Area of Study

Self-taught Influencers

Creators who built audiences and empires from a phone and a point of view.

Influencers Stories

The Cheat Code to their success

Gaming entertainer and online commentator / 06

PewDiePie Made the Player More Compelling Than the Game

Felix Kjellberg's early advantage was not elite gameplay. It was making the audience feel as if someone memorable was playing beside them.

Technology reviewer and MKBHD founder / 07

Marques Brownlee Built Authority One Useful Review at a Time

Before the cinematic studio shots, there was a teenager explaining the remote control that came with his laptop.

Illustration for the story of Marques Brownlee

Comedian, creator, author, and television host / 08

Lilly Singh Built Her Own Stage Before Television Called

A psychology graduate in Toronto became writer, performer, editor, and distributor before a network offered her a desk.

Illustration for the story of Lilly Singh

Filmmaker and digital illusion creator / 09

Zach King Made the Edit Feel Like Magic

His education included film school. His distinctive internet language emerged from years of experiments in making a cut look like an impossible event.

Dance creator and entertainment personality / 10

Charli D'Amelio Brought Years of Dance Practice Into the Feed

The videos looked casual. The movement behind them came from a childhood spent training, rehearsing, and competing.

Illustration for the story of Charli D'Amelio