#306: What 16 Years Behind YouTube's Biggest Channels Taught Josh Mattingly About Hiring And The Current State of YouTube

#306: What 16 Years Behind YouTube's Biggest Channels Taught Josh Mattingly About Hiring And The Current State of YouTube

From Creator Science with Jay Clouse by Jay Clouse

May 26, 2026 · 1h 11m · Season 1 · Episode 306

About this episode

Josh Mattingly discusses his experiences with YouTube's biggest channels and shares insights on hiring and the current state of YouTube.

Josh is the founder of Upright Media, an operating partner for content creators handling operations, consulting, recruiting, and post-production. His clients include some of YouTube's biggest channels — Erak, Smosh, Emma Chamberlain, Dude Perfect, Matthew Beam, and Chris Williamson. He runs 11 full-time staff and about 40 contractors worldwide. He describes himself as a creator without a channel. This conversation also took a turn into what YouTube actually rewards right now, why "companionship content" is quietly eating the internet, and the concept of the "shitty flow state" — that experience where you put down your phone 35 minutes after opening Instagram and can't name a single thing you saw. Upright Media Brad Stulberg — The Way of Excellence Monday.com (project management tool Josh uses) Topper Guild (YouTube channel) Speeed (James Pumphrey + Jesse Wood) Full transcript and show notes *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Josh's opening: don't lose sight of the big goals that motivate your team (00:26) Who Josh Mattingly is and what Upright Media does (08:16) Excitement vs. panic — how much of working 80 hours a week is actually anxiety (12:49) Why most creators hire from panic — and how…

People in this episode

Host: Jay Clouse

Guest: Josh Mattingly

Topics covered

  • YouTube content creation
  • hiring strategies
  • creator economy
  • team building
  • current trends in YouTube
  • companionship content
  • shitty flow state

Keywords

  • YouTube
  • content creators
  • hiring
  • Upright Media
  • team dynamics
  • companionship content
  • shitty flow state

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Upright Media, Erak, Smosh, Dude Perfect, Brad Stulberg, Monday.com, Topper Guild, Speeed

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