When Jim Austin set out to launch qrush.com (pronounced “crush”), he wasn’t thinking primarily about the challenge of doing so during a pandemic; he was focused on how to set his new content/fan platform apart from the formidable competition already on the market.

“We all know about OnlyFans success and of course the new platforms that are sprouting up every day,” Austin told YNOT. “So, when I created qrush i knew we had to do something different and the most important question we had to answer was traffic. How do we get fresh traffic and new users to Content Creators with an 80% payout? So that’s when we came up with the 2 tier payout schedule, we offer 80% payout to your direct traffic, keeping us on par or better with other sites and we offer a 50% payout for qrush traffic which we provide through our various media buys, PR and affiliates.”

Austin said this approach “solves the problem of getting maximum payout for your traffic while at the same time giving qrush enough margin to go out and acquire fresh traffic and users for our creators.”

“We all know that the traffic space is an extremely difficult and expensive place to be, so my next challenge was how to make it affordable and manage to work in the small margins,” Austin explained. “As an experienced media buyer, I know all about the product, its conversion and retention rates.”

Rather than viewing market saturation as an impediment, Austin saw an opportunity to establish visibility in a thriving sector, by offering both creators and their fans something new and different.

“Since cams and dating have been so saturated for so long, I know that a product like qrush can be competitive in the traffic marketplace,” Austin said. “Members love new products especially when they are unique.”

His idea didn’t simply spring from out of the blue, of course. It’s rooted in Austin’s long experience in two of the adult industry’s most vibrant sectors – sectors which have thrived even as the market for ‘traditional’ adult entertainment have struggled with profligate content piracy and a declining perceived value among consumers.

“My inspiration for qrush came from my previous positions in dating and cams,” Asutin explained. “Having worked in both I knew the strengths and limitations of each vertical and had the idea of creating a hybrid platform that would be the best of both worlds. qrush provides the personal experience of 1-1 dating while also giving members the opportunity to interact live with their favorite creator. On qrush you always know you are talking to a real person.”

This is not to say Austin and qrush have an easy road ahead of them, of course. With so many established brands competing for eyeballs in the same space, Austin first must win over the hearts, minds and trust of adult influencers and content creators. It’s a challenge Austin takes on with his eyes wide open, however, with his extensive experience in the industry informing his understanding of the task at hand.

“There are a lot of choices out there and I know that it’s not easy to choose,” Austin acknowledged. “It takes time and resources to set up a new account and many Creators are hesitant to try and trust a new platform. So, the most important message that I can convey is that qrush is going to be a reliable partner for all Creators.”

Citing aspects of the company which should inspire confidence from creators and fans alike, Austin noted that he and his team at qrush are “well versed in Billing, Payout, High Load Platforms, Security, Conversion Tactics and Marketing.

“What I’m particularly proud of is our Creator Support team which is available 24/7 on Live Chat to solve any issues,” Austin added. “We boast a maximum response time of 5 mins and in most cases issues are solved on the spot.”

Another challenge, of course, one Austin and qrush would not have faced at any other point in the history of the adult entertainment industry, is launching a new platform in the middle of a global pandemic. Has the pandemic introduced unique obstacles of its own?

“Absolutely, it’s been a crazy ride and I’m surprised that we did so well,” Austin said. “Delivering a new technology platform under these conditions, both on time and on budget is something that my team and I are particularly proud of.”

Developing a new platform and launching a new business are difficult under any conditions, but COVID-19 and the public health restrictions associated with combatting it throws in a monkey wrench for which no entrepreneur could have been prepared.

“Not being able to travel during the pandemic made setting up banking and processing especially difficult, but with the support of our trusted partners we set up an extremely reliable billing and payout funnel that minimizes the time it takes for Creators to get their payout,” Austin explained, adding that the “most difficult part for sure was not having the ability to have the technical team in one place.”

“Of course, many companies have been doing remote for many years now, but with a new team it’s especially challenging to not be able to meet in person,” Austin observed. “We had to adapt and make do with the circumstances we faced – and I think we came out with a great product.”

What’s more, to the extent that some existing platforms may have reaped a benefit from the world going into lockdown – in the form of more customers having more time on their hands and more new creators establishing accounts in search of revenue streams to replace income lost to COVID-19 restrictions – emerging platforms like qrush aren’t yet positioned to take advantage of those upsides.

“I’m not sure we’ve had any benefit from the lockdown, but it’s a little too early to tell,” Austin said. “I can tell you from talking to many Creators that the market is far from saturated and we are still in the growth phase of the fan vertical. The fan site ecosystem is completely unique because the heavy lifting of providing traffic is done by the Creators themselves, who quite quickly have become expert self-marketers.”

While Austin said he does think the pandemic is spurring on “an influx of new performers trying to earn money from home” he also noted that “despite the many success stories that we hear about, the majority of new performers do not make it.”

“That’s because many of the platforms do not engage in actively helping Creators and models set up their profiles and become successful,” Austin added. “That’s another example of what sets qrush apart from our competition; our inhouse team is live on chat not just to resolve issues, but also to help Creators be successful.”

Given all the obstacles and opportunities in the path ahead, what would represent a successful 2021 for qrush, from Austin’s perspective?

“The most important goal for 2021 is sustainability,” Austin told YNOT. “I have no doubt that qrush will be a success and have phenomenal growth next year. We have so many new features coming up and exciting marketing campaigns.”

Austin’s optimism for the future of qrush isn’t simply a function of his experience and confidence; it’s founded upon the initial feedback of creators who have been involved in the development and Alpha phase of the platform.

“Our Creators are giving us great feedback and are directly involved in how we design each new feature,” Austin said, before ticking off a checklist of features and functions to come. “We are going to add our affiliate program, custom content request forum, monthly cash contests, studio accounts, retargeting campaigns and Live Streaming.”

Austin also touted the benefits of its new “Guest Feed which showcases our Creators and their amazing content.”

“Now anyone can browse through our public content feed with endless scroll, allowing fans to find their favorite Content Creators,” Austin explained. “This is the best way for our creators to get more traffic and acquire new subscribers.”

All in all, it’s a “a great time for Creators to join qrush,” Austin added, inviting all content creators to reach out to him at jim@qrush.com to address any questions they might have, or to discuss business development opportunities.