We talked about age range; let’s talk about behavior and attitude. Again, my sample, so to speak, was only those that had the means to attend TwitchCon.

I don’t think we can talk about either of those without talking about brand, The marketing concept of personal brand was central to everything at the con, from what hardware you used to stream, to the clothes you wear while on camera, to the community that you’re building.

With that in mind, most of the convention attendees, with several amazing exceptions, came off as vapid, narcissistic, and oblivious. While I was there, I dismissed them for this, and for not being more professional when it came to their livelihood. A great many of these streamers are making a living at this, or trying to. After reflecting further, I realize that this is a direct result of the brand that they’re building.

So when I, and my compatriots, found ourselves pitched to by other streamers, often times poorly, as if we were viewers, I was taken off-guard. But the lesson of “don’t treat your peers as if they have the same motivations as your viewers” hasn’t been taught, let alone been reinforced through the way this business works.

I was wrong to dismiss the behavior, and the people that behaved this way. What I should do is look into resources that are available to them to better their business skills and professionalism.

No, the irony of me being more professional than others isn’t lost on me. :)