ENCORE Journal

Long-form thinking
on the creator loop.

Operator essays, original research, and unfiltered takes on the creator economy, AI video, and what it actually takes to ship more without burning out.

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June 5, 2026 ยท Rob Runyon

How 80 creators told me they’re spending 3 hours 15 minutes per video

I interviewed 80 creators and timed every step of their video workflow. The number that came back was brutal. Here is what is actually breaking.

Read the report โ†’

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