For a new decentralized, open-source social media website, content creators are way more important than lurkers, especially at the beginning. Here’s why:

  1. Content creators generate the lifeblood of your platform

If no one’s posting, there’s nothing for lurkers to lurk. You need creators to build:

Posts

Comments

Discussions

Memes, drama, inside jokes, etc.

This is what gives the platform a vibe—the culture, tone, and appeal that make people want to return.

  1. Lurkers follow content—not silence

In decentralized social media, where discoverability and virality aren’t always algorithm-driven (like on Mastodon or Lemmy), content needs to exist before users can even decide whether the place is worth hanging out in. If the platform looks empty, people bounce.

  1. Open source decentralization relies on community engagement

Unlike corporate platforms with centralized marketing and dev teams, your community is your growth engine. Creators are often your:

First evangelists

Bug reporters

Modders

Community organizers

They set the tone, attract like-minded folks, and give the platform purpose.

That said… lurkers become creators

Eventually, you need both. But at the start? Creators all the way. They’re the spark—lurkers are the oxygen that fans the flames once the fire is already burning.

Follow-up question. What happens when you only have lurkers?

When you only have lurkers, your platform turns into a ghost town with eyeballs. Here’s what typically happens:

  1. Stagnation

Without active content creation, the site becomes static. Lurkers come by, see nothing new, and stop coming altogether. It’s a vicious loop:

No posts → no reason to visit → fewer visits → even fewer posts.

  1. Cultural flatline

Content creators shape the voice and culture of a site. Without them:

There’s no community identity

No norms or inside jokes

No moderation signals or vibe setting It feels cold and lifeless—like an abandoned mall with security cameras still rolling.

  1. Failed growth

Lurkers don’t invite their friends or share posts. If they do, it’s rare and passive. Growth stalls because there’s no activity to amplify.

  1. Death by silence

Especially in decentralized social media, silence is lethal. There’s no algorithm to “save” you. No corporate content team to fill the gaps. If the node, instance, or site isn’t buzzing, people will move to one that is.

TL;DR:

Only having lurkers = slow decay. Lurkers might like what they see—but if no one’s creating, there’s nothing to like.