Don't Be a Jerk The Hidden Success Behind 100 No. 1 Debuts and the The YouTube Creator Economy, with Bing Chen
What if your success has nothing to do with you? That is the worldview of Bing Chen. And it has shaped two massive revolutions: the YouTube creator economy and the rise of Asian representation in Hollywood.
Bing and I go all the way back to Wharton. We were in the same senior society. After college we’d grab coffee in New York and he’d casually say things like, “I think millions of people will make their full-time living on YouTube.” He was right. He helped build it.
Today he is the CEO and Co-Founder of Gold House. Under his leadership the collective has supported over 600 projects, helped 100 films and shows reach #1 total debuts, and driven billions in revenue.
But none of that is why this conversation blew me away. The real story is Bing’s philosophy.
This is a conversation about generosity, legacy, culture, and what leadership actually looks like when you center it on others.
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – Why Bing and I still feel like caffeinated college kids
03:00 – The early YouTube years and the birth of the creator economy
07:00 – Bing’s definition of success and how losing his father changed everything
10:00 – Why real givers never count who owes them
11:30 – Naming the “creator.” The internal battles inside YouTube
15:00 – How Gold House accidentally came to life
16:00 – The strategy behind rallying a global diaspora
17:00 – The three universal human desires (health, love, meaning)
20:00 – The truth behind #GoldOpen and engineering cultural wins
23:00 – Why 100 films and shows reached number one in total debuts
25:00 – How community movements are intentionally built
28:00 – The manifesto of Gold House and why it is built on giving
29:30 – Why they chose the color gold and how brand identity shapes culture
31:00 – Being “the first call” when people win or fall
33:00 – Building a Marvel-scale creative universe about death
36:00 – Why contemplating mortality makes you more generous
41:00 – How to design community experiences that spark real impact
44:30 – Ethics, character checks, and the courage to excommunicate the wrong people
47:00 – The leadership principle Bing wishes he learned earlier
50:00 – How to be “the only one,” not the best one
55:00 – Final reflections on kindness, ambition, and legacy
This episode is a masterclass in impact, community, and leadership.
If you’ve ever wondered how to build something bigger than yourself, Bing is the blueprint.
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