The opinions expressed by Digital Journal contributors are their own.
The modern Internet has created a powerful assumption about entrepreneurship: to build a successful online business, people must constantly market themselves. The visibility, personal branding and culture of influencers are deeply connected to how digital success is perceived. But according to Julia Meiners and Jaqueline Besanceney, that model may no longer reflect how many people want to work online.
Better known as Jacky and Julez, the two entrepreneurs are part of a growing group of founders exploring alternative approaches to digital business that rely less on personal visibility and more on systems, automation and scalable online infrastructure.
Before building their current company, both women spent years experimenting with various online business models, including e-commerce, affiliate marketing, and digital education platforms. Through those experiences, they noticed a recurring problem within the creator economy: many business models appeared too dependent on continuous content production and public exposure.
“It often felt like people were told they had to become influencers first and entrepreneurs second,” says Julez.
This observation formed the direction of their work. Instead of focusing on personality-driven branding, Jacky and Julez became interested in “faceless” business models, systems where digital products, affiliate structures and automated processes work without requiring founders to constantly build a public online identity.
Their perspective reflects a broader shift taking place across the digital economy. As burnout, creator fatigue and privacy concerns continue to rise, more entrepreneurs are questioning whether visibility should remain the default requirement for online success.
“Not everyone wants their personal life to be tied to their income,” says Jacky. “A lot of people are looking for stability and flexibility instead.”
The rise of automation tools, digital platforms and remote business infrastructure has made these alternative models increasingly accessible. As influencer-driven businesses continue to dominate much of social media culture, founders like Jacky and Julez believe the next phase of online entrepreneurship may look more functional and system-focused than personality-driven.
Their argument is not that personal branding no longer matters, but that it may no longer be the only way forward.
As the online business landscape evolves, this distinction is becoming increasingly important to a new generation of entrepreneurs looking for different ways to participate in the digital economy.
