JON [to his kids]: What's your favorite plant?
[cellphone ringing]
Who is that?
JON: I don't know!
[phone continues ringing]
[phone stops ringing]
JON: Hello?
MARIA [over the phone]: Hi Jon! It's Maria from B&H!
JON: Hey! What's goin' on?
MARIA: I heard you were home, just like the rest of us,
and I figured I'd call you up and ask you 21 questions!
[Maria laughs]
JON: Oh! Let's do it! Let me get--let me get my headset.
MARIA: Ok!
JON [to his kids]: Alright guys, hold on. Daddy's gotta take a phone call for work.
[no audio]
JON: Wait!
[Jon and kids laughing]
Alright, Maria! What's cookin'?
MARIA: So, what're you doing?
JON: Uh, I'm livin' the dream here! I am staying safe.
Self-quarantining at home, and trying to stay...
Sane, and keep 3 kids relatively educated.
MARIA: Can you tell me, for some of the people who may not know, what do you for a living?
So I am--well, I used to be a journalist.
That's what I tell people. That's what I tell my parents.
But my real job now [chuckles]
uh, is I make videos on YouTube.
which still seems like a very weird thing to say, even in 2020.
MARIA: So, how are you holding up with this change to your workflow during this quarantine?
Uh, it's been weird!
You know, I went from filming with two editors and a producer,
to filming [laughs] on a Sony camera and a SwitchPod, uh, at home.
But... it's been tough. You know, I've kind of been struggling with...
So like, the stuff I talk about is consumer electronics.
Like, is that important during this time?
And I kind of settled on "it's a distraction for people."
You know, there's SO much stuff on the news!
Uh, maybe sometimes it's good have things that are a little less heavy.
Especially for, I think, people right now.
MARIA: Sure! So, I mean you mentioned journalism.
So what got you into creating videos?
So, I started making videos back in 2010.
And this is back when YouTube--back in 2007, rather.
This is when YouTube was, like, cat videos and guys gettin' hit in the business.
Uh, I always [both laugh]
I always loved, LOVED tech.
I used to go walk around Best Buy just to relax.
And, I started making videos just as a hobby.
I had gotten a new computer at the time, and I wanted to learn how to use it.
And I was looking around for tutorials on how to learn how to do it.
[to his son] Hi buddy!
Um, but there weren't any.
So I figured I was gonna make some myself.
And so, I bought a camera.
And I just tried to make videos! And because nobody else was doing it at the time,
It grew relatively quickly.
And... it was 99% just dumb luck.
I didn't have a giant foresight into what was going to happen.
At the time, I was like 24, and I was a Liberal Arts major in college.
I was literally prepared for nothing in the world.
And I figured "hey! I'm gonna start a business"
So I went and created a website called TechnoBuffalo.
[to his son] Hi big guy!
Um, I went to back to business school, got an MBA,
And sort of learned how to run the business. MARIA: Cool!
JON: Sold the TechnoBuffalo part about a year ago.
And now I just make videos for a living!
MARIA: Cool. And then, so you kinda mentioned when you first bought that camera.
What was your first camera?
Oh man! I bought it from Costco.
It was a mini DV camera. In my early videos,
you can still hear the tape winding in the background. [Maria laughs]
MARIA: Can we still find those videos?
Those are still on the channel! My very first video was a...
Santa Rosa MacPro unboxing. It is live!
I had to like, clean my apartment and set it up.
Like, the Nintento Wii had just come out at the time, and I had one. It was hard to find.
And I remember setting it up, like, right in the corner. [Maria laughing]
You know, so people could see that I had it.
I thought it'd give me a little more cred!
JON: It did not MARIA: So, some time has passed.
JON: Yes MARIA: What's your go-to camera and lens now?
So, now we film with, uh, two cameras.
We film with the BlackMagic, the new URSA Mini 2.
And then we also use a BlackMagic Pocket 6K.
MARIA: Cool!
Which, by the way--not an ad or sponsored thing--
We bought both of them, actually, from B&H.
JON: Legitimately! MARIA: Awesome [laughs]
JON: [laughs] From B&H!
MARIA: Um, so what was the video that kind of helped you guys get noticed?
You know, because there weren't that many people doing it at the time,
it was just, there wasn't anything else out there.
So when people searched for anything technology-related,
sort of, I was the channel that popped up.
And I mean, so really by just dumb luck!
By being the only one out there doing it was sort of
what initially got us, uh, got us noticed.
MARIA: And then, so you mentioned you have a team.
Have you always had a team? Do you edit everything yourself?
No. So I certainly have not always had a team.
Um, you know the first thousand videos I edited myself
in iMovie, just sort of learning how to edit.
Which is why the editing is really bad on it.
Um, and so, part of doing what I was doing,
I realized early on that I needed to know what my strengths were,
but also be very aware of my weaknesses.
And editing was just NOT something I was good at.
MARIA: Mhm JON: Um...
So I brought on some folks to sort of help me
with what was my shortcomings. And I've tried to learn and get better, but
for folks who edit professionally, I just...
I'm not that good [chuckles]
I wish I was, and I've tried to sort of fix that in myself.
MARIA: Mhm
JON: But, people who can do that are like magicians to me.
MARIA: Yeah...
MARIA: And then, so you have now over a million subscribers on YouTube.
JON: Yeah! MARIA: Which is a huge accomplishment!
MARIA: What's your secret? JON: Thank you!
Um... Man, persistence! I...
I made a lot of mistakes.
So, we got about 1.6 million subscribers on YouTube.
And I think that number should be a lot higher.
When I was running TechnoBuffalo and the website and making videos,
I made a lot of mistakes.
I was doing too many things.
I was trying to learn about CMS for a website,
and learning about SEO for websites, but also trying to make videos.
And so I was doing so much, I wasn't doing anything well.
And our videos kind of plateaued.
And so, I sort of had to adapt.
So secret to get to 1.5 million was persistence. But,
I think we should be a lot higher, and I sort of learned from those mistakes.
And, since I sold TechnoBuffalo, it's been a full focus on the quality of the content again.
And that's sort of reignited a love for video.
And for anybody out there who's looking to get started now:
don't try to imitate anyone or anybody else's style.
Don't copy someone that you like online.
'Cause why would somebody watch you, if they could just watch the original?
MARIA: Right
JON: Be the best version of yourself,
whatever that might be.
And let the cards kind of fall where they may.
MARIA: So, I mean, the bulk of your stuff is tech reviewing and gear reviewing.
JON: Yes
MARIA: Is there anything-- JON: Yeah
MARIA: --any new products and stuff you're trying to get into that you don't normally do?
So, uh...
I love cars, tech and sports.
So, we do branch out into cars just, like, out of a personal love for
for automotive stuff.
So, we do a lot of stuff on the EV side.
Um, I drive an EV. I've been driving electric for 7 years now.
So... We'll cover a lot of Tesla,
and Audi,
and sort of the other electric EVs out there.
Um... I would love to get more into gaming, but that's been such a hard nut to crack!
I'm not a hardcore gamer,
but I love to play when I can.
Um... So that's been tricky.
I wanna get into some custom PC builds and that kind of stuff.
But, those are very different demographics
than like cellphones, laptops and tablets, surprisingly.
MARIA: Right, yeah so, then what's your favorite part of your work?
I mean, [stammering]
So I'm older. I'm in my late thirties.
I worked, I guess "real jobs" right?
I was an assistant to an entire ad agency.
I was the lowest person there, so [Maria laughs]
I know what a privilege this is.
Um, and I know what a blessing it is to do this job.
I wake up every day with a smile on my face.
And even a bad day is still better than my best days working for a real job, so...
The best part of my job is the privilege to still get to do this!
MARIA: That's great! JON: And that some people care
about what I have to say. Um...
I will never, ever, EVER take it for granted.
MARIA: That's great!
And so, since you're stuck at home, have you been filming anything at all?
JON: [laughs] Yeah! So it's sort of gone back to the way things were when I first started.
Right? Just a camera and me, so.
I have been an Apple user for years,
and I switched to Android two months ago,
So I was filming my experience
switching to Android and kind of what that's been like.
We have some new phones that are coming out.
I've been trying to film and then send some footage over to editors.
And, it's been... The workflow is all kinds of wonky
working from home. Plus!
I have 6 year old, a 4 year old and 10 month old.
Downstairs! [chuckles] MARIA: Wow!
JON: I try to film around them and sort of have them make appearances sometimes.
It's been... tricky? To say the least.
MARIA: Sure! And then, you're filming in your own little studio?
Yeah! Honestly, it's like a loft outside my kids' room.
So, I'm here right now! MARIA: Okay!
JON: See? There's all of our gear.
We got a TV I sometimes use to watch sports.
So, inside of there is where we put the cameras and stuff.
Um... All of our batteries and some phones that I'm testing are over there.
Um, monitors and things here.
Mostly I'll just kind of sit on this couch.
I made this a studio!
Um, but when my daughter's sleeping, it's just right outside her room, so.
It's a studio when it can be. I think is, uh, is the best bet.
But it's still a home studio. And a home, first and foremost.
MARIA: Can you give some tips on how to make some content while you're stuck at home?
Yeah! I mean, there's a lot of things going on that I think is relatable, right?
So, you know, I'm at home.
You're at home. Everybody's at home! [Maria laughs]
So, it's a relatable story, right?
There's, I think, you go back two months ago,
and maybe the tolerance for kind of home-vloggy tech videos
for established channels that never did it that way was probably very low, right?
MARIA: Mhm
But now, people are expecting that.
So you kind of get a new, fresh approach to content.
So you can sort of reevaluate how you do things.
I mean, I don't generally wear a hat on camera,
but you know, I got like quarantine hair probably like everyone else!
Um, so... Yeah, we have to sort of change the aesthetic from how we film
And try to get the message across.
And sort of give people content to help distract them from what's going on in the world
Even just for a few minutes. MARIA: That's good!
MARIA: So, let's switch it up a bit! So what do you do for fun
JON: Yeah! MARIA: aside from video creating?
Uh... I'm a dad, and so that is my number one.
I'm a dad first before anything else. So...
I'm with my kids before all this happened.
I was coaching my son's little league team
[to his son] Hey buddy!
You can come say hi if you want!
[Maria laughs] Was daddy...
Who's the coach who was the coach on your little league team?
Daddy!
That's right! [both laugh]
So I was, uh, I was coaching his little league team.
Who are you talking to daddy?
I'm talking to one of daddy's friends!
It's okay buddy! You're alright!
Um, I coached my other son's baseball team.
We're out riding bikes. I'm trying to teach my oldest how to ride a two-wheeler.
So it's very dad-centric stuff.
Um, my wife and I love--we loved to travel.
[chuckling] Um, we don't go anywhere right now!
So that's mostly my time. That's sort of embracing--
[to his son] Here ya go buddy! Wanna say hi?
Hi! MARIA: Hello!
JON: Where you off to?
Where're you going?
Downstairs!
Downstairs? Alright! Bye buddy.
Um... [son talking inaudibly]
What?
I'll be down soon, love.
So that's [laughs] That's my day!
That's my day every day!
MARIA: That's awesome!
MARIA: And so, a lot of us, you know, we love to nerd out on certain things.
What's your favorite product to take a deep-dive into?
Man, so my favorite product is a product I don't think anybody should buy right now.
But it's a product that represents a very clear paradigm shift for the future.
And it's actually the phone that I'm on right now.
It's the Galaxy Fold.
And I've got one here.
It's a phone that sort of folds out into-- I don't wanna show your phone number, but
That folds out into a tablet.
It is amazing.
It's fragile.
It's expensive.
And it's very clearly a first-generation device.
But what it represents for how devices are gonna change.
How form factors are gonna change.
As a gear nerd myself, has been absolutely amazing
And has spoiled me on pretty much any other phone out there.
MARIA: [laughs] That's cool
And then what's the most challenging video you've created?
Man, so there's been...
There's been a lot. Sometimes we have crazy ideas and no way to execute them.
Um, we did a video about four months ago
that was the biggest production we ever did.
And we started with the question of
"What if Apple didn't exist?"
So what if, at different points in Apple's history, they had gone bankrupt?
So, back in the 80's and the 90's, when they were sort of on the precipice.
And we did alternate histories throughout that.
And we rented studio space, gear, and sort of built...
Sets. Kind of made a mini movie. MARIA: I was gonna say!
MARIA: It's basically a movie!
JON: It was basically a movie!
And that was something we really wanted to do for a long time.
But, to get a budget and sort of...
Make that version we all had in our heads was... tricky.
MARIA: Right...
And so, I mean, video seems to be a big part of your life.
What would you be if you weren't creating videos?
Man, I [laughs]
Video is all my life. I don't know...
I don't know what I would be.
I always thought that I was gonna be a lawyer.
[Maria laughs] JON: The only skill I've ever had in life was I could talk.
There was nothing else I've been good at.
So actually I, before I started making videos,
I worked in a law firm, and I hated it.
I don't know what I would be doing, but I could tell you I'd be unhappy doing it.
MARIA: And what's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
Best piece of advice I've ever received is
"if it's worth it, work for it"
Um... And that's very true with video
You know, it's like any job.
You can upload a video you're really proud of
and you spend a lot of time for.
And it'll get barely any views!
Then you could upload a video that's a generic something.
And then it'll blow up and get 1 million, 2 million views!
Uh, and that's frustrating.
There's no rhyme or reason to how it happens or when.
And it's discouraging.
Um... But sticking with it
and dealing with the negative comments that sometimes come
is a really hard part of any creator's life.
And it's something that I--even though I've been doing it so long
--I still wish I had a thicker skin.
MARIA: And then, so, aside from I guess your phone that you so love.
JON: Yeah!
MARIA: What's your favorite piece of gear?
Man, I love, LOVE uh...
Probably the BlackMagic URSA Mini Pro 2.
It's been absolutely amazing.
We wanted a sort of higher-quality camera.
But I didn't wanna spend $40, $50,000 for like an Alexa or something.
MARIA: So, what's one thing that makes your job easier?
Man, working with people more talented than me.
Um, honestly, working with people smarter and that can plan videos better.
I have a broad idea of things, but I'm not very good at the execution
necessarily of them. So people who can take these ideas...
And put out a plan and a vision that ends up being much better than what I had in my head.
Um, is amazingly helpful and awesome to see.
MARIA: That's awesome.
And now, so this is gonna be the hardest question I ask you...
If there were to be a movie about yourself, who would play you?
[Jon laughs] Um...
Who would play me?
I don't know. Who's got a grizzly, old look?
[Maria laughs] JON: Um...
Man, that is a good question. I'll go...
Can I go... I'm gonna go John Krasinski
MARIA: Nice! That's a good one.
JON: Much taller than me,
but he's got kind of that nerdy, you know back in the days of The Office, look
And he can grow an awesome beard!
MARIA: And then, last question, who should we interview next?
Ooh, good question! Um, next...
I'm gonna throw this over to...
How about one of the guys who just spun off his own YouTube channel.
Has been with one of the biggest brands. I think is one of the most trusted voices
in consumer electronics right now, especially on the Apple side.
Uh, Mr. Rene Ritchie, would be a guy I'd love for you to talk to.
He's also--coincidentally--one of the nicest people in the world.
MARIA: Alright so that's it! JON: Cool!
MARIA: Thanks so much for taking my call.
JON: Boom! MARIA: Stay safe!
JON: We did it! High five Maria! MARIA: Awesome, virtual high five!
JON: Virtual high five!
MARIA: Alrighty!
[guitar and piano music]