DeepSummary
Dhar Mann went from being broke and living in a studio apartment to creating massively successful moral videos that earned over 60 billion views across social media platforms. Despite early entrepreneurial success, he experienced failures and a spectacular downfall after getting pulled into a Ponzi scheme. A few years later, he started making short dramatic videos conveying life lessons, which initially received little viewership and criticism for being cheesy.
However, Dhar's videos gradually gained popularity, and he built a huge production studio in Burbank with dozens of employees creating content for millions of subscribers. His journey involved pivoting from Facebook to YouTube, adapting his content style based on audience feedback, and scaling his operations while overcoming personal and financial challenges along the way.
Today, Dhar Mann Studios operates like a traditional Hollywood studio, with ambitious plans for expansion, diverse content offerings, and exploring new distribution platforms beyond social media. Dhar attributes his success to the democratizing power of platforms like YouTube and Facebook, which enabled him to pursue his creative vision without traditional gatekeepers.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Perseverance and adaptability are key to overcoming failures and achieving success.
- Social media platforms can democratize content creation and enable unconventional success stories.
- Iterative content development based on audience feedback can lead to viral success.
- Building a strong team and empowering others are crucial for scaling a business.
- Personal accountability and learning from mistakes are essential for growth.
- Passion, gratitude, and a desire to inspire others can drive entrepreneurial endeavors.
- Pivoting strategies and embracing new platforms can unlock new opportunities.
- Consistency and commitment are necessary to build a sustainable following.
Top Episodes Quotes
- βMy very first comment that I got said, who do you think you are? Tony Robbins?β by Dhar Mann
- βSo it turned out by removing myself from lots of different decisions, I created a domino effect. Reuben and Laura had to relieve themselves from certain responsibilities to take over mine, which meant more mid level managers had to step up to the plate.β by Dhar Mann
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Episode Information
How I Built This with Guy Raz
Guy Raz | Wondery
4/29/24
Five years before he became a massively successful content creator, Dhar Mann was nearly broke and living in a studio apartment. Itβs the kind of story he might tell in one of his videos: bite-sized, live-action morality tales that have earned 60 billion views across YouTube, Facebook, and other platforms. Raised in an Indian Sikh family, Dhar had a strong entrepreneurial drive, which led to early business success, but also a spectacular downfall when he got pulled into a Ponzi scheme. A few years after losing nearly everything, he began making short, dramatic videos that conveyed life lessons. Nobody watched at first and critics called them cheesy, but today, Dhar has a huge production studio in Burbank, where dozens ofΒ employees make content for tens of millions of subscribers.
This episode was produced by Alex Cheng and Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.
Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Katherine Sypher.
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