OnlyFans CEO reveals why he hires no middle managers and runs the 400-million-user platform with only 42 employees
Why doesn’t OnlyFans have a middle manager?
In a conversation with Jeff Berman, Blair said the company follows a simple rule: hire very senior talent and very hungry young talent, and let them work without layers that slow them down.
“So we hire incredibly senior talent, and then we hire incredibly hungry younger talent, and when we hire we look for attitude and talent rather than experience. And we don’t have that kind of squidgy middle manager layer out there, because in my experience no one has ever had a really good middle manager,” Blair explained.
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He said this approach keeps the organization flat, with each employee acting as an individual contributor rather than managing teams.
Leaders are evaluated by results, not team size
Challenging common institutional belief, Blair said he rejected the idea that leaders should be judged by the number of people who report to them. He argued that what matters is what they offer.
“We told our teams: ‘You can be a one-man team and achieve extraordinary results, it will be very valuable,'” he said.
An extremely profitable platform
Founded in 2016, OnlyFans generates approximately $7 billion in annual revenue, according to Business Insider. Blair suggested that its modern structure played an important role in ensuring the company remained efficient and profitable.
OnlyFans is a subscription platform where creators share exclusive content directly with fans for a monthly fee. Creators set subscription prices, typically between $4.99 and $49.99 per month, and keep 80% of the earnings, while the company takes a 20% commission.
Although widely known for adult content, the platform is also used by musicians, artists and influencers. Since taking over as CEO in 2023, Blair has focused on expanding the platform’s image and developing brand partnerships while continuing to support creators around the world.
