All Things Video

Benjamin Grubbs is the Founder & CEO of Next 10 Ventures, an investment firm that incubates and accelerates new businesses within the global creator economy. Prior to launching Next 10, Ben spent 15 years in Southeast Asia helping to grow the Yahoo! broadcast business, spearheading eBay’s marketing efforts, and leading Turner’s interactive media group. Most recently, he served as the Head of YouTube Kids in APAC and then the Global Head of Top Creator Partnerships for YouTube. Ben and I cover a lot of ground in this wide-ranging conversation, from his experience building commerce and media businesses in APAC to his decision to launch a venture fund focused on the next 10 years of creator-led innovation. We talk about challenging conventional wisdom and using data insights to inform international strategy, how existing infrastructure in the U.S. is at times a barrier to adopting new technologies, and the cultural export value of media. Ben shares lessons learned from Taobao’s success over eBay in China, experiments in creating digital-first IP during his time at Turner, and what prevented Google from launching YouTube Kids as a subscription VOD service. Host: James Creech ABOUT THE SHOW All Things Video is a podcast dedicated to uncovering the past and charting the future of the online video ecosystem. Listen to interviews with founders, executives, and thought leaders from the world’s leading media companies and engage in thought-provoking debates about the issues shaping the next generation of entertainment. From the short-form content revolution to the fragmentation of video viewership in an always-on world, All Things Video reveals the key trends and insights from the world of digital media.   Follow All Things Video on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for new episodes and updates! ABOUT THE HOST James Creech is an entrepreneur focused on technology, online video, and digital media. He is the Co-Founder & CEO of Paladin, the essential influencer marketing platform for media companies, agencies, and brands. OUR SPONSOR This episode is brought to you by TubeBuddy, the complete toolkit for YouTube channel management. This power-packed browser extension helps with everything from bulk metadata edits and trending keyword suggestions to thumbnail optimization, fan engagement tools, and so much more. Visit TubeBuddy.com to meet your new best friend on YouTube.