How I Built This with Guy Raz

Dude Perfect: Cory Cotton and Tyler Toney

Sep 20, 2021

Cory Cotton and Tyler Toney, co-founders of Dude Perfect, transform their college mischief into a YouTube powerhouse. They share hilarious tales of their initial trick shots, including the pivotal moment that caught the attention of Good Morning America. The duo discusses the grueling journey from part-time creators to full-time entertainers, battling financial challenges while trying to perfect their craft. With insight into their shift from basketball to diverse content and the importance of faith and friendship, they outline how they built a media empire that captivates millions.

01:28:52

Episode guests

Tyler Toney

Cory Cotton

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

3min

From Backyard Games to YouTube Fame

6min

From Childhood to Creativity: The Dude Perfect Journey

20min

Early Lessons in Video Creation and Copyright

5min

From Trick Shots to Media Spotlight

19min

From Trick Shots to Corporate Sponsorship: A Journey of Diversification

2min

High-Flying Basketball Shot: A Rollercoaster Experience

4min

From College Dreams to Stunt Success

8min

Balancing Dreams and Reality

11min

10.

Navigating Growth and Creative Dynamics in Business

6min

11.

The Journey of Dude Perfect

11min

12.

Farewell and Opportunities for Growth

2min

As Texas A&M students in the mid 2000's, Cory Cotton, Tyler Toney and their housemates spent countless hours playing hockey in the living room and attempting trick shots in the backyard. A spontaneous bet over a sandwich led the guys to make a video montage of outrageous basketball shots, which they titled Dude Perfect and posted on a new site called YouTube. After that first video wound up on Good Morning America, the five Dudes challenged themselves to even more outrageous stunts: an impossible shot from the third tier of a stadium, a here-goes-nothing lob from the door of a flying plane. But despite their growing popularity, the group spent five grueling years trying to build ad revenue and brand deals while juggling day jobs and commuting weekly across Texas. In 2014, they finally committed fulltime to building Dude Perfect into a robust entertainment platform, which today includes books, TV, live events, and a YouTube channel that has more subscribers than the NBA, NFL, and NHL combined.

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