How well do you know Casey Neistat?

Casey Neistat talks about his creative process, viral videos, and struggles with authenticity

• Casey Neistat discusses his upcoming appearance on the Flagrant podcast.

• He talks about a website called Feed Pick where he got his jacket from.

• Neistat is interviewed on Flicker and is introduced as one of the most prolific creators and one of the worst drivers.

• Neistat's brother reveals that he has crashed every car he has ever had.

• Neistat talks about the time he crashed his car on the freeway and spun around to avoid hitting a tractor-trailer truck.

• He talks about his first surfing trip with the interviewer and how he drove a scratched-up car.

• Neistat talks about his new Land Rover Defender and how it has a feature that stops the car if it is about to hit someone.

• He discusses a video he made where he used AI to curate the dialogue, and some AI enthusiasts criticized him for not putting more effort into training the AI.

• Neistat talks about the importance of heart and soul in content creation and how AI cannot yet mimic that.

• He discusses his viral video about the iPod battery and how it went viral before YouTube existed.

• Neistat talks about his daily vlog and how it is like having a wedding video for every day.

• He discusses his struggles with authenticity in his vlogs and how it can be difficult to balance being present in the moment and thinking about creating content.The Challenges of Maintaining Authenticity on YouTube

• The pressure to constantly produce interesting content can lead to insecurity and the temptation to seek sensationalism.

• The rise and fall of many YouTubers is often due to the pursuit of sensationalism.

• The desire to create interesting content can lead to feeling like you are playing a character of yourself.

• The unintended consequence of vlogging with a partner is that it forces you to confront and resolve conflicts quickly, even if it is for the sake of the video.

• The speaker's wife is an interesting character on camera because she does not care about being on camera.

• The speaker has had to suppress fights with his wife for the sake of the video, but he acknowledges that this is not a healthy approach to conflict resolution.

• The speaker avoided sensationalism because he found it disgusting and did not want to make content that he would not want his daughter to watch.

• The speaker sees himself as a filmmaker and storyteller, and he tries to maintain his integrity by focusing on creativity rather than metrics or monetization.

• The speaker regrets not monetizing sooner and not taking merchandising seriously earlier in his career.

• The speaker struggles with the idea of promoting one product or idea exclusively, as it feels inauthentic to him.

• The speaker's tech company, Beme, was acquired by CNN for $25 million, but the acquisition did not go well, and the company was shut down.

• The speaker is now focusing on a new venture called 368, which is a community-driven platform for creators to collaborate and share their work.Casey Neistat's Tech Company and Personal Journey

• Casey Neistat was invited to MIT as a fellow, despite being a high school dropout.

• At MIT, Neistat worked with The Social Computing Group on the social implications of software.

• Neistat had the idea for a video product called Beam, which was about posting unfiltered and raw videos.

• Neistat partnered with Matt Hackett, raised venture money, and launched Beam, which had a successful launch but ultimately failed.

• CNN bought Neistat's company for $25 million, but the private number was $200 million.

• Neistat harbored feelings of rejection when CNN executives did not invite him on their private plane.

• After the CNN deal, Neistat and his family started flying private and bought an apartment.

• Neistat dropped out of high school at 14 or 15 due to family issues and rebellion.

• Neistat's mother blamed the children for her affair, leading to family turmoil.

• Neistat's personal struggles influenced his rebellious behavior in school.

• Neistat's fear of not being able to provide for his family now drives him to play it safe and avoid risk.

• Neistat's experiences and personal journey have shaped his career as a filmmaker and entrepreneur.From Drug Dealing to Fatherhood: A Teenage Journey

• The speaker started selling weed as a teenager and made a lot of money from it.

• He had a pager and would sell weed from his bedroom window.

• He got into a lot of trouble at school and got suspended multiple times.

• His mom gave him an ultimatum and he chose to leave home with all his drug money.

• He stayed with friends and eventually moved in with two 18-year-old girls who became his landlords.

• One of the girls got pregnant, and he became a father at 16 years old.

• He didn't have a clear understanding of sex education and the consequences of unprotected sex.

• Having a child gave him a new sense of purpose and focus.

• He moved to Virginia with his girlfriend and his brother had to adopt him so he could go to school.

• The speaker's brother was in college and they lived in a Flop House together.

• They had to go in front of a judge to get the adoption approved.

• The speaker's journey from drug dealing to fatherhood was a transformative experience that shaped his perspective on life.

Test your knowledge on the life and career of filmmaker and entrepreneur Casey Neistat with these three quizzes. From his creative process and struggles with authenticity to his tech company and personal journey, these quizzes cover a range of topics related to Neistat's life and work. See how much you know about this prolific creator and his inspiring story.