Matt RaglandNewsletter Guy, YouTuber, Proud Dad of 4 and BJJ Purple Belt

What MKBHD's Ridge deal means for creators

Name: What MKBHD's Ridge deal means for creators
Uploaded: 2024-04-09T18:30:44+00:00
Duration: 8 s
Channel: Matt Ragland
Description: In this brief conversation, Matt Ragland and Tim discuss the recent announcement that tech YouTuber Marques "MKBHD" Brownlee has joined the hardware…

9 Apr 2024 · 0 min

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0:08

In this brief conversation, Matt Ragland and Tim discuss the recent announcement that tech YouTuber Marques "MKBHD" Brownlee has joined the hardware wallet company Ridge as a board member and chief creative officer. They note that Ridge's CEO has offered $1 million and equity to a creator to serve as the brand’s public face and creative director, marking a rare instance of a creator not only receiving equity but also securing a seat on a company’s board. The dialogue raises the question for other creators: should they pursue similar deep partnerships with brands they admire, potentially taking on strategic roles and equity stakes?

Tim, did you see that MKBHD, Marques Brownlee, is now a board member and the chief creative officer at Ridge?
I did, and I also saw your reply underneath it that the CEO in August posted a tweet where he said he's looking to spend $1 million and give equity in Ridge to a creator to be like the face or like the creative director of Ridge.
We've seen creators like point their audience, point their influence at products before, but this is the first time that I've seen a creator like not just go on the cap table, but also like take a seat at the board. It makes me think about, are there brands that I wanna work with that I really admire, that I think are super cool, that would like want to bring me on?
You wanna be perfectly aligned with a brand and you want the brand to see you and notice you, or you wanna be able to pitch them and say, hey, very clearly, I'm the guy for you.