Like, Comment, Subscribe by Mark Bergen
7.5 out of 10We all know the high-level story of YouTube. In this book, Mark Bergen shares the evolution of the platform along with important business decisions made in its San Bruno HQ.
Early on, it was obvious that the independent content creators understood the potential more than some Silicon Valley execs--and definitely more than Hollywood and Madison Avenue. Under the umbrella of Google, tons of investment was poured into AI for recommendation systems and (especially for kids) appropriate censorship. Negative side effects, such as political radicalization in all directions and mental health issues, are evident.
YouTube decided to directly compete with TikTok on short videos. It also became a big player in the crowded space of television screens. Though not easy nor likely, it is absolutely amazing that a previously unknown and inexperienced person from anywhere can become a YouTuber legitimately earning tens of millions of dollars per year "on their own".