This new-age career path comes with both freedom and fragility. As social media is now more than just a pastime. For digital creators these platforms are their full-time businesses, followed by fans? No! Their clients, collaborators, brands,and communities.
To mark #SocialMediaDay, Gujpreneur dives into the dual realities of creators who depend on digital platforms for their livelihood. It starts with a scroll — a reel, a post, a share. And for some, that simple action turns into a career. On this Day, Meet the Gujarati Creators Who’ve Turned Platforms into Pay checks by Gujpreneur!
We spoke to two very different but equally compelling voices from Gujarat: Vihar & Prashmi, a creator duo from Surat, and Kandarp Joshi, an Ahmedabad-based solo creator known as “Naam ka Engineer.”
Their stories reflect what it truly means to earn through content — the good, the gritty, and the grind.
From Phone Camera to Full-Fledged Brand: Vihar & Prashmi, Surat
“Social media gave us a voice before we had a studio, a brand before we had a name, and clients before we had a company.”
For them, social media was never just about posting. It became their resume, portfolio, pitch deck and community hub — all in one.
Pros from Their Journey:
• “We started with just passion — no big investment, no fancy setup.”
• Social media gave them early visibility, long before they had an office or even a company name.
• It connected them directly with people and brands they genuinely wanted to work with — especially those rooted in the local Surat ecosystem.
• A single impactful reel or thoughtful post has often led to real inquiries, collaborations, or long-term clients.
• Engagement data helps them evolve — “We don’t have to wait for reports; feedback is real-time.”
• Over time, they’ve developed multiple revenue streams— from content creation and brand building to full digital marketing projects — all growing organically from one platform.
Like every other story, the reality had its fair share of hurdles for them.
Cons They Face:
• There’s no guaranteed formula for virality — “Sometimes a reel we believe in flops, and something random blows up.”
• The work never stops. “Even on days we’re mentally drained, we have to shoot, post, or respond — social media rarely lets you switch off.”
• Clients often undervalue the effort — “People say, ‘It’s just a post,’ without understanding the planning and storytelling behind it.”
• Income isn’t predictable. “Some months boom, others are silent. Stability is still a work in progress.”
• Trends never take weekends off. “Our nights, holidays — even weekends — go into prepping for campaigns or chasing trends.”
Their takeaway? Creativity and consistency are the key factors. Building a community works hand in hand with resilience, especially when it’s your bread and butter attached to a timeline.
One-Man Army, Many Hats: Kandarp Joshi, Ahmedabad
Kandarp Joshi aka ‘Naam ka Engineer’ is a solo creator who manages scripting, shooting, editing, uploading, and negotiating too. He has made his own eco-system. His audience loves his witty remarks, storytelling, and relatability. He earns from brand deals, ads, and partnerships. His work revolves around Instagram, and YouTube collaborating with brands across industries.
Pros of This Creator Model:
• Creative control: “I write, shoot, and edit all my content. That’s my personal brand — and I love owning it.”
• Direct audience access: With social media, visibility and engagement are instant. “You know in minutes whether something’s working.”
• Cross-industry exposure: Collaborations give Kandarp a taste of everything — tech, fashion, food, and beyond. “Each project brings in both income and experience.”
But despite his growth, Kandarp remains deeply aware of the risks of platform dependency — and doesn’t sugarcoat it.
The Risks He Navigates:
• The biggest fear? Platform collapse.
“If Instagram or YouTube were to shut down tomorrow, I — and thousands of others — would lose our main income source. That’s scary.”
• Mental exhaustion is real: “The pressure to constantly create can drain you. You can’t just disappear for a week — the algorithm doesn’t wait.”
• Limited reach despite effort: “Sometimes, you make a great piece of content, but if the algorithm doesn’t favour you, it just doesn’t perform.”
His plan? Always be building something beyond just followers.
“I know I need a strong offline or alternate strategy. Social media can’t be the only foundation.”
The Creator Economy in Gujarat: Opportunity with a Warning Label
The stories of Vihar, Prashmi, and Kandarp are different in style, but united in spirit. They show us how Gujarat’s digital generation is reshaping what a career can look like— using platforms as business tools, not just broadcasting apps.
But they also warn against romanticizing the hustle. The success you see on a 30-second reel often hides the late nights, failed experiments, creative fatigue, and instability behind it.
On this social media Day, let’s celebrate the creators — but also understand the ecosystem. Support their work, respect their effort, and recognise that their “job” is as real as any office cubicle. And for creators — keep creating, but also keep preparing. Because while a scroll can change your life, it can also reset the algorithm. For such social updates and stories, keep scrolling through Gujpreneur!
