5 Things to Know Before Adding Creators to Your Cap Table, According to Investor Jaclyn Johnson

“You cannot structure a creator relationship around assumptions, follower counts, and good vibes.”

Jaclyn Johnson. Illustration: Inc; Photo: Adobe Stock, Courtesy subject

The creator economy is valued at approximately $310 billion in 2026, with projections estimating growth to between $480 billion and $500 billion by 2027. As marketing and customer acquisition costs continue to surge, founders are looking for ways to get their product in front of the right audience at scale. For some founders, getting creators onto the cap table is the answer they’ve been looking for. 

“For the first time ever, engineering is not the most expensive thing in your use of funds when you’re raising money,” says Jaclyn Johnson, co-founder of Cherub, a platform that connects founders, creators, and angel investors. “What has gone up in price is marketing.” 

Johnson, who has also personally invested in 25 companies, including Sephora best-sellers Ceremonia and Crown Affair, says the directive to add creators to a brand’s cap table is coming directly from early-stage VCs, who are now asking founders point-blank whether they have a creator on their cap table before writing a check. VCs don’t want to watch marketing dollars going up in smoke on Meta ads. A creator equity deal (done right) lowers customer acquisition costs and comes with a built-in audience, which de-risks the investment from a VC perspective. 

Johnson has also watched founders rush these deals

But Johnson has also watched founders rush these deals for the wrong reasons, treating a creator’s follower count as a KPI rather than vetting them like any other equity holder. Here’s her playbook for getting it right.

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Screen for impact, not audience size

The instinct is to chase the creator with the biggest following. Johnson says that’s the first mistake. 

“You need someone who’s going to make the biggest impact on your business,” she says, not just someone willing to post. 

Look for a creator whose audience is genuinely your customer, whose content already fits your brand without feeling forced. This is someone who can do more than sell: they can also shape product development, lend credibility, and act as a focus group. Who needs a six-figure market research contract when you have a creator who can post a single Instagram story and get live, unfiltered, real-time feedback? 

Source: www.inc.com