The Colin and Samir Show

"Companies are bought, not sold." That's the mindset John Coogan and Jordi Hays say got them a nine-figure acquisition from OpenAI, without ever trying to sell. Recorded live at Press Publish LA, this is our second sit-down with the TBPN guys, but the first since the deal went public. Two years ago they were building a daily live show from scratch. Now they've sold it to OpenAI for nine figures, and they're breaking down exactly how they got there. We get into: Why they chose to nichemaxx in a world full of view-maximizers The importance of having a “golden retriever” mindset Why they never tried to sell the company, and how that gave them leverage What their role at OpenAI actually is It's a candid look at how staying disciplined about who you're serving can be worth more than chasing scale. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We recorded this episode from Big Sky, Montana at the annual Spotter Creator Summit - four days with some of the top creators in the world talking about where this industry is actually headed. And one idea kept coming up over and over again: We’ve officially entered the era of abundance. There is more good content, more creators, and more competition for attention than ever before. Streamers are courting creators. AI is accelerating production. And brands have more options than they know what to do with. So the real question going into 2026 isn’t “How do I grow?” It’s: How do I become memorable? In this episode, we break down what we’re hearing directly from creators, platforms, and brands—including insights from Issa Rae, conversations happening inside the summit, and Adam Mosseri’s New Year’s post about authenticity and AI. We talk about: Why “just making good videos” isn’t enough anymore How creators need to start telling the story of the story What’s changing in brand deals (and why short-form and long-form are diverging) Why streamers are suddenly paying closer attention to creators How AI changes the meaning of authenticity And what it takes to make something that can’t be summarized This episode is about the next phase of the creator economy—and the shift from chasing views to building something people actually remember. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Instagram is coming to your TV. YouTube creators are showing up on Netflix and Hulu. And Disney just invested $1 billion into OpenAI. In this episode, we break down three headlines that point to the same shift: the living room is becoming the most important screen in the creator economy. We unpack what Instagram’s new TV app actually signals, why creator content is increasingly being syndicated to streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Tubi, and how Disney licensing its characters to AI models could change the future of IP, entertainment, and creators themselves. The big takeaway? Platforms are changing—but the creators who win are the ones building shows, not just content. To close, we run through a rapid-fire “ins and outs” of creator economy trends heading into 2026—and ask you what trends you’d buy or sell next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices