This Week In Startups #926: Casey Neistat
I didn’t monetize the first 100 million views on YouTube. I figured out other ways to make money. [7:59]
When you spend your day staring at screens it makes you hyper sensitive to what you are consuming. There is so much bullshit in the world of media. We yearn for things that are real and true. [11:52]
Example: To a generation that feels disenfranchised from all the media that is shoved down their throat - they find something refreshing in Felix [PewDiePie] taking to the camera everyday about whatever he is excited about . You know he is a real person. I think that is a really special thing. [12:47]
It is hard to find focus. It is challenging. A lot of my lack of focus is self inflicted. I’ve gotten better at saying no. My phone has all notifications turned off. [17:51]
I don’t like to be around people. I don’t go out after dark. I’m home everyday by 5:30. I got upset if people ask me for a dinner meeting. That’s my time. No matter the event it is not as great for me as spending time with my kids. [20:32]
A big part of my income is public speaking. I will turn down the money if they ask for a meet and greet afterward. Or a dinner afterward. I panic when people get close to me. [22:00]
I deleted social media apps off my phone. I’m only using them on my laptop. This means that I only interact with them once or twice a day. [36:40]
Did you go to film school? I didn’t even finish high school. I left home at 15. [44:16]
If you don’t know what you want to do in life spend as much time as possible doing something you absolutely hate. Spending 8 to 16 hours a day washing dishes galvanized my resolve to increase my [socioeconomic] mobility. [48:24]
The people on Twitter saying life is not fair, not anyone can make it. I think they are right. They will never make it because they don’t want it. [51:16]
Every person has a device on them at all times that can shoot high-quality video, edit the video, and can distribute that video to everyone on earth. [1:03:28]
Embracing limitations has been the charter of my film making style. Don’t think of limitations as obstructions. Think of them as opportunities. [1:08:11]
Limiting your resources can benefit your artistic process. I think that is extremely true in the world of media. [1:09:47]