If you’ve ever searched on YouTube for a evaluation of the newest iPhone or electrical automobile, you then’ve most likely encountered Marques Brownlee. Since he began his channel MKBHD as a youngster in 2009, Brownlee has amassed 15.8 million subscribers for his in-depth, but approachable tech movies. He’s even scored interviews with Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Barack Obama, and to high all of it off, he’s an expert final frisbee participant (the previous president even complimented his “unbelievable hops.”)

But maybe Brownlee’s most spectacular accomplishment is his skill to stay related over ten years into his on-line video profession with out shedding his viewers’s belief. And as quick type video content material turns into a necessity for any creator, Brownlee has seamlessly transitioned to TikTok, the place he made one of many solely good April Fools’ Day pranks.

We caught up with Brownlee at VidCon, the place he was serving to Discord promote the beta check of its server subscriptions (be careful, Patreon). In a dialog with maybe probably the most well-known tech reviewer — sorry, different TechCrunch writers — the 28-year-old web star advised us about transitioning to TikTok, his views on the metaverse, and why Google Glass deserves a redemption arc.

This interview has been condensed for readability.

TC: It’s not straightforward to make TikToks or YouTube shorts if you made it huge on YouTube with 20-ish-minute movies. How do you go about making shorter content material on these new platforms? 

MB: I take into consideration this quite a bit. I see ways in which I don’t like doing it, like folks repurposing different content material and turning it into quick type content material. I’d a lot quite make native content material for every platform. When we first began making shorts, it was a problem. I used to be like, how do I actually lower this all the way down to 60 seconds or much less? I believe my first three shorts are 59.8 seconds lengthy. We discovered that after particularly deciding to spend time on TikTok, then attending to know what works nicely, helped us make stuff native to the platform higher.

TC: With so many new creator applications throughout platforms, what does the pie chart of your revenue as a creator appear like?

MB: I’d say it’s about 50% YouTube’s built-in advert mannequin, and 50% the whole lot else — that features our merch retailer, different offers we do, and issues like that. But the bread and butter for thus lengthy has been the movies. It’s only a well-oiled machine. We don’t actually take into consideration overhead, we simply know that movies can and can carry out, which is… thanks, YouTube!

TC: Even although quick type video has develop into extraordinarily in style, nobody’s actually found out learn how to monetize it but — do you might have any ideas on how that may work?

I don’t have a solution, and anybody who claims to have a solution might be mendacity. It makes a lot sense that quick type video can explode. The numbers that we see are usually not the identical because the numbers elsewhere. You know, 20 million views on TikTok could be very completely different from 20 million views on YouTube. When we discuss monetizing movies, monetization on YouTube is tied to the video since you made the selection [to watch the video]. You noticed the thumbnail, you hung out there, that was on you. That transaction works. But shorts are simply completely completely different. I don’t know learn how to tie that collectively and make {that a} good, neat monetization resolution.

TC: You’ve stayed related as a tech reviewer for over ten years — how do stability staying true to your perspective whereas additionally remaining accessible?

MB: I attempt to be as clear as attainable about what I like and don’t like. It’s subjective. But whether or not or not somebody agrees with my desire in a bit of tech virtually doesn’t matter. I attempt to put myself into the footwear of the viewer and say what I’d need them to know in the event that they have been going to purchase the factor.

TC: What tendencies in know-how are you most enthusiastic about?

MB: I believe AR/VR is one all of our eyes are on proper now. It’s enjoyable as a result of for me, probably the most fascinating beginnings of recent tech are if you get a product that truly is meant to assist folks or ship a brand new expertise, and I believe we’re proper about to begin seeing merchandise which might be like, the killer app, like actually fascinating and bringing folks in. We had Google Glass, we had loopy stuff previously, however I believe we’re about to see a bunch of cool stuff.

TC: What do you consider the thought of the metaverse?

MB: I get what folks see in it. I get why Facebook — or, Meta — needs to have a giant stake in it. But on the identical time, it has to have a goal. We must wish to do the brand new factor for a motive, and I’m nonetheless on the lookout for that motive.

TC: Yeah, enjoying video video games in VR is one factor, however hanging out with buddies in VR and going to work in VR is a tougher promote.

MB: There’s some “Ready Player One”-type vibes typically the place it’s like, “what would it mean if we didn’t have to go to the meeting?” But it’s additionally not that tough to simply do the factor we usually do. I’m on the lookout for a motive to actually wish to do this stuff. I give new stuff a shot, as a result of that’s my job. I give it an opportunity. But I believe we’re possibly getting ready to getting a bunch extra fascinating solutions to that query.

TC: Meta’s VR {hardware} is enjoyable to play with, however I don’t wish to stay in it.

MB: It’s simply one other cool piece of tech to play with, and there’s plenty of cool tech to play with already. It’s not going to get that mass adoption that I’m positive Meta is hoping for.

TC: Do you assume it AR shall be extra accessible to folks than VR?

MB: That’s the place I discover it best to see helpful use circumstances. I bear in mind the Google Glass days, and as loopy as that product was, having turn-by-turn navigation directions simply within the nook of your imaginative and prescient whilst you’re strolling by way of an unfamiliar metropolis could be very helpful. Little stuff like that, I truly discovered actually purposeful, at its core. The {hardware} was previous, and that’s 10 years in the past, so clearly tech has gotten quite a bit higher since then. But I believe AR is less complicated for me to see as a future.

TC: What corporations do you assume are doing AR nicely?

MB: Obviously the iPhone and LiDAR. Functionally, it’s actually good, however it doesn’t do something helpful. Yeah, I can put a sofa in a room and see what it appears to be like like, however I’m nonetheless on the lookout for that “gotta have it” factor.

TC: Is there any tech that you just do assume was helpful, however didn’t make it? 

MB: Google Glass is the right reply. Ten years in the past, strolling right into a bar with a digital camera in your face was insane, and now Snapchat simply made a pair of glasses with the digital camera proper on it. It’s far more acceptable.

TC: There are plenty of privateness debates round wearable tech — do you might have any moral issues round this type of tech?

MB: Well, you all the time hope it comes from a accountable firm that does accountable issues, which is why there’s concern with Meta. That’s all I’ll say about that! But yeah, it’s the identical as along with your cellphone — if you happen to’re doing vital stuff in your cellphone, there shall be plenty of vital knowledge there, so privateness shall be vital. We hope that the businesses do the proper factor with that knowledge.

TC: Is there any piece of tech that you just assume extra folks needs to be speaking about?

MB: Non-Tesla EVs. They’re virtually there.