month, D, who has excellent design skills, came to me for advice.

D offers logo design services, but monthly sales were stagnant at around 50,000 yen. When I asked why, they replied, I am confident in the quality of my work, but I am bad at sales.

Panda suggested that D share their design thought processes and lessons learned from client work on note.

At first, D resisted, saying, 'If I have time to post, I want to polish my production skills,' but after continuing to post twice a week for three months, they achieved monthly sales exceeding 300,000 yen.

D's product quality has not changed. What changed was the 'probability of being discovered' and the 'degree of being trusted.'

Through sharing their voice, people who resonated with D's way of thinking and values gathered, and those people became customers.

This is the reality of business in the AI era. Product quality is a necessary condition, but it is not enough on its own. Without the power to share your voice, no matter how excellent the product is, it will be buried.

Shifting from 'selling products' to 'conveying yourself'

Finally, I will share the point that Panda considers most important.

It is to shift the center of gravity of your business from 'selling products' to 'conveying yourself.'

In traditional business, you could sell by appealing to product features and price.

However, in the AI era, differentiation through features or price is difficult. What is needed instead is a personal brand that makes people think, 'I want to buy from this person'.

The content Panda shares on note is not necessarily product promotion.

Rather, the focus is on conveying 'the person that is Panda,' such as Panda's way of thinking, values, stories of failure, and lessons learned.

As a result, even without directly advertising products, inquiries naturally come from readers saying, 'I want to take Panda's course' or 'I want to receive Panda's consulting.' This is the strength of a popular creator.

In the AI era, the essence of business is indeed in product quality.

However, the ability to communicate that product strength correctly, build trust, and deepen relationships with customers is essential.

Only with both product strength and communication skills can a business succeed in the AI era.

Starting today, you should share your knowledge and experience on note. It does not need to be perfect. What matters is that you begin to convey your individual perspective to the world.