The Three Questions with Andy Richter Sam Reich
Dec 9, 2025
Sam Reich, former leader at CollegeHumor and now CEO of Dropout, shares his comedic journey from a young fan of Conan O'Brien to creating groundbreaking shows like Game Changer. He opens up about the challenges of producing an ever-evolving game show format and the lean approach that kept Dropout afloat during tough times. Sam discusses using social media for growth, sourcing talent from improv and online, and his plans to diversify into scripted content and animation. His insights on perseverance and the streaming landscape are both enlightening and entertaining.
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Early Conan Obsession
- Sam Reich watched Conan O'Brien on a small black-and-white TV with his brother late at night as a kid in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- That early fandom shaped his desire to work in television and comedy.
Made The Hardest Show To Produce
- Sam intentionally made Game Changer different every episode, aiming for an anthology, and only realized the scale problem by season four.
- He admits the format is labor-intensive and would be rare on traditional networks.
Youthful Leap To NYC Sketch
- At 17 Sam moved to New York, started a sketch group, and uploaded QuickTime comedy videos before YouTube existed.
- Their live UCB show sold out fast, which led CollegeHumor to hire him at 21.