Hank Green lets loose on YouTube, billionaires, and algorithms
Today, I’m talking with Hank Green, a longtime friend of Decoder and the co-founder and now former owner of Complexly, an online education company he started with his brother John in 2012. I say former owner because Hank and John have just converted Complexly into a nonprofit and given up their ownership of the company in the process.
That’s some of the purest Decoder bait that ever was, because it’s all about how you structure a company and how you make decisions about changing that structure. So of course I had to bring Hank back on to talk all about it.
Read the full interview transcript on The Verge.
Links:
Greens’ studio becomes nonprofit as they aim to make ‘trustworthy content’ | AP
Hank Green makes Nilay Patel explain why websites have a future | Decoder (2024)
Why Hank Green can’t quit YouTube for TikTok | Decoder (2022)
Hank Green and Sam Reich on running content companies | Decoder
Hank Green and Sal Khan on AI in educational video | Decoder
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Credits:
Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Decoder is produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and edited by Ursa Wright. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane.
The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
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173: Hank Green – State of the Workflow
Myke talks to Hank Green about how he manages an impossibly full creative life — from YouTube and Crash Course to books, businesses, and Good.Store — using simple tools, structured weeks, selective meetings, delegation, and a constant flow of new ideas.
This episode of Cortex is sponsored by:
Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CORTEX.
Stuff: Organize your life and achieve your goals. Get 50% off your first year of Extra Stuff with code STUFF.
Fitbod: Get stronger, faster with a fitness plan that fits you. Get 25% off your membership.
Guest Starring:
Hank Green
Links and Show Notes:
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👕 Shop The Subtle Range – Available until November 19th 👕
vlogbrothers - YouTube
hankschannel - YouTube
Crash Course
Focus Friend, by Hank Green App - App Store
DFTBA
Good Store
SciShow - YouTube
Dear Hank & John
Complexly
Google Tasks
Airtable
The Hardest Problem Evolution Ever Solved – hankschannel – YouTube
Hank's Home Screen
Hank Green | Book of Good Times – DFTBA
Awesome Socks
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Why we keep failing to eradicate this disease, with YouTuber John Green
John Green has spent his career telling stories — through novels, YouTube videos, and educational projects like Crash Course. Now, he’s on a mission to eliminate tuberculosis: a curable disease that still kills more than a million people every year. In this episode, Green joins host Jeff Berman to talk about how we could scale solutions to this global health crisis — and how to leverage obsession, creativity, and community to take on monumental challenges.
Link to Everything is Tuberculosis
Link to Henry’s YouTube
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AI at Your Jobs + Hank Green Talks TikTok + Deepfake High School
We asked listeners to tell us about the wildest ways they have been using artificial intelligence at work. This week, we bring you their stories. Then, Hank Green, a legendary YouTuber, stops by to talk about how creators are reacting to the prospect of a ban on TikTok, and about how he’s navigating an increasingly fragmented online environment. And finally, deep fakes are coming to Main Street: We’ll tell you the story of how they caused turmoil in a Maryland high school and what, if anything, can be done to fight them.
Guests:
Hank Green, YouTuber and co-founder of Complexly
Additional Reading:
School Employee Arrested After Racist Deepfake Recording of Principal Spreads
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Montana bans TikTok. Also, FREE TV
The Verge's Nilay Patel, David Pierce, and Adi Robertson discuss Montana being the first state to ban TikTok, the Supreme Court ruling against reexamining Section 230, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman testifying before the Senate.
Then, David interviews vlogger Hank Green about the TikTok ban in Montana.
Later, Verge senior news editor Richard Lawler joins the show to discuss this week in gadgets, from the free Telly TV to the Beats Studio Buds Plus.
TikTok is now banned in Montana: here’s what you need to know
Montana bans Telegram, WeChat, and Temu from government devices
Full Hank Green interview here
TikTok ban: all the news on attempts to ban the video platform
Supreme Court puts off showdown over Texas and Florida social media laws
Supreme Court rules against reexamining Section 230
Congress hates Big Tech — but it still seems optimistic about AI
This free TV comes with two screens
The free TV company briefly wasn’t sure what it should do with data from kids
Amazon’s latest Echo Buds have an all-new design and much cheaper price
Amazon’s new Echo Pop is a $40 smart speaker
Beats Studio Buds Plus review: it’s cool to be clear
CueCat
YouTube is bringing unskippable 30-second ads to TV
Max promises shorter ad breaks than other streamers when it launches May 23rd
Netflix’s ad tier has attracted almost 5 million users
Apparently, they were all losers in the race to 5G.
Tesla’s humanoid robot can pick things up and put them down
Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you.
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Complexly: Hank and John Green
In 2007, brothers Hank and John Green lived thousands of miles apart, so they started posting video blogs to each other on a strange new platform called YouTube. People began tuning in, and the daily Vlogbrothers posts became an early viral hit. Over time, the brothers grew that single channel into a sprawling collection of businesses, including a production studio—Complexly—that makes some of the most entertaining educational content on the internet. They’re also both hugely successful authors; John’s young adult novel The Fault in Our Stars is one of the best-selling books of all time. With every success, Hank says he’s asked himself, “What’s exciting? What’s causing you the most stress? Head in that direction.”
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Why Hank Green can’t quit YouTube for TikTok
Today I’m talking to Hank Green. Hank doesn’t need much introduction. In fact, he invited himself on Decoder to talk about YouTube's partner program, which shares ad revenue between YouTube and the people making videos. The split is 55/45 in favor of creators. But other platforms don't have this. There is no revenue share on Instagram. There is no revenue share on Twitter. There’s no revenue on Twitter at all, really. And importantly there is no revenue share on TikTok: instead there’s something called a creator fund, which shares fixed pool of money, about a billion dollars, among all the creators on the platform. That means as more and more creators join TikTok, everyone gets paid. You might understand this concept as: basic division.
This episode is long, and it’s weedsy. Honestly, it’s pretty deep in our feelings about participating in the internet culture economy, and the relationship between huge platform companies and the communities that build on them. But it’s a good one, and it’s not really something any of us talk about enough.
Links:
Vlogbrothers
Decoder interview with YouTube Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan
Viacom Has Officially Acquired VidCon, A Global Online Video Convention Series
Patreon Acquires Subbable, Aligning the YouTube Stars
The Verge EMAILS t-shirt
Crash Course
SciShow
Eons
The medium is the message
The Kardashians hate the new Instagram
Hank Green: So… TikTok Sucks
Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast, “TikTok vs YouTube with Hank Green”
Decoder: The videos that don’t work on YouTube and the future of the creator business with Nebula CEO Dave Wiskus
Awesome Socks Club
Awesome Coffee Club
Transcript:
https://www.theverge.com/e/23051537
Credits:
Decoder is a production of The Verge, and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Today’s episode was produced by Creighton DeSimone and Jackie McDermott and it was edited by Callie Wright.
The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Our Sr Audio Director is Andrew Marino. Our Editorial Director is Brooke Minters. And our Executive Producer is Eleanor Donovan.
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TikTok vs YouTube with Hank Green
It isn't often that Marques speaks with someone who has been making videos on YouTube for longer than he has! In this one we bring on Hank Green to talk all about social media monetization and what it's like to be a creator on multiple platforms. Marques and Hank dive deeper into a video that Hank made discussing the TikTok creator fund and why it likely isn't a sustainable option for creators who are trying to make a living.
Links:
Hank Green video: https://bit.ly/3Hs3Co9
Twitters:
https://twitter.com/wvfrm
https://twitter.com/mkbhd
https://twitter.com/andymanganelli
https://twitter.com/hankgreen
https://twitter.com/AdamLukas17
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/wvfrmpodcast/
Shop the merch:
shop.mkbhd.com
Join the Discord:
https://discord.gg/mkbhd
Music by 20syl:
https://bit.ly/2S53xlC
Waveform is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.
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