How TBPN Built the Luxury Brand of the Creator Economy
In this episode, we sit down with Jordi Hayes and John Coogan, the hosts of TBPN, a daily, live technology and business show that’s quietly become one of the most premium properties in modern media. TBN runs three hours live every weekday across YouTube, Twitch, and RSS, blending the format of legacy TV with the energy of creator-led streaming. In just over a year, the show has built a loyal audience, hosted over 1,000 guests (including Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg, and Satya Nadella), and sold out every ad slot for the year ahead. In the conversation, John and Jordi break down their “anti-scale” philosophy: why they’re intentionally staying niche, how they’ve built an influential audience of tech and business decision-makers, and why they believe the future of media belongs to great shows. We also go deep on their unique advertising strategy, which includes ultra-short host reads and season-long deals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Art of Reinvention on YouTube - ft Speeed
James Pumphrey and Jesse Wood helped build Donut Media into one of the most influential YouTube brands of the last decade. Then they walked away and started over. In this episode, they join us to break down what they learned building inside a YouTube incubator, what changes when a channel becomes a company, and what they’re applying now as the co-founders of Speeed. We dive into the structure of great YouTube channels, the importance of writing and formats, why entertainment has to come before everything else, and the nine principles they use to evaluate whether a YouTube media business actually works. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Creator Economy’s Abundance Crisis
We recorded this episode from Big Sky, Montana at the annual Spotter Creator Summit - four days with some of the top creators in the world talking about where this industry is actually headed. And one idea kept coming up over and over again: We’ve officially entered the era of abundance. There is more good content, more creators, and more competition for attention than ever before. Streamers are courting creators. AI is accelerating production. And brands have more options than they know what to do with. So the real question going into 2026 isn’t “How do I grow?” It’s: How do I become memorable? In this episode, we break down what we’re hearing directly from creators, platforms, and brands—including insights from Issa Rae, conversations happening inside the summit, and Adam Mosseri’s New Year’s post about authenticity and AI. We talk about: Why “just making good videos” isn’t enough anymore How creators need to start telling the story of the story What’s changing in brand deals (and why short-form and long-form are diverging) Why streamers are suddenly paying closer attention to creators How AI changes the meaning of authenticity And what it takes to make something that can’t be summarized This episode is about the next phase of the creator economy—and the shift from chasing views to building something people actually remember. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Our 2026 Creator Economy Predictions
In this episode, we break down our 2026 creator economy predictions and debate what we’re in and out on. From video podcasts and AI-generated content to creators working with streamers, the rise of IRL events, and how attention is changing online. We talk about why loyalty to creators is breaking, why summarization and AI tools are reshaping how people consume content, and why entertainment and perspective now matter more than information alone. Plus, our biggest predictions for how platforms like YouTube and Netflix will evolve in the next year and what it all means for creators building long-term careers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Instagram on TV, YouTubers on Netflix, Disney on AI
Instagram is coming to your TV. YouTube creators are showing up on Netflix and Hulu. And Disney just invested $1 billion into OpenAI. In this episode, we break down three headlines that point to the same shift: the living room is becoming the most important screen in the creator economy. We unpack what Instagram’s new TV app actually signals, why creator content is increasingly being syndicated to streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Tubi, and how Disney licensing its characters to AI models could change the future of IP, entertainment, and creators themselves. The big takeaway? Platforms are changing—but the creators who win are the ones building shows, not just content. To close, we run through a rapid-fire “ins and outs” of creator economy trends heading into 2026—and ask you what trends you’d buy or sell next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices