Key Moments
Casey Neistat Interview (Full Episode) | The Tim Ferriss Show (Podcast)
Tim FerrissKey Moments
Filmmaker Casey Neistat on reinventing success via YouTube, embracing failure, and building with Beam.
Key Insights
Embrace authenticity and action over perfection on platforms like YouTube.
Success can be redefined through hard work, resilience, and pursuing personal passions.
Technological innovation, like the Beam app, can decouple creation from sharing ideas.
Early struggles and unconventional paths can lead to unique perspectives and success.
Prioritize personal values and integrity over financial gain when making career decisions.
The truest form of success lies in dedicating time to what you love and minimizing what you hate.
FROM ADVERSITY TO AUTONOMY: THE EARLY YEARS
Casey Neistat shares a candid account of his challenging youth, marked by his parents' divorce, running away from home at 15, and subsequently living on welfare with his then-girlfriend and young son. Despite dropping out of high school and lacking traditional educational support, Neistat's journey into filmmaking was ignited by the early iMac's video editing capabilities, offering him a profound sense of having a voice and a powerful tool for expression through tangible, shareable content.
RED dots, REDEFINING SUCCESS: FROM INDIE FILM TO YOUTUBE ICON
Neistat discusses his pivot from traditional filmmaking and advertising, where he found the process stifling and creatively compromising. After HBO and Sundance success, he chose the less conventional path of self-publishing on the internet, a move many at the time considered regressive rather than aspirational. This decision to embrace platforms like YouTube, initially to promote his tech startup, unexpectedly led to immense popularity, reshaping his career and the perception of online content creation.
THE 'BIKE LANE' AND 'MAKE IT COUNT' PHILOSOPHY
Several key projects illustrate Neistat's approach to filmmaking: 'Bike Lanes,' a viral response to a frustrating ticketing experience, and Nike's 'Make It Count' campaign, where he famously used the entire production budget for travel instead of a traditional commercial. These examples highlight his tendency to 'scratch his own itch' by channeling personal frustrations or passions into content, demonstrating a unique ability to align creative risks with powerful messaging that resonates with a broad audience.
NAVIGATING NEW YORK, TRAVEL, AND GEAR
Neistat highlights the significant challenge of noise pollution in New York City, which impacts his daily life and filmmaking. He also shares insights into his expert approach to navigating commercial aviation through airline status and relationship-building. His go-to gear is practical: a carry-on suitcase and a backpack for camera equipment, featuring a Canon 70D and a Sony RX100. For post-production, he relies on Final Cut Pro, prioritizing speed and efficiency for his daily uploads.
THE DAILY GRIND AND THE POWER OF ACTION ON YOUTUBE
The decision to vlog daily, initiated on his 34th birthday, was a strategic move to rebuild his social reach for his tech company. Neistat clarifies that his vlog isn't a diary but a 'daily show,' an outlet for whatever interests him, blending confessionals, technical explorations, and daily life. He stresses that YouTube success hinges on action and quantity over perfection, advocating for finding one's own path and embracing originality, as demonstrated by the failure of big-budget productions versus the success of individual creators.
BUILDING BEAM: DECOUPLING CREATION FROM SHARING
Neistat discusses the inception of his tech company and the app 'Beam' (BME). Driven by the belief that technology can achieve almost anything, he sought to solve the problem of sharing ideas and perspectives without the burden of creative expression. Beam allows users to share 4-second video clips simply by covering their phone's proximity sensor, making content creation immediate and effortless, thereby democratizing the act of sharing experiences through rich media.
THE BELIEF IN WORK AND THE COURAGE TO SAY NO
Neistat articulates his 'religion of work,' believing that hard work is the ultimate egalitarian force in achieving success, often outperforming talent or education. He candidly discusses the difficulty of saying 'no' to lucrative opportunities that don't align with his values, a skill he developed over time. This disciplined approach, filtering opportunities through the lens of his personal integrity and his tech company's goals, has been crucial in shaping his career choices and maintaining artistic control.
THE INFLUENCE OF HEROES AND PERSONAL PHILOSOPHIES
He reflects on his heroes, notably his grandmother, for her lifelong dedication to tap dancing, and Malcolm X, for his transformative journey and powerful communication. Neistat cites 'The Autobiography of Malcolm X' and John Keegan's 'The Second World War' as profoundly influential books. His personal philosophy emphasizes the importance of positivity, kindness, and making decisions, even difficult ones, rather than enduring indecision, drawing parallels to the strategic thinking required in wartime.
Mentioned in This Episode
●Products
●Software & Apps
●Companies
●Organizations
●Books
●People Referenced
Common Questions
Casey Neistat, a high school dropout, discovered filmmaking around 1999/2000 when his older brother Van showed him how to edit video on the first iMac. This allowed him to convert ideas into tangible projects, giving him a voice and a loudspeaker.
Topics
Mentioned in this video
Publication that featured a headline about Casey Neistat's filmmaking approach.
A British movie from World War II, Casey Neistat's favorite film, admired for its filmmaking and the context of its creation during wartime scarcity.
A viral film made by Casey Neistat in 2010/2011, expressing frustration with New York City bike lane obstructions by humorously crashing into them.
A 1997 documentary by Werner Herzog, Casey Neistat's favorite documentary, about a US Vietnam fighter pilot's survival as a POW.
Casey Neistat's most popular YouTube video, made for Nike, where he used the advertising budget to travel the world.
Newspaper whose columnist was at a dinner party where Casey Neistat realized his lack of knowledge about World War II, prompting him to read John Keegan's book.
A commencement speech by Neil Gaiman, recommended for those wanting to develop the ability to say no.
Newspaper that covered Casey Neistat's bike thief prank on a morning news show.
A fictional narrative film starring Christian Bale, based on the same story as 'Little Dieter Needs to Fly,' but Casey Neistat advises skipping it and watching the documentary instead.
An autobiographical movie by Casey Neistat, told through drawings, summarizing his life from birth to age 30, which he worked hard on and is proud of.
A Disney film about the 1980 US Olympic hockey team, which Tim Ferriss finds inspiring for its message about outworking others.
Television network that hosted Casey Neistat's popular series.
Example of a 'known production entity' that received a huge budget from YouTube to create original content, but failed to gain traction.
Company co-founded by Peter Thiel.
Platform where Casey Neistat self-publishes videos, including daily vlogs, and which he identifies as his primary work.
Social media platform mentioned as requiring an 'act of creation' before sharing content.
Social media company that Peter Thiel was one of the first investors in.
Company that develops Final Cut Pro, criticized for handicapping the software for creative professionals.
Online retailer mentioned as not being readily available when Casey Neistat bought his World War II textbook.
Casey Neistat's social network tech company, designed to allow users to share video perspectives without the burden of creation by automatically capturing and posting 4-second clips.
A startup mentioned as a user of Vimeo Pro for explaining its services.
A recognizable customer of Vimeo Pro.
Brand that gave Casey Neistat a budget for a commercial, which he leveraged to travel the world for his project 'Make It Count'.
Social media platform mentioned as requiring an 'act of creation' before sharing content.
Bookstore where Casey Neistat purchased 'The Second World War' before Amazon was prevalent.
Company that does a lot of work with YouTubers, where Jason Harris is employed.
Where Casey Neistat bought a $150 camera to shoot his 'Bike Lanes' movie, emphasizing that gear doesn't determine success.
Social media platform where Casey Neistat is active and engages with his audience.
Music streaming platform where Casey Neistat listens to playlists by his friend Johnny Famous.
A recognizable customer of Vimeo Pro.
Early Apple computer that Casey Neistat used to edit his first video, sparking his interest in filmmaking.
Casey Neistat's preferred SLR camera for vlogging due to its superior autofocus technology, despite other hardware shortcomings.
Mentioned as an example of a product whose founders were 'scratching their own itch' during creation.
Casey Neistat's latest point-and-shoot camera, described as great but with reliability issues.
Location of the Olympics where the US hockey team famously beat the Soviets, as depicted in the film 'Miracle'.
Neighborhood in New York City where Casey Neistat lives and has his office, known for its significant noise pollution.
Casey Neistat's home state, specifically the 'poor part' where he grew up.
City where Casey Neistat has lived for 15 years, a major setting for his filmmaking, and a source of noise pollution.
City where Ben Brown, a vlogger, primarily lives with his girlfriend.
City where Dieter Dengler, the subject of 'Little Dieter Needs to Fly', was living when interviewed, and where he kept large food stores out of fear of hunger.
Organization that invited Casey Neistat to MIT for a fellowship.
Example of a big entity that received a huge budget from YouTube to create original content, but failed.
University where Casey Neistat had a fellowship at the Media Lab, which changed his perspective on technology and problem-solving.
Foundation that provided a grant for Casey Neistat's fellowship at MIT.
News channel that hosted Larry King's talk show.
Where Casey Neistat spent six months as a fellow, which inspired him to start his tech company.
Cited as an example of a legendary music producer whose routines and habits Tim Ferriss seeks to deconstruct.
Mutual friend of Tim Ferriss and Casey Neistat.
Talk show host cited as an example of someone brilliant at being authentic on camera.
Filmmaker who studied 'The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp,' with much of his style influenced by it.
Friend of Tim Ferriss and an executive at Mechanism, a company working with YouTubers; he recommended Casey Neistat's work.
Cited as an example of a celebrity whose routines and habits Tim Ferriss seeks to deconstruct.
Military lecturer and professor, author of 'The Second World War', whose death deeply saddened Casey Neistat.
Author of 'It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be', an adman whose book offers insights on creativity.
Director of the documentary 'Little Dieter Needs to Fly'.
US President cited by Casey Neistat as an example of someone who makes decisions, even if they are 'mostly bad decisions'.
Silent film comedian whose style is compared to Casey Neistat's 'Bike Lanes' video due to its physical comedy and non-verbal storytelling.
Musician and public figure, used by Casey Neistat as an example of someone he perceives as an equal.
Figure whose autobiography Casey Neistat deeply admires, seeing him as a hero and one of the greatest communicators of the 20th century.
Actor who starred in the Disney film 'Miracle'.
Former Mayor of New York City who had to publicly respond to Casey Neistat's 'Bike Lanes' video.
Actor who starred in 'Rescue Dawn'.
YouTuber who started on Tumblr and successfully transitioned into a vlogger and influential talk show host on YouTube.
Former CEO of General Electric, who once made Casey Neistat feel starstruck after reading one of his books.
A daily vlogger and good friend of Casey Neistat, praised for his honesty and authenticity on camera, making viewers feel like friends by proxy.
Writer admired by Tim Ferriss, who advised to 'write about what makes you upset' to overcome writer's block.
Co-founder of PayPal and early investor in Facebook, known for his interview question about beliefs others think are crazy.
Filmmaker and YouTuber known for his unique style, daily vlogs, and entrepreneurial ventures. The main subject of the interview.
Creative genius executive at Nike who trusted Casey Neistat when he decided to go rogue with the 'Make It Count' project.
Talk show host cited as an example of someone brilliant at being authentic on camera.
Talk show host cited as an example of someone brilliant at being authentic on camera.
Idolized by Tim Ferriss for his ability to get people to open up; also mentioned for his peculiar breakfast habits.
Author mentioned for his commencement speech 'Make Good Art,' which offers good metaphors for learning to say no.
Co-founder of Apple, mentioned for his 'reality distortion field' and his famous quote about innovation being saying no to a thousand things.
Friend of Casey Neistat and a DJ whose Spotify playlists Casey listens to while running.
Video hosting platform for entrepreneurs, offering enterprise-level features for a fraction of the cost, including high-quality playback, significant storage, unlimited views, and customizable players.
Software for visual effects and motion graphics, mentioned by Casey Neistat as something he rarely uses due to his focus on speed and efficiency.
A company that uses Vimeo Pro to tell its story.
Video editing software Casey Neistat uses, which he describes as 'terrible' and handicapped by Apple for casual users.
Operating system for mobile devices, with the Beam app expected to be available on it in November.
Blogging platform where Tyler Oakley gained initial popularity before moving to YouTube.
Free editing software used by Casey Neistat for his 'Bike Lanes' film, further illustrating that resources don't determine success.
Travel search engine mentioned in the context of people looking for the cheapest flights, highlighting a lack of airline loyalty.
Platform where the Beam app is currently available for download.
Book by Peter Thiel where the idea of believing something crazy or controversial is discussed.
A 1200-page textbook by John Keegan, described as Casey Neistat's favorite or second favorite book, which taught him about business and life.
Casey Neistat's favorite book, which resonated with him due to parallels in overcoming adversity and self-education.
Book by Paul Arden, frequently gifted by Casey Neistat because it's a quick, impactful read about creativity and breaking through.
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