How MKBHD Became The Most Powerful Man in Tech (Marques Brownlee Interview)
Apr 25, 2024
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Tech reviewer Marques Brownlee discusses his influence in the industry, creative process for videos like Apple Vision Pro and Tesla Cybertruck, income breakdown and advice for new YouTubers. Touches on the balancing act of YouTube & personal life, using AI tools creatively, and joining Ridge for new product launches
MKBHD selects products for review based on uniqueness and audience interest, ensuring engaging content.
Integrity is paramount for MKBHD in reviews, rejecting sponsored deals conflicting with unbiased content focus.
MKBHD emphasizes work-life balance, personal boundaries, and creative growth beyond YouTube expansion.
Deep dives
Key Point 1: Selective Review Criteria
Marquez Brownlee prioritizes reviewing products that are truly interesting and exceptional, emphasizing that most products fall into a mediocre category. He assesses a product's uniqueness, relevance, and potential audience interest before choosing to review it, aligning the product with current themes on the channel. The review selection process involves personal interest and discernment, ensuring that the final decision is based on a genuine desire to create engaging content.
Key Point 2: Ethics in Product Reviews and Sponsorships
Marquez Brownlee discusses the responsibility that comes with being a tech influencer and stresses the importance of maintaining transparency and upholding ethical standards in product reviews. He highlights that he has never accepted payment for reviews or shared video content with manufacturers before publication. Brownlee prioritizes integrity in his reviews, openly stating that sponsored deals are declined if they conflict with the channel's focus on unbiased and authentic content.
Key Point 3: Balancing Creativity and Personal Life
Marquez Brownlee shares insights into his work-life balance, revealing his commitment to professional ultimate Frisbee and making time for life outside of YouTube. He emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries, such as not responding to work-related messages on weekends, to prioritize personal well-being and maintain a healthy balance between creative pursuits and leisure activities. Despite acknowledging potential growth opportunities from extended work hours, Brownlee values healthy creative growth and new experiences beyond continuous channel expansion.
Partnership between Marques and Ridge
The podcast episode delves into the partnership between Marques and Ridge, a popular wallet manufacturing company. The collaboration aims to create a series of products ranging from custom colorways to signature series items. Marques highlights the importance of creating a product line that aligns with his interests and resonates with his audience. Additionally, the episode discusses the unique aspect of the partnership, where Marques brings his expertise in content creation while Ridge provides its experience in product design and manufacturing, leading to the potential for innovative offerings.
Future Expansion and Product Development
The conversation transitions towards future plans for Ridge, focusing on potential expansion and product development strategies. The aim is to evolve from producing wallets to introducing a broader range of accessories like bags. This expansion strategy is viewed as a key driver towards achieving substantial revenue growth for Ridge. Marques emphasizes the importance of seamlessly integrating the Ridge products into his content to provide authentic and organic product endorsements. The episode concludes by exploring the potential opportunities for aspiring creators to pursue similar collaborations and the evolving landscape of content creation and brand partnerships.
I interviewed Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) about how he built his empire, his creative process, and unveiling his first products with Ridge. Thanks to Shopify for sponsoring: https://shopify.com/youshaei
We also discussed Marques’ influence as a tech reviewer with the news about his Fisker Ocean and Humane Ai Pin reviews, the plans and products he’s launching with Ridge, and Marques’ process for making videos that get millions of views like Using Apple Vision Pro, Driving Tesla Cybertruck, and Reviewing Every iPhone ever.
(0:00) The Most Powerful Man in Tech
(2:13) Inside MKBHD's Inbox & Deciding What To Review
(3:45) Power, Responsibility & Conflicts of Interest
(6:28) MKBHD’s Income Breakdown
(8:24) Marques’ Advice For New YouTubers
(9:22) Risks of Speaking Truth to Power
(12:24) How does Marques produce so much?
(14:51) Closer Look At MKBHD's Creative Process
(19:10) How Marques Scripts His Videos
(23:30) Most Expensive Videos
(25:44 )Where Marques Finds Inspiration
(27:17) Science of MKBHD Thumbnails
(29:57) Selling the MKBHD channel
(31:20) Balancing YouTube & Personal Life (Cont.)
(33:33) Favorite Productivity Apps
(34:33) How MKBHD Use AI...Actually
(38:05) If you were CEO...
(41:14) The $1M Tweet
(43:02) Why MKBHD Joined Ridge
(46:09) Ripple Effect on other YouTubers
(49:15) New Products, Content & What's Ahead
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