A 15-year-old kid named Marques Brownlee posted a video to his YouTube channel reviewing a laptop remote on Jan. 1, 2009. Nine years later, Brownlee was interviewing Tesla CEO and co-founder Elon Musk.
The YouTube star has come a long way.
Today, Brownlee’s tech reviews and other videos have over 9 million subscribers and 1.41 billion views on YouTube.
These days, however, the 25-year-old is found in all sorts of places, not just a web browser. He’s sneaker shopping, he’s playing professional ultimate frisbee and he’s starting his own podcast.
Brownlee has also collaborated with YouTube itself, starring in an original series called “Retro Tech” where he discusses the technology of the past. It’s based off a video he produced on the original Nintendo Game Boy and the six-episode series is set to debut on his channel in December 2019. The show features Brownlee interacting with other YouTubers and celebrities.
The tech critic operates out of a dedicated studio in New Jersey and employs three full-time staffers to assist him in producing two videos a week.
Brownlee takes a down-to-earth approach to his reviews. For example, he doesn’t evaluate a phone like an industry insider. Instead, he focuses on things like battery life and user experience. He won’t always push a bigger, more expensive option. Instead, he compares models and explains why that smaller, sleeker version may be the best bet.
We’re talking to him about how the tech landscape has changed in his 10 years on YouTube and what we can look forward to in the years to come.
Produced by Haili Blassingame.
GUESTS
Marques Brownlee, Technology YouTuber.; @MKBHD
Tony Romm, Technology policy reporter, The Washington Post.; @TonyRomm
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