A Very Short List

I love being self-employed. There are many challenges that come with charting your own course, but the flexibility this life affords is very important to me. Nevertheless, I assume that most people who are self-employed have a shortlist of companies they imagine they would at least enjoy working for, and I do too.

My list shrank last year when I got the opportunity to start consulting with Cross Forward. I have always respected what David has built, and every time I spoke to him about his business, it became something I really wanted to be a part of.

The list that is left has evolved over time, but it currently includes Disney, Apple, Goalhanger, and — as of this week — MKBHD. I really recommend people watch the video that The Studio team posted, which is essentially a behind-the-scenes documentary of an entire year of running the company that produces all of the YouTube videos in their empire.

From start to finish, this video is fascinating. From showing how things are made, to seeing the camaraderie the team has, to hearing how they all think about Marques and the work they do together.

The team is quite large. On the face of it, you might wonder why it takes so many people to make YouTube videos. But when you see them operating, you get a real sense of how much effort is required to produce the quality of work they manage to do. It’s genuinely inspirational to see the way they do what they do.

It’s also interesting to get a little peek behind the curtain at how tech companies work with Marques. The most fascinating example to me is seeing the Google Pixel product team bring their unannounced 2025 product line-up to his studio so he can see them and make his video. Marques had been competing overseas in Ultimate Frisbee, so he missed the creator event. But it appears Google really wanted to make sure they got the MKBHD video for their new line of products.

There is one line in the video that really stuck with me in terms of understanding how Marques thinks. Studio producer Eric is reflecting on Marques playing in a competitive golf tournament and talks about how his approach to content creation is different from others. Eric suggests that Marques’ background in sports competition means he doesn’t create content like an artist — he does it like an athlete. And this relentlessness to be better and better is what pushes him to where he is.

I found this insight fascinating, and I wish it’s something I had considered before interviewing Marques last year. I think it could have led to a different path of questioning.

I really recommend you take the time to watch this video. I felt genuinely inspired by it. It’s really great — and it’s also just very well made.

I enjoy having people to look to as guiding lights for how I can do more.

Have a great weekend.