This is probably the only time that I’m on the same top 100 list as @KylieJenner and @rihanna. Big thanks to @influenceweek for including me news.influenceweekly.co/100/

I spend a lot of time talking about the potential of YouTube. This chart from yesterday's @WSJ captures why I’m so excited about it. Look at the direction of travel. YouTube is pulling ahead in the competition for TV viewing time. And this is viewing on television sets. Phones and laptops aren’t included.

The plan for Electrify keeps getting bigger and bigger. And so does the team

We've just completed Electrify's 11th creator investment. Today I'm excited to announce our partnership with Rowan Cheung and The Rundown AI. Like many people, I've spent the last few years trying to keep up with the pace of change in AI. Throughout that period, one name kept appearing again and again: The Rundown. We're incredibly excited to partner with him and his team and help accelerate the next chapter of growth.

How Instagram Helped This VC Find Billion-Dollar Startups - With @MarshallSandman from Animal Capital Most VCs hide behind pitch decks and private networks — Marshall Sandman is building a venture fund on social media, one daily post at a time. In this episode of The Business of Creators, Ian Shepherd sits down with Marshall Sandman, founder of Animal Capital, to explore how social media is changing venture capital. Marshall shares how posting daily content online has helped him source startup deals, build founder relationships, and grow one of the top-performing seed-stage venture funds of its generation. Marshall also explains why some of the best investment opportunities exist outside Silicon Valley — and why “boring” businesses may outperform the hottest AI trends.

People often associate Electrify with YouTube. That’s true. We’ve invested heavily into creator-led YouTube businesses. But we're increasingly excited by podcasting too. Last year we invested in Unfassbar in Germany, a hugely successful podcast brand. We’re also expanding several of our existing creator brands into podcasting because the format creates something incredibly powerful: - new audience relationships - recurring viewing and listening habits - the chance to test new personalities - diversified revenue opportunities Next Wednesday I’ll be speaking at The Podcast Show in London on a panel called “The Media Company is the Creator” discussing how creators are building modern media businesses and what investors are looking at. I'll be around all day Wednesday. If you’re attending, I’d love to connect.