How professional creators avoid content droughts at VidCon

Wondering how professional creators avoid content droughts? They treat ideation like a muscle, capture sparks in notes and Google Docs, use data or gut tests to pick winners, stress-test jokes before posting, and reinvent formats or characters when pipelines dry up. At VidCon 2026, Anthpo and Siow Wei shared these tactics on a Mashable panel in Anaheim. The pressure to post constantly has only intensified since the early YouTube era, when a missed upload meant silence—not algorithm punishment.

Creators are expected to constantly come up with new content. But what happens when your well of ideas runs dry? That was the central question at VidCon 2026, where Shira Lazar moderated the panel Never Running Out of Ideas: How to Build a Content Strategy That Keeps Your Audience Hooked. Anthpo and Siow Wei walked the audience through how they ideate, choose what to work on next, and decide whether something is good enough to post. Alex Ojeda was billed but did not attend.

For more on how creator culture has evolved, browse our Nostalgia: Then & Now coverage.

Key Takeaways

• Anthpo treats ideation as a trainable muscle, logging ideas in Google Docs and phone Notes—especially during flights.
• Siow Wei lets audience data guide her brand; Anthpo balances analytics with gut feeling and passion for experimental ideas.
• Both creators stress-test material before publishing—via WhatsApp groups or brutally honest friends.
• When ideas run dry, Siow Wei expands her character roster; Anthpo reinvents his format, drawing lessons from past failures.
• The "purple horse" rule: be distinctive enough to stop the scroll, and front-load that hook in the first three seconds.

How do professional creators train their ideation muscle?

Anthpo, known for the viral Timothée Chalamet look-alike contest and characters like Cheeseball Man and Kid with Crocs, keeps a Google Doc packed with ideas plus a Notes app for on-the-go sparks.

"I'd say ideation is a muscle," he told the VidCon audience. "The more you do it, the more your mind is constantly racing." He practices on every flight: "I don't do anything other than write in my Notes app." That deliberate habit is a far cry from the early 2010s, when inspiration lived in scattered drafts.

How do pros decide which ideas are worth pursuing?

Siow Wei, the Malaysian creator behind im_siowwei and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, did not originally aim for kid-friendly comedy. Her video data showed that demographic thriving most, and data now drives her brand decisions.

Anthpo balances metrics with gut feeling. "Once you have an idea, there's like two litmus tests," he said—the data side and the emotional side. He chases ideas that feel experimental, magical, and executable. Citing Rick Rubin's The Creative Act, he warned that if you sit on a great concept, someone else in the zeitgeist will ship it within six months.

How do creators know their work is good enough to post?

Siow Wei uses WhatsApp to test jokes with her team. Anthpo sends drafts to seven brutally honest friends. "The meanest people in my life are by far my most valuable assets," he said. "If I send a video or an idea to them, and all seven of them are like 'that's good,' it always rips." That pre-publish honesty mirrors how old-school comedians workshop material privately before risking a public flop.

What do creators do when they're running out of ideas?

Siow Wei maintains characters like Swaggy, Randy, Besty, Richy, and Billy. When content feels exhausted, she expands the cast: "Let's create another character, there's more possibility that we can bring it into our content."

Anthpo reinvents. Over 12 years he moved from sketch comedy to a TikTok house, college content, a MrBeast stint, and anonymous stunts now called performance art—earning the nickname "dumb internet Banksy." "I failed many, many, many, many, many times," he said, noting failure supplies data for improvement.

What is the purple horse rule—and why does it matter?

Both creators urged the audience to know the purple horse (or cow) concept: a roadside horse might get a glance, but a purple horse makes you stop. Anthpo delights viewers with the unseen; Siow Wei said to "put that purple horse in the first three seconds," citing her distinctive boba-tea drinking as a scroll-stopping hook.

They also stressed building a trustworthy team. Anthpo's summary: surround yourself with joyous people who will kindly say, "Yo, this video is trash."

Then and now: gear that keeps creators shooting?

Drought-proofing is not only about ideas. Mashable flagged a DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo deal at Amazon—$1,099 as of June 27, down from the $1,599 it held for much of 2026. The palm-sized drone shoots 4K/60fps HDR with obstacle sensing, a beginner-friendly aerial option early vloggers could only dream of.

For the full panel breakdown, see Mashable's VidCon 2026 coverage from Anaheim.