YouTube's Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan on the algorithm, monetization, and future for creators

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Aug 3, 2021

Neal Mohan, YouTube's Chief Product Officer, dives into the platform’s expansive role in the creator economy. He discusses a new $100 million fund for YouTube Shorts, emphasizing its competition with TikTok. Mohan highlights YouTube’s booming advertising revenue, surpassing even Netflix, and the complexities of supporting diverse creators while navigating algorithm challenges. He also explores innovative monetization strategies and future enhancements aimed at enriching the creator experience, shedding light on the intricate balance of user trust and content moderation.

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INSIGHT

YouTube's Invisibility

YouTube has become essential internet infrastructure.
From video hosting to how-to guides, it's become almost invisible, like a utility.

ANECDOTE

YouTube Shorts Inspiration

The first YouTube video, "Me at the Zoo," was an 18-second clip.
Today, similar short-form content is created on mobile devices, inspiring YouTube Shorts.

INSIGHT

Global Launch Strategy

YouTube prioritizes global launches for products like Shorts.
They often launch in markets outside the U.S. first, like India.

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On today’s episode I’m talking with Neal Mohan, the chief product officer at YouTube. And there’s a lot to talk about – YouTube is announcing a $100 million fund to begin paying creators who use YouTube Shorts, which is its competitor to TikTok. YouTube remains the default video hosting platform for the entire internet, in a way can feel almost invisible, like it’s a utility, like water, or electricity. And on top of all that, there are YouTubers – that particular kind of influencer at the center of the creator economy – the people who have turned YouTube not only into a career, but multimillion dollar businesses that extend into everything from merch drops to cheeseburger restaurants. When people talk about creators and the creator economy, they’re often just talking about YouTube.

YouTube as a whole continues to grow in massive ways – in Google’s last earnings report, YouTube reported 7b in advertising revenue alone, which means it’s a business that is now as big or bigger than Netflix. YouTube is big – just like this conversation.

Links:

YouTube creators can now get $10,000 per month for making Shorts - https://www.theverge.com/e/22370332

Google sets all-time records as search and YouTube profits soar - https://www.theverge.com/e/22360633

"Me at the Zoo" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNQXAC9IVRw

Instagram launches reels, it's attempt to keep you off TikTok - https://www.theverge.com/e/21118158

YouTube launches Capture, a video recording and enhancing app for iOS - https://www.theverge.com/e/3541449

Instagram says its algorithm won’t promote Reels that have a TikTok watermark - https://www.theverge.com/e/22038373

Patreon CEO Jack Conte on why creators can’t depend on platforms - https://www.theverge.com/e/22307696

YouTube may push users to more radical views over time, a new paper argues - https://www.theverge.com/e/20600060

Examining the consumption of radical content on YouTube - https://www.pnas.org/content/118/32/e2101967118

Read the transcript: https://www.theverge.com/e/22370337

Decoder is produced by Creighton DeSimone, Alexander Charles Adams and Andrew Marino. And we are edited by Callie Wright. Our music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.

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