Hey Marques, I don’t have a question, just wanted to say hi. You and I (I being Tommy from the UK) used to speak a fair bit back in like 2009 over Skype; back when you lived at your parent’s with your Acer laptop. You just have been like 14? I still remember you putting out your channel recommendation video for ComputerHelpGuy1. Just wanted to say how unreal it is so see you have done this far and how much I flex that I used to know you! Hope you’re doing well man, look after yourself - Tommy x

Maaaaaan I remember that group of friends. We all did these tutorial videos and screencasts and essentially built the first little tech YouTube community that I was ever a part of. What a throwback! Hope you're well

Linus from LTT just said they received a $100 million offer for their company (which they declined), so I’m just curious if you've ever received a buyout offer, and what your feelings are towards "YouTubers" selling their channels and associated assets?

Never received one, and would never take one. Please resurface this comment in the event that I ever even consider it.

"MKBHD" is more syllables than your first and last names combined. Why do people call you MKBHD?

Easier to spell 😅

isn't it harsh to change phone constantly ? have you ever lost any data while doing a transfer ?

Man I've gotten sooooooooo good at switching phones. Like, I have it down to a science. You could hand me a new phone in the box and I could completely move everything in within probably 2 hours. Signed into everything, already starting to test stuff, take pictures, emails, etc. I've never had anything go completely sideways and lose data (knock wood) but yeah that's a skill I developed with this job for sure.

Are you a part of bidet gang?

I am not. But there are some card carrying members at the studio

Why frisbee?

I went to the high school that founded ultimate frisbee in 1968 in Maplewood, NJ. So it was just as accessible of a sport as any other. Loved it the second I started playing 16 years go (plus it's gotta be the most highlight friendly sport of all time)

Columbia High? Same high school that Lauryn Hill and Zach Braff went to?

The one and only (and SZA)

With Linus’ recent announcement it got me thinking about you, my other fav tech YouTuber, and how your businesses differ. You’re also super involved with your brand but it feels less corporate-esque. What’s the future of the MKBHD brand and do you predict a time when you might have to pass on the day-to-day operations to a CEO you hire?

I watched that video and honestly resonated with a lot of it. Obviously Linus's production/company's scale is absolutely gigantic and the style is more "assembly line" that cranks out videos... but the start we both had is similar: Small group interested in making videos grows into large group. Our job goes from "creative person making videos with a team" to "manager of a team." There's no textbook or blueprint for how to move forward with this stuff, but my move has always been to do what makes the most sense. There's a world where sometime in the future I need to consider a "CEO" that isn't myself. So I can keep the focus on making videos.

What's it like to be a professional athlete while also owning a business in a completely different field? What do you think of Ultimate Frisbee as a sport and what does its future look like?

I kinda love the separation - it feels like I get to flip a switch between the creative half and the ruthlessly competitive half of my brain. Ultimate is still a young sport, but as I said in another thread, it's gotta be the most underrated, highlight-friendly sport I've ever seen. So as it slowly gets more money and production qualities go up and it gets exposed to bigger audiences, the sky's the limit. Let's get it on ESPN right before the NBA game of the night

What is the wildest review offer/request you ever gotten?

I'm gonna have to go with the casket (that I still have) https://youtu.be/mv9afG2Dm9I

How big is your team? Do you outsource IT related staff like websites and annual best camera voting?

So the team is currently exactly me + 13.

Me

Studio Manager

Assistant Studio Manager

Writing/Reserach/Script supervisor

Podcast producer

Audio wizard

Editor

Graphic designer

Motion graphic designer

Cinematography/creative director

Cinematography/art director

Studio channel head

Camera/Studio channel editor

Head of business

For other larger projects, we've worked with outside companies. The blind smartphone camera test website is a good example of one, where we worked with 1 developer to build that whole thing over the course of several weeks

You've reviewed a ton of products over the years, are there any that never got an update you'd love to see a refresh for?

The Tesla Roadster 🫠

What’s the stupidest advice you ever gotten?

I remember once Gary Vee insisted me that I should be focusing on Facebook video because it was about to pop off. Good times

How on earth did your production quality get so high?

Practice makes perfect, my friend

Have you ever done any coding?

So I started college with an Information Systems major, which had a coding class my freshman year. But I did switch to Business/Technology after that year, so haven't done any coding since then.

You chose the MKBHD name ad a very young age. Would you choose a different name if that was today? If so, what would it be?

Honestly wouldn't change a thing. I originally picked it because I needed to start a Twitter account and "MarquesBrownlee" is too hard to spell to say out loud to tell people where to find me. I just needed something a bit shorter and easier to remember and thankfully it was available.

How do you deal with companies who express dislike of your reviews? Ever had any experience?

Also, what's your fave color for an ultimate disc?

Ok the easy part: ultimate players ONLY play with white plastic discs hah. But yeah there's been companies who dislike things I say all the time. Sometimes they're silent (I haven't heard from Dyson in a whle) and sometimes they reach out. I won't name names, but some have have had completely inappropriate responses asking me to delete things, etc. Never done that. My favorite is actually just when the next generation version of the device I reviewed comes out and they get to point to the thing that they fixed and are eager for me to compare it to the thing I hated last year.

What is the biggest threat you see to tech content / reviews on YouTube?

The shrinking attention span of the average human

First off. Thanks for making the best tech videos on the platform. The content is amazing!

For my question, what is the average budget for a video on the MKBHD channel? And how much time goes into recording and editing?

Thanks!

For a typical MKBHD video, say a smartphone review: 15% of the time is testing/reseraching 15% of the time is writing 30% of the time is shooting and 40% of the time is editing

What about the budget?

So individual videos have wildly varying budgets. Obviously if we buy the device we review, there's that... and there's the overhead of everyone who works at the studio who may contribute to any individual video... but beyond that, it's a huge range. Sometimes it's $0. Sometimes it's 6 cross country flights and hotels and some extra gear just to make 1 Starline video at Google I/O

Have you thought of doing more with Dr. Mike and Healthcare Tech?

Actually yes, I'm literally about to DM him to ask him to come back to the studio so we can do a podcast on all the gimmicks vs features in the tech we use every day

Thank you for permanently altering my music tastes ever since middle school lol

What's your favorite album of all time?

Random Access Memories by Daft Punk

The Incredible True Story by Logic

Tetra by C2C

Have you listened to the anniversary release of RAM with 9 new tracks? It’s pretty fun!

I've had Infinity Repeating on loop for like 50 hours. The video is incredible too.

how good do you think victor wembanyama would be at ultimate frisbee ?

Ok so lowkey we have this discussion a lot: How good would other professional athletes be at ultimate and how long would it take them to be the best players in the world?

It we're just talking Victor, honestly I don't know if somebody that tall/long has the cardio stamina to play any sort of defense. They'd be a menace on offense because nobody's catching anything over them... but can NBA players really run 60 yard routes back and forth for 2 minutes at a time for a defensive posession? I'm thinking soccer or football players would translate better.

(But hey Victor if you're reading this and want to play ultimate, I heard we have a roster spot open on Empire)

Hey Marques! What scares you the most about the future of tech?

Pretty much nothing, up until the recent comment from Sundar Pichai about how "we don't even know everything this AI tech is capable of." The reason that hits so had is with pretty much every other piece of tech, we get this long, predictable curve of seeing it get better over time. It starts off expensive and for the early adopters and it slowly gets better and better until it reaches the inflection point of being good enough and cheap enough that the masses can get use out of it... AI just feels like it skipped a few steps. The curve is very different. It's a little frightening sometimes.

How do you avoid burnout?

Being a creator is like running on an infinite treadmill. If you turn up the speed too high and try to make too much stuff too often, you'll burn out. But oddly enough I've also found that if you turn the speed too slow, it feels clumsy and anxious and I feel like I want to be doing more. So it's been all about finding the goldilox zone speed on the treadmill and getting help with the things that make it feel like a lot of work.

Howdy Marques! Been watching your content for years now and I've always wanted to ask this question:

If all your hair was replaced with cheese, what cheese would you want it to be and why? Hope all is well, keep up the good work!

I... I don't even know how to... what made you... mozzarella

why did you stop putting Cheerios in the background? You did it for your OnePlus video but not any others :( it was a classic

The Cheerios were originally put in the background a video for the first time about 12 years ago to cover the microwave behind me in my dorm room that was flickering because of the shutter speed of the camera. So it hasn't been... necessary since then, but it still shows up now and then for fun. I kept the original box

If u had to have a gas car, which one would it be?

Ok that's a really interesting questions. I've actually really loved a lot of gas cars and hybrids over the years, but I have one problem: The Plaid Model S has ruined my perception of "fast." To be perfectly honest I've considered 911 Turbo many times over the past few years but a really messed up "problem" I have is paying that much more for a car that will feel... slower. It's a terribly unrelatable problem hah. But probabaly a 911

Whats the video you are most proud of?

Still my favorite video ever was interviewing Kobe. It's not my best video, not by a mile. But it opened so many doors for me and blew the doors off my imagination for what I could do in the video world. I try to do the same now for as many other creators as I can.

Who's the biggest celebrity on your contact list?

MrBeast prolly

what’s your net worth?

I honestly have no idea. Not even joking. Lucky for me my Mom worked in banking and now runs the financial accounting for the whole operation so I don't have to pay as much attention to that stuff.

where else would you live in the US/world besides Jersey?

I've always said there's only 2 places I could reasonably live with the way this job works: Almost every tech event is either in the NYC area or California Bay area. If I didn't live near one of those places, I'd have to be on a plane twice as much.

Hi Marques, I always wondered, have your ever considered to branch / expand the channel to reach different languages audiences as big as the Spanish tech community for example?

Yes! Recently we started including dubbed versions of audio tracks for videos in new languages. Started with Spanish because it's the second most common language spoken by MKBHD viewers. And the way it works is actually pretty slick, if you live in the right region, and you pull up an MKBHD video it's automatically subtitled and subbed and you'll a Spanish voice throughout the video. It's not cheap to pay for these services, but hopefully this helps the video be more accessible

Damn, I did not know you played golf

What’s your handicap?

I've played golf since I was 10 years old! Played much more often in the youth golf scene in NJ and had a single digit handicap before going off to college and focusing on ultimate frisbee. But I'm getting way more back into golf these days because guess what... ultimate is hard on the body and is definitely not a forever sport hah. My current handicap, according to 18Birdies is a 7.6

How do you know when an idea is great? Is it after shooting or before?

I feel like I have probably a 70% accuracy rate of being able to accurately predict how well a video will prefer. Honestly the main factor I use is "would I click this?" and "would I enjoy watching this?" because that's how I decide what to make in the first place. Then there's plenty of little nuances with the hook/first few seconds, the devices featured in the video, the format/storytelling, etc.

I’m going to see you play frisbee in 2 weeks (MTL). Will you sign my iPhone with a permanent marker?

I gotchu

Favorite Hexadecimal color?

000000

Did you have any idols? Or do you still have any?

Just my Dad

What does the Marques gym playlist look like?

It's either a lot of electro pop or just straight rap/hiphop, depending on the day/workout.

What dou think of your fellow tech tubers like Dave2D, Mrwhostheboss and Linus?

A rising tide lifts all ships

What cleats are you currently using for ultimate? And what was the most exciting game yet in the new season?

Easy question: soccer cleats (Nike Mercurial vapors for me) all day, and the NY Empire vs DC Breeze game last weekend. We always find a way to play that DC team to overtime

Have you given the Arc browser a spin yet?

Been full-time using Arc for weeks

Out of the 23 records that the Rimac Nevera just recently broke, what was the most shocking to you?

60-130 in 2.99 🫠

Was Elmo nice?

Not only was Elmo and the whole crew nice, but all the people who work there (and stay in character incredibly well) are incredibly charismatic and contagiously energetic. 10/10 would recommend shooting with Sesame Street if you ever get the chance

Favorite phone of all times?

Samsung Galaxy Nexus

What’s your favorite thing about new jersey??

Taylor ham

Do you use FSD beta for your daily commute?

I actually really personally enjoy driving, so I rarely use FSD or autopilot. Only really for stop-and-go traffic, which most new cars can do just as well.

Who do you have winning the NBA championship this year?

After watching Denver dismantle the Suns I gotta go with the Joker this year. It just seems like everything they're doing around him works so well

What do you have to say to those people who call you biased and an apple fan boy?

The same thing to the people who call me a Samsung fanboy. And the people who call me a Google fanboy. And the people who call me a OnePlus fanboy... watch a few more videos :)

Bit of an unconventional question… but what’s in your golf bag currently? Do you have a favourite brand?

I'm partial to Taylormade because Tiger Woods and Red and Black. No brainer. But I play a mixed bag ever since I got fitted last year: Cobra LTDX driver, Taylormade stealth woods, Mixuno MP223 irons, Titleist Vokey wedges, Evnroll putter

If you don't mind giving a brief idea, I am curious what is your exercise regimen as a professional Ultimate athlete?

Briefly, my offseason is a lot of lifting and occasional cardio. This year I followed a program that had me lifting 5 days a week and playing indoor winter league (New Jersey is cold) once a week. That's just build the strength foundations, recover from injuries, etc etc. Pretty classic.

In-season is a little more tricky because I play for both a pro team (Empire) and an overlapping club team (PoNY). So lifting is reduced to either 1 or 0 days per week, depending on how many practices/games stack up. This past week was Saturday night game, Sunday practice, Monday rest, Tuesday lift, Wednesday practice, Thursday practice, Friday cardio, Saturday game, Sunday practice. Pretty constant until November.

How's your solar roof?

It's been incredible so far. I've had it for nearly a full 12 months now, so I know what months are a surplus and which ones aren't. I'm now considering moving the last few natural gas appliance I have to electric

Love your work. Do you publish on other platforms? With the ad changed at YouTube are you considering publishing elsewhere? Are there any alternatives to yt you'd consider good platforms? What's your opinion on the state of tech journalism?

So there are no "alternatives" to YouTube in my opinion, but there are plenty of alternative platforms that we post to in various formats. I feel strongly that any good creator needs to be able to "speak the language" of each platform natively to be successful on it.

How did you get good at talking on camera?

This is an imposter syndrome thing. Talking to a camera is a learned skill. I grew up a quiet, shy kid who would rather make tech videos in my bedroom than literally ever hang out or go to any parties. So the more I did it, the more it looked more natural over time (even though it still feels kinda awkward)

Are videos about the new BMW EVs (i4, i7, …) planned?

Just dropped a short about the i7. Full Auto Focus video coming soon. The thing is absolutely loaded with tech, I am impressed. I'd take it over the Bentley or Maybach I tested this yea.

Can you share your favorite parts, most surprising parts, and WTF parts of your experience with Sesame Street?

Also, who’s in your core crew of creators and how close are you really? I think I usually see you with Saf A and Justine E and maybe Austin E? I haven’t kept up with all the tech channels but I thought Jonathan M and Lew were also common acquaintances. What’s up with them?

Most surprising thing to me was learning how few people there are that are voicing SO MANY characters. Big Bird. The Count. Kermit. Also I'll tell you what. Nothing can prepare you for seeing the lifeless puppet of Elmo in the corner of the room before he's brought to life

What was your favourite iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and Pixel at launch? And what phone was most fun to review?

Favorite iPhone at launch: iPhone X

Favorite Samsung at launch: Galaxy Note Edge

Favorite Pixel at launch: Pixel 3 (but I might have to cheat and say Galaxy Nexus)

What part of your day do you look forward to the most? The working out/playing, working, meetings or going to bed?

Love your stuff, been watching you for a long time now and will keep on watching indefinitely ❤️

Honestly the adrenaline rush of pressing the publish button never gets old

What's the correct pronunciation of your name? Mar-quez? Mar-quise? Or would you prefer everyone call you MKBHD?

Mar-kez, phoenetically. You know, it's been hilarious how often and how many ways people find to mispronounce it. I generally don't correct people, because it's not a huge deal. But a few weeks ago I was golfing and I met someone on the first tee and we shook hands and exchanged names. 30 minutes later he's calling me from across the fairway saying "Marquise! I found your ball!"

And I... sir, I never spelled my name to you. I only said it out loud. How are you already mispronouncing it?!

How is Your Mac Pro doing?

I traded it in and got a whopping $3000 in Apple gift cards. Embarassing

Have you ever played racing games? Any favorite? Particularly detested? Best console for it's racing games? For me, it's yes, Gran turismo 4 to 6, any non simulation level racing game and the best console is ps3 with gt5 and 6 having so much content.

Need for Speed Most Wanted is the greatest game ever made. My hottest take for this AMA

Hey, Marques! For how long you've worked on your new shoes and I'm sure going through a lot of prototypes — what made the final prototype the one? I personally get more indecisive the more options I have, and I was wondering if you had the same problem with your choices.

And could you give my number to Brandon or Andrew? Kidding. Unless...

The shoe was one of those things where we went back and forth and back and forth on revisions and designs and prototypes for so many months that honestly we could've kept going forever. It was hilarious how bad the first few prototypes were (because hey it turns out when you give me full control I can REALLY mess up a shoe) but we started working towards something really great and eventually had to put a bow on it. Kinda like making a YouTube video. I could do finishing touches forever, but at a certain point ya just gotta send it

Curved TVs are a hit. Curved monitors are a hit. Why weren't curved phones a hit (LG had one)?

Curved TVs ARE A HIT???!