Good morning. What makes a good city for creators? Cost of living? Proximity to good filming locations? We’ve seen many creators migrate from big cities like NYC and LA to smaller ones like Austin, TX, Greenville, NC, and Eugene, OR. Tell us: What do you like about creating in your city and why?

— Hannah Doyle & Nate Graber-Lipperman

Why MKBHD Launched a Sneaker

Yesterday, tech creator MKBHD (aka Marques Brownlee) released the M251, a shoe collaboration with sneaker company Atoms that’s been in the works for three years.

Just after the launch, Brownlee answered some of our biggest questions about the sneaker collab and why it made sense for his brand.

Why release sneakers now? Brownlee was waiting for the right creative partner.

• “I’ve been asked to collaborate on products like shoes before. But typically the level of input I’d actually be afforded is nearly zero,” Brownlee told us.

• “Atoms came to me with the idea of starting from scratch to make something completely new and unique, which made it a no-brainer to work with them. We knew it would take longer, but I mean…worth it.”

What makes this collab different? The finished product incorporates elements from Brownlee’s favorite sneakers—including the weight of Adidas’ NMDs, a silhouette like Air Jordan 1s, and Atoms laces.

Context: Brownlee joins a handful of creators who have released their own sneakers, some in collaboration with brands like KSwiss and BrandBlack, others (like Callux) on their own.

Why make a shoe as a tech creator? MKBHD has expanded his content to other topics like car reviews and tech gear, and he views the M251 sneakers as an extension of his focus on high-quality goods. FYI, Brownlee sells a range of products—from clothing to candles—on his site.

“[The sneaker] is definitely outside of the mold of what people expect from someone who primarily reviews tech products, but it turns out to be very well received,” Brownlee said.

BTW: A handful of tech creators have reviewed the new MKBHD sneakers, including Dave2D and Linus Tech Tips (whose review has 1.5 million views—almost double the views of MKBHD’s launch video).

This Week in AI: Highlights from Around the Creator World

Here are three headlines that illustrate how pervasive artificial intelligence is becoming across the creator industry.

• Grimes said she’ll split royalties 50% with any creator who uses her voice in AI-generated songs. The singer offered the deal for creators in response to the AI-generated Drake and The Weeknd song that recently went viral. “I think it's cool to be fused [with] a machine and I like the idea of open sourcing all art and killing copyright,” Grimes said.

• “I’ve never hired a writer better than ChatGPT.” Business owners told Forbes about the ways ChatGPT is disrupting freelance writing. In one instance, a consultant uploaded two job postings on freelance service platform Upwork and received close to 300 applications within 24 hours—200 of which he suspected were written by ChatGPT.

• Adobe Premiere tool AutoPod “edits your podcast 100 times faster than you can yourself.” In a viral TikTok, Autopod explained how creators can use the AI tool to automatically cut between camera shots for video podcasts. You can try it out here—our very own Colin and Samir even gave it a whirl.

TikTok CEO Gives First Interview Since Hearings

Last Thursday, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew gave his first interview since testifying in front of Congress in March at the TED2023 “Possibility” conference in Vancouver.

Three takeaways from the conversation with Chew:

1. TikTok’s vision is to provide people with a “window to discover” others like them. “I’ve heard so many stories of people who have found their communities because of the content that they’re posting,” Chew said.

2. Chew said TikTok’s commitment to transparency includes working with third parties. “By allowing someone else to review the source code is to give…people access to monitor us,” he said.

3. TikTok strives to empower creators to speak up about topics they care about, according to Chew. “I think that there is a huge opportunity…[to give] the everyday person a voice,” Chew said.

🔥 Press Worthy

• Wishbone Kitchen and Lahbco create menu items at Cava.

• Children’s YouTube channel CoComelon is making a movie based on their characters with Universal.

• Unnecessary Inventions wins a Webby.

• Pokimane talks to The New York Times Magazine about her experiences with online misogyny.

• Casey Neistat goes on the Flagrant podcast.

• This legal team breaks down common mistakes to avoid when entering a brand deal.*

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