The Gstaad Guy sits down with Nick Tran, president of First Round & former CMO of TikTok, and one of the most inventive minds in modern marketing, to explore what it really means to stay true to yourself in a world shaped by algorithms, speed, and constant reinvention. With a career built at the intersection of culture, creativity, and technology, Nick reflects on navigating chaos, solving problems through imagination, and building brand affinity in an era where attention is the most valuable currency.
The conversation dives into how social media rewired culture, the rise of AI as a tool that empowers both creators and consumers, and why authenticity, not perfection, wins in the digital arena. Nick shares lessons from the inside of one of the worldโs most influential platforms, offering rare insight into storytelling, community, and the evolving relationship between people and technology. A thoughtful look at the future of content, identity, and creativity in a world where anyone can make anything.
Filmed at Casa Cipriani New Yorkโs Premier River View Suite.
Chapters:
(00:00) Intro โจ
(01:17) Social media & TikTok ๐ฑ๐ต
(02:32) AI social media ๐ค๐ฒ
(03:18) The most successful lies ๐ญโ ๏ธ
(06:31) AI servicing creators & consumers ๐ค๐จ๐ฅ
(09:48) Oversupply of AI-generated content ๐๐ค๐
(12:08) Producing campaigns ๐ฅ๐
(12:57) Organic socials ๐ฑ๐ฑ
(15:36) Community building ๐งโ๐คโ๐ง๐
(18:14) Becoming a CMO ๐๐ผ
(22:05) Having a calm demeanour ๐๐ฟ
(24:14) Problem solving ๐งฉ๐ก
(28:45) Brand affinity โค๏ธ๐ท๏ธ
(32:57) Content strategy ๐๏ธ๐ฏ
(37:08) Whoop โโก
(41:33) Solving chaos ๐ฅโก๏ธ๐ง
(44:03) Building a team ๐งฑ๐ฅ
(45:55) Working in lean environments ๐ชถ๐ผ
(54:49) Saily โต๐ฑ
(56:46 )University ๐๐
(1:01:36) Screen time ๐ฑโฑ๏ธ
(1:04:19) Knowledge access vs. acquisition ๐๐โ๏ธ
(1:08:16) Process matters โ๏ธ๐ง
(1:09:33) โMarketing at the speed of cultureโ โก๐จ๐
(1:15:32) ร La Poubelle vs. Fantastique ๐๏ธโจ
(1:18:44) Internet awareness & cultural curiosity ๐๐๏ธ๐ญ
(1:19:41) Freelance vs. full-time ๐งโ๐ปโ๏ธ๐ข
(1:25:30) Small teams ๐ฅโจ
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