Welcome to Created,
the newsletter that’s almost as fun to open as Christmas or Hanukkah gifts.
For the last issue of 2024, we’re spotlighting 10 moments from our show this past year.
Thank you for an incredible year. Seriously.
You’ve made so many dreams come true. And we’re just getting started.
2024 Recap: 10 Moments We Can't Forget
Here are 10 quotes from our interviews this year that stuck with us. Each with a link to the full interview to watch more.
1. Dude Perfect rejecting Budweiser
Quote: “That’s what everybody would expect five college guys to do [but] that just didn’t totally align with what we wanted to be known for.”
Context: When Dude Perfect was starting, they rejected a deal from Budweiser to stay family-friendly. Today, they have one of the most trusted brands on YouTube.
Takeaway: It’s easy to say yes to big money in your early days. Stick to your values. Your time will come.
2. Cleo Abram on Storytelling
Quote: “Never underestimate your audience’s intelligence. Never overestimate their prior knowledge.”
Context: There’s a reason Cleo has nearly 5M subscribers in 2 years. She distills complex ideas without dumbing it down. She gives just enough context to keep the story moving.
Takeaway: Simplify without dumbing down.
3. Casey Neistat on Brand Deals
Quote: “I called up Nike and I was like: look, I want to do this differently…I think I can make something much better.”
Context: Casey had a three-video deal with Nike. The first two, he made their way. The last one? He pitched a crazy idea where he took Nike’s budget and traveled around the world. Today, that video has over 33M views.
Takeaway: Earn permission to pitch your crazy ideas.
4. The Hacksmith on Rising Costs
Quote: “The scary part of running a business, especially on YouTube, is that if you’re not making videos, those costs are still there.”
Context: The Hacksmith bought a $5 million campus, hired 27 employees, and spends $300,000 per month to make videos. But he also feels the pressure of growing too fast, too quickly after Covid.
Takeaway: Stay as lean as possible for as long as possible.
5. MrBeast on Creator Products
Quote: “For most people, they would benefit from just doing brand deals as opposed to starting their own business.”
Context: In 2023, many creators launched products. In 2024, many shut down. MrBeast’s Feastables is an outlier. That’s why he warns that building a product takes immense time, which takes away from your content.
Takeaway: Don’t let your product slow down your content.
6. Doctor Mike on Going Viral
Quote: “Learn something, bring some value to YouTube. Otherwise, you probably won’t get popular because you won’t have anything interesting to talk about.”
Context: Doctor Mike talked about getting an education — and finding a way to make that entertaining for YouTube. If you don’t have anything to say, any views you happen to get may be short-lived.
Takeaway: Focus on long-term value over short-term virality.
7. IShowSpeed on Going Live
Quote: “If I’m going to a place, my security gets in contact with the place. They will have to find a route for when I leave…it’s a lot that goes into these streams that people don’t see.”
Context: Before going live, IShowSpeed talked about how his team scouts locations to test internet quality, maps out routes, and finds potential collabs.
Takeaway: Great livestreams require great pre-production.
8. Ryan's World on Thinking Ahead
Quote: “We thought the first priority of starting a company was diversifying our revenue sources. Just relying solely on YouTube isn’t the way to grow your business.”
Context: When YouTube banned targeted ads for kids, Ryan’s channel lost 70% of its ad income overnight. His parents had already prepared, launching a product line with Walmart in 2018, which has since sold over $1B.
Takeaway: Diversify your income.
9. Marques Brownlee on Partnerships
Quote: “A really good partner would be right in that middle ground where they already have experience building products but they would be willing to be moulded by what I think that should look like.”
Context: I interviewed Brownlee shortly after he announced his partnership with Ridge. It gives him upside in the multi-million dollar company without requiring him to start from scratch like most creator brands.
Takeaway: Choose partners who are the right stage of their journey.
10. Matt Rife on Breaking Through
Quote: “My friend was like: Why don’t you just do it yourself? You’re sitting here complaining about how nobody will give you an opportunity….comedians are starting to put their stuff out on YouTube, why don’t you just do that?”
Context: Overlooked by the industry, Rife crowdfunded nearly $30K to create his first YouTube comedy special. That special got 16 million views and today, Rife is one of the highest paid comedians after signing with Netflix.
Takeaway: Create opportunities when no one else will.
There are many more interviews we did that we didn’t have space to include. Check them out here.
🎯 Weekly Roundup: Thumbnails
Here’s why we love these YT thumbnails. Hopefully, they inspire your next one.
- ‘My POV’ text + helmet camera make you wonder how it turned out (Isaac Carlton)
- Glowing red brain inside a skull creates striking visual impact (Somrat Dutta)
- Old vs new paperclips + rhetorical question makes you curious (Design Theory)
- City + water flow visual makes you wonder how it works (Primal Space)
🚀 Weekly Outlier
This video by Anlytics With Chris has got 1.4M views which is 226 times higher than the channel’s average. Here’s why it took off:
- Gripping Premise: Exploring what happened to MLB's #1 draft picks since 2010 keeps you hooked.
- Unexpected Stories: From Bryce Harper's dominance to Mark Appel's late debut, each player's journey surprises in its own way.
- Emotional Anchor: The video’s mix of personal stories and larger themes makes success feel relatable and inspiring.
Sponsored by Spotter
Why Creators Love Spotter Studio’s Calendar Tool
As creators, juggling video ideas, publishing schedules, and project details is overwhelming.
It’s why I love Spotter Studio’s new Calendar feature, which helps keep everything on track.
The Calendar helps you:
- Stay Organized with a clear view of past and upcoming videos in one easy-to-navigate format.
- Plan Ahead by scheduling future publish dates and making adjustments with simple drag-and-drop.
- Access Project Details directly from the calendar view so I can make changes without switching tabs.
Plus, the “Today” button makes it even easier to jump back to the current month when you need to.
Spotter’s Calendar can completely streamline how you plan, so you get back to doing what you do best: creating.
Click here to try Spotter Studio for 60 days free and take control of your content schedule today.
💰 Job Board
- Brook Hiddink is hiring a thumbnail designer
- Zach King is hiring a post-production/VFX supervisor
- Cole Gonzales is hiring a long-form scriptwriter
🏆 The Created Referral Program
Know someone who’d also love this newsletter? Refer them and get gifts.
Refer 1 friend: you’ll get my Infinite Ideas book. It’s my 8 best tips to find viral ideas for your next upload.
Refer 5 friends: you’ll get my Top 50 Thumbnails book. It includes a detailed breakdown of why they work so you improve your packaging.
Trust me, these books are packed with more tips than most paid courses.
Copy this unique link and email, text, or post it: [RH_REFLINK GOES HERE]
👋 See You Inside
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– Jon
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