How We Built a $150 Million Streaming Platform with $100,000

Writing by Sam Denby and Tristan Purdy
Editing by Alexander Williard
Animation led by Josh Sherrington
Sound by Graham Haerther
Thumbnail by Simon Buckmaster

[Bayoll]

It has come full circle
Sam is doing a video essay on himself
This is peak wendover

[MinuteEarth]

The Insane Logistics of a Creator-Run Platform

[Slackarius]

Out of all the things Nebula has brought to me, my favorite is getting to see Ben and Adam running wild and free out in the world.

[Zveebo]

I know this is a story that will probably never be told, but I’m super fascinated by why CGP Grey and Kurzgesagt dropped out after having been the key movers behind Nebula and Standard in the early days!

[jottys]

I originally also thought this would be another streaming flop but here we are years later and I’m glad to see the growth Nebula has shown

[JakoZestoko]

I think Nebula is proof of how much people hate ads and just want to support creators directly instead. I get spared my time and sanity, and the creator gets way more than they ever would from me watching advertisements. Win-win.

[probablypablito]

Had no idea Nebula was so big! I always thought it weird when creators said "my streaming service Nebula". Good job to you and everyone involved!

[DomBurgess]

I've worked at Nebula almost 4 years now, great to be a part of such a positive success story. Awesome to see it summarised so well, thanks Sam!

[jamesdavies]

Another important factor is the level of loyalty Nebula customers have to the creator. Unlike companies like Netflix, there is a high degree of trust that whether a piece of content aligns with a subscriber’s interests or not it WILL be high quality. If this isn’t the ultimate demo of why just making a good product is the most important part of business I don’t know what is.

[anarchyelite]

Wow. Transparency… what a breath of fresh air. With much obvious B.S. out there and people dancing around stuff, it’s so nice to just hear genuine honesty and on a very intriguing subject that no one ever discusses.

[NotJustBikes]

Wow it's amazing to hear the whole story told like this. I've heard bits and pieces of it, but it was great to see it all spelled our so clearly.

Joining Nebula was by far the best thing I did for my channel. It's all been great, but the best part is the fantastic Nebula creators I've been able to meet; it's a great group of people.

Here's to an even more successful 2023 and beyond! 🥂

[spencerberg]

I’ve been a nebula subscriber for a year now and I’ve never been happier with a subscription service! The one time there was an error I emailed the team they fixed it immediately and were incredibly friendly. (Just please add comments!!)

[AliceYobby]

Knowing that Sam owns a $150 Million company makes it much easier to root against him in Jet Lag now. I really saw him as an underdog 😭

[scottmadison]

Wow. I am surprised-not-surprised at how many of these creaters I recognize on sight. Just everyone who makes informational videos who have good ethos and content. I am downright *PROUD* to be supporting Nebula (and curiosity stream!)

[UndecidedMF]

Love this. You all have built something incredible. Well done.

[Nixontheman]

The actual reason Nebula works is the price, that and an appreciation for the creators who gave us such great content for free for so long, (Mustard, Real engineering, RLL and even you Sam) we are happy to support you.

[dand]

So you guys know, Sam did this when he was about 20 years old. Huge props for that

[kimw]

I had been seriously considering subscribing to Nebula for a while and this video pushed me over the edge. It was fascinating to understand how it came to be and how it supports creators in ways that Youtube and other streaming platforms don't. I'm really happy to be able to support so many of my favorite creators with my subscription. Well done Sam and team!

[sinatrabone]

Supporting Nebula is like supporting your local food co-op. I love that you all have found a way to keep this creator-owned. And thanks for sharing the story. I felt some loyalty already, but this cemented it even more so.

[EEVblog]

Well done. Makes us full time electronics Youtubers look like a bunch of amateur hacks. Guilty as charged, of course.