Why We're Building Marloden
For some time now, we've been paying close attention to the creator economy, especially here in Africa. We've read stories, followed conversations online and watched creators share their experiences, and over time, one pattern kept showing up.
A creator gets noticed. A brand reaches out. The conversation starts on a great note.
Then the brand asks for a media kit, audience demographics, current statistics or rates, and that's usually where things begin to unfold.
This is not a talent issue, and it is not a content issue. The creator has already done the hard part by getting noticed. The gap is in what comes next.
The more we observed, the more we realized this wasn't a one-off problem. It wasn't happening to just one creator or one platform. It kept showing up everywhere. Different creators, different niches, different audiences, but somehow the questions were always the same.
What should my media kit look like? How much should I charge? Is my engagement rate good enough? How do I explain my audience to a brand? How do I present myself professionally without making it look like I put everything together five minutes ago?
At first, those questions seem small and irrelevant. But when you keep seeing them over and over again, you begin to realize they're pointing to something much bigger and relevant.
This isn't a creativity problem.
The creators we're talking about already know how to create. They're making videos people genuinely enjoy watching. They're building communities that trust them. They're showing up consistently, improving their craft and doing everything we've been told creators should do. Their content is working. People are watching and brands are noticing.
The problem starts after that.
The part between getting the email that says, "We'd love to work with you," and getting the email that says, "Welcome on board," is the gap we couldn't stop thinking about.
To understand what we mean, imagine a creator we'll call Cindy.
Cindy makes lifestyle videos on YouTube. She's consistent, creative and the kind of creator whose audience genuinely cares about what she has to say. Her videos get shared. Her comments are filled with people who keep coming back. Slowly but surely, brands begin to notice her.
Then one day, the email arrives.
They love her content and they think she'd be a great fit for an upcoming campaign. They're interested in working together, but before they move forward, they ask for a few things. A media kit, her audience demographics, her latest statistics and her rates.
Simple enough, except it isn't.
Cindy opens YouTube Studio and starts taking screenshots.
She searches online for media kit templates because she's never had to make one before.
She wonders whether her engagement rate is good enough, even though she doesn't really know how to explain it. When it's time to talk about pricing, she hesitates. She isn't sure what's fair. She isn't sure what other creators charge. She definitely isn't sure how to present it professionally.
Hours later, she sends everything over, hoping it looks good enough.
Maybe the brand replies.
Maybe they don't.
The difficult part is that this story isn't really about Cindy.
It's about thousands of creators.
We've seen versions of this story play out again and again. Different platforms, different countries, different creators.
The details change, but the outcome often feels the same. The opportunity was real and good. The creator was talented and the interest was there.
Something got in the way and it was somewhere between being discovered and closing the deal.
The more we thought about it, the more we realized creators don't just need better tools to create.
They need better tools to grow their careers.
The internet is full of apps that help creators edit videos, schedule content, design thumbnails and find ideas for their next post. Those tools matter, and they've made creating easier than ever before.
But when it's time to actually do business, many creators are still left figuring everything out on their own.
They're expected to know how to present themselves professionally. They're expected to understand analytics. They're expected to negotiate confidently. They're expected to have documents, rates and audience insights ready at a moment's notice.
Somehow, everyone assumes creators already know how to do all of that.
Many don't.
This is not a capability issue, and it is not a lack of effort. Nobody built the bridge.
And that was the moment everything became clear, someone had to build this.
We didn't want to build another platform that tells creators how to grow on social media.
We wanted to build something that helps them make the most of the growth they've already earned.
A place where the information brands ask for is already there, where statistics stay up to date without screenshots. Where a creator's audience, previous collaborations and rates live in one professional home instead of being scattered across different files, notes and messages.
That's the idea that became Marloden.
This is not because creators needed another app.
They simply deserved better infrastructure.
We believe creators should spend less time scrambling to prove themselves and more time doing what made brands notice them in the first place.
The more we worked on Marloden, the more certain we became that this isn't just another product to build. It's a problem that's been waiting for a real solution.
We're still building and we're still refining. Most importantly, we're still listening to the creators whose stories brought us here.
Marloden was never meant to be something we build for creators. It has always been and will be something we build with them.
Every conversation we've had, every story we've read and every opportunity we've watched slip away has reminded us why this matters.
Creators have already done the hard part. They've put in the work, built the audience and earned the attention.
They shouldn't lose opportunities because the right tools don't exist.
We think it's time that changed.
This is just the beginning.
Stay close.
We think you're going to love what's coming.
Published on Marloden's Substack
