In the rapidly evolving digital media landscape, going viral is no longer just about creating great content. It is increasingly about understanding distribution, identifying emerging trends, and building systems that can capture audience attention at scale.
In a conversation on the Masters’ Union podcast, entrepreneur and content creator Varun Mayya shared his insights into the changing dynamics of content creation, the rise of AI-powered media, and how businesses can engineer virality.
From AI Avatars to the Next Content Revolution
Varun Mayya believes that the content industry operates in constantly changing cycles. A few years ago, vlogs dominated the internet, followed by long-form shows, short-form videos, and AI-generated avatars.
His company experimented with AI avatars early and scaled the format significantly. In 2025, YouTube recognised his avatar as the largest avatar creator in the world at the World Economic Forum in Davos, according to the conversation.
However, Varun believes the AI avatar trend is already evolving. He sees a growing appetite for authentic, long-form content, particularly lectures and conversations featuring real people.
The Rise of Clipping Networks
One of the most interesting ideas Varun discussed was building a large-scale clipping network.
His vision is to collaborate with thousands of independent content clippers who can turn podcasts, interviews, and other long-form content into short-form videos and distribute them across multiple social media pages.
Rather than relying on a handful of official brand channels, he wants to build a network potentially involving 50,000 to 500,000 pages.
He compared the model to influencer marketing, but with much smaller creators and distribution partners.
The objective is to make content reach audiences through multiple independent channels, increasing its chances of gaining traction across social media feeds.
Why Being Different Matters More Than Being Better
Varun also shared an interesting lesson from building his video game, Unleash the Aar.
The team’s first trailer received mixed reactions, but one unusual Bollywood-inspired animation went viral internationally, particularly in China. Gamers even recreated the move in popular games such as Black Myth: Wukong and Sekiro.
Instead of avoiding unconventional creative choices, Varun believes businesses should sometimes embrace ideas that initially appear unusual or even cringe-worthy.
He explained that the early videos from his company AV also included comedy skits within informational content. Although the format initially attracted criticism, it helped the brand stand out before the team gradually refined its content style.
His philosophy is simple: the internet does not always reward what is better; it often rewards what is different.
Finding Business Opportunities in Unmet Demand
Beyond content creation, Varun shared his broader philosophy on entrepreneurship.
According to him, building a successful business is less about whether an idea is difficult or easy and more about identifying gaps in the market.
He pointed to examples such as quick commerce and video editing, where businesses succeeded by addressing demand that customers themselves may not have clearly articulated.
He believes entrepreneurs should focus on identifying these gaps and making complex solutions effortless for customers.
The Future of the Attention Economy
Varun’s broader vision revolves around building an ecosystem of businesses operating within the attention economy, spanning content production, AI tools, engineering, influencer marketing, and distribution.
His latest experiments suggest that the next major shift in digital media may not simply come from creating better videos, but from building more sophisticated distribution networks.
As AI continues to make content production easier, the real competitive advantage could increasingly lie in creativity, authenticity, relationships, and the ability to capture attention at scale.