How I got started in adult content as an average guy

There was no big moment. Coming out of a divorce, two of the women I was dating around the same time had OnlyFans accounts, one of them shooting XXX content, and watching how they worked I started thinking: that might be for me. I might be able to do it, maybe even live that lifestyle. I didn't know if I could, or if I'd be any good at it. I did know marketing and I knew business, so I figured I'd try.

What made me decide to try it?

Seeing the business side up close, and knowing I already had those skills. Dating creators showed me how much of the work was marketing and driving traffic, which I'd done before. I talked about that on a podcast: I'm not the stereotypical porn star, and there's an audience for guys who look like the people watching. From deciding to having the first accounts open took less than two weeks.

What did I set up first?

An X account under the Sly Panorama name, and nothing else at first. I used it the way a fan would: liking posts, following creators, engaging, and posting a few pictures of myself. Nothing too crazy. I wanted to see if people would follow me back and whether anyone liked my look before I built anything bigger.

That was February 2025. The rest of the setup came over the next few months: more accounts, the verification on each one, and the rest of the initial setup.

What filled the eight months before my first scene?

Mostly building. I filmed a little solo content, took pictures of myself, kept the accounts active, and worked on relationships with other creators. The goal was to know people well enough that I could schedule a shoot at an expo.

The paperwork lesson came even earlier. Before I launched, the friends and girlfriends I'd filmed wouldn't sign the releases, so none of that footage was ever published.

How did my first professional scene happen?

I didn't pitch it. I'd become friends with two creators, Laci Foxx and Big Bear, from months of talking and engaging online, and they asked me to be part of a scene with them, planned around an expo in New Jersey. Laci couldn't make the trip that year, so Fortune Cooke stepped in. That was October 2025, and it was my first professional scene, shot pro-am.

I've since written up how I ask for a collab cold, but my first yes came from people who already knew me.

What scared me most?

My body on camera, fully exposed. I'm a big guy, not a gym body. I wrote more about getting comfortable on camera separately.

Being recognized worried me a little, but early on that was a much smaller deal. The day job wasn't a concern.

What surprised me most?

How hard collabs are to schedule. Most of the women and men I've approached were hard to pin down, and there's a lot of clout chasing. Plenty of people won't shoot unless you pay them a lot, because they don't think a newer creator can do anything for their brand or their reach, so a free shoot isn't worth their time. I haven't paid for a scene.

The other surprise went the opposite way: how kind and welcoming some people in this industry are. You get both ends of the spectrum.

What do I tell guys who ask how to start?

Start networking, and collab with yourself first. Make the socials, interact with people, and post pictures of yourself. I know it feels weird. Most men don't like looking at themselves that way, and you won't get much traction from it at first.

It still matters, because you'll be asking co-stars to film with you eventually. Your page has to look like you're producing adult content and entertaining fans, even if those fans are few. If it doesn't, the answer from anyone you ask is an instant no.

If you want the next steps in order, my first 90 days post lays them out, and the guide puts the rest of what I've written in reading order.

— Sly