Interview
Casey Neistat: Why I Quit YouTube & What I'm Doing Now!
- Casey Neistat describes his childhood as "unsupervised" and "wandering," characterized by a lack of structure, no defined bedtime, and parents who were often absent due to financial struggles and long work hours.
- His father worked excessive hours in a hand-to-mouth livelihood selling used restaurant supplies, while his mother, described as the "tail end of an aristocracy with no money," was emotionally absent.
- Neistat reveals he discovered his mother's infidelity at age 13 or 14 and confronted his father with the truth, a pivotal moment that contributed to his parents' eventual divorce.
- At age 15, Neistat ran away from home following an argument, moving in with friends and later cohabitating with two women; one became pregnant, and Neistat became a father at 16.
- His primary motivation for moving to New York City at 19 was a childhood plan to "realize all the promises" he made to his younger self, including financial independence and not having a boss.
- Neistat worked in restaurants (dishwasher, prep cook) making $7.25 an hour until his 10th-grade education was the only credential he possessed when he moved to NYC.
- He slept on a friend's couch for exactly 11 nights from September 1st to September 11th, 2001; the apartment building was destroyed on 9/11, leaving him homeless but forcing him to stay and persevere.
- Neistat credits his drive to a "Plan A" mentality where he had no alternative option; he states that the presence of a "Plan B" (such as returning to a restaurant job or relying on welfare) would have drastically reduced his motivation to succeed.
- He asserts that "privilege" is a mindset and an objective reality for those born in the West, arguing that modern hardships are "menial" compared to historical struggles like high mortality rates from dental issues in 1892.
- Neistat advocates for "patience" over "persistence," defining the former as the ability to endure 20 years of being labeled a "loser" and failing year-in and year-out without romanticizing the process.
- He cites the band Anvil as an example of how relentless persistence over 30+ years of failure is the only prerequisite for a breakthrough, noting that the documentary about their failure created their success.
- Neistat reveals that prior to his Daily Vlog success, he was $200,000 in debt, having maxed out credit lines to pursue a technology startup that failed, despite having previously achieved success with an HBO show and independent films.
- He launched his Daily Vlog in 2015, maintaining a schedule of one video per day for 800 consecutive days, which grew his subscriber count from 280,000 to 10 million in 18 months.
- Neistat argues that "truth lasts" while views are transient, noting that Academy Award-winning films rarely overlap with the highest-grossing blockbusters, and that art should aim to affect people rather than just generate clicks.
- He criticizes the "Mr. Beastification of YouTube," where creators emulate viral formulas to chase views, calling this a "race to the bottom" that stifles originality and artistic integrity.
- Neistat distinguishes his motivation from Jimmy (Mr. Beast), stating he views video as a tool for "refined self-expression" whereas he views Beast as an "empire builder" focused on business metrics and philanthropy.
- He shares that he sold his technology company for $36 million to CNN, a deal that ended with him and his partner being fired 11 months later due to his own "ego" and failure to understand the corporate environment.
- Following the sale and subsequent firing, Neistat experienced a period of "darkness" and fear, realizing that the fame he achieved (3 billion views in two years) did not equate to happiness or fulfillment.
- He moved to Los Angeles for three years to escape the intensity of New York City fame, a decision he describes as a "disaster" because the media attention followed him everywhere.
- Neistat currently lives in a state of "indulgence" where he chooses not to work as hard as he could, acknowledging that his lack of effort is due to having no financial pressure rather than a need for rest.
- He has deleted the YouTube Studio app and stopped checking views, comments, or AdSense revenue to focus solely on creating content he believes is "great" without caring if anyone watches it.
- Neistat recommends to aspiring creators that they must accept the reality that "nobody cares" about them, a realization he argues is the ultimate liberation that allows for true originality.
- He advises that if one does not know what they want to do, they should "do something they hate," as the process of enduring a disliked task often reveals what they truly love.
- Neistat contrasts the "Mr. Beastification" of content with the potential of "niche" creators, praising micro-creators who focus on specific topics like fish tanks or retro gaming rather than trying to appeal to a mass audience.
- He expresses a desire to emulate director Quentin Tarantino's career model: disappearing from public life for years to produce work that speaks for itself, rather than building a personal brand through constant visibility.
- Stephen Priest (the interviewer) leaves a feedback question for Neistat: "Don't build your studio 40 minutes out into Brooklyn; build it in downtown Manhattan so guests are five minutes away."