“We’ve been able to build a great team largely by answering our emails and actually giving a damn about people!”

Have you ever wondered what happens when an under-ground famous electronic musician and a Neuroscientist start curating YouTube videos? It’s called Network Awesome and it is the brainchild of Jason Forrest – Creative Director and Greg Sadetsky – CTO. Network Awesome is interesting and entertaining TV.  They curate all the broadcasting from YouTube then stitch together the different links to make a linear viewing experience. If that isn’t innovative enough, it’s the programming that makes Network Awesome truly shine. The programming is entertaining, fun, and even challenging.

Network Awesome has been bootstrapping since it’s beginning in January 2011 and has created one of the largest curated YouTube databases (over 17,000 videos) they will open the first round of funding soon!

MO:
Network Awesome is essentially TV about TV but truly aims to show something about culture as a whole. How do you believe you accomplish this goal?

Jason:
There’s an ocean of incredible TV, film, documentary (and everything else) out there that is more interesting and compelling than what you see on Broadcast TV.  We curate videos from almost every aspect of culture and collect them in one site that has a broad vision. We feature a digital magazine that explains and expands on our content. The combination of the two make for a unique but fun new voice to explore the history and possibilities of what TV has been and can be.

MO:
Why should someone go to Network Awesome for their interesting video fix rather than mindlessly surfing YouTube on their own?

Jason:
I LOVE this question.  There’s 48 hours of video uploaded to YouTube each minute! In comparison we present 6 shows a day. Our viewers can be assured that they will find the correct video in the correct order at the correct resolution in a clean and easy to use interface.

But you also watch the combined curatorial power of 20 people. When we focus on a subject we’re able to find a staggering array of amazing material.  Everything we show ends up in an archive as well – and we have over 2,100 shows there to choose from, so it’s easy to find something you’ll like!

But, I mean, you sort of say it yourself in the question- Youtube has become, in some ways, “mindless”…

MO:
Can you tell us about your personal background and how it has led you to creating Network Awesome?

Jason:
I’ve been working in iOS development for the past few years and also run 2 record labels so I’ve been at the intersection of technology and marketing. When I started to explore online TV, I realized I was more interested by the juxtapositions between different programs then actually producing just one. After some research it made sense to apply my knowledge of youth trends to something larger than just a “website”.

MO:
You refer to all of the people who work on Network Awesome as volunteers. How have you recruited so many (84!) people to work on Network Awesome on a volunteering basis. What advice can you give to others looking to attract volunteers?

Jason:
We actually have 92 now! Haha!

Because our content is unique it has been met with excitement by a certain type of person who sees this as an opportunity to share something they are passionate about. We’ve been able to build a great team largely by answering our emails and actually giving a damn about people! haha! The writers we work with want to get involved because they like the idea of covering such interesting content. The video curators get to share what they love and get involved because it’s cool.

MO:
You are opening up the first round of funding soon. What type of investments are you looking for? Do you need an advisor board? Passive or active Angel Investors?

Jason:
We have big plans and we’re building the infrastructure to act on it so, of course, we need help. We’ll open our first round of funding in about a week and based on that we’ll build a board this fall to get to the next phase.

As for Active or Passive, we see the value in each. As you can tell in every aspect of how we do business – we’re interested in people first and resolve to make Network Awesome a collaborative environment.

MO:
What are the future goals for Network Awesome?

Jason:
It’s a phenomenally exciting time for us. Our traffic is growing rapidly and our plans are expanding in many directions. We’re finishing up our first original production, beginning to work with sponsors and advertisers, and establishing offices in Berlin and NYC.  Our users will find unique community tools and services introduced to the site in the next few months.

When it comes to programming, we have a variety of exciting shows coming up including a survey of films by John-luc Godard, a weekend dedicated to all-things Andy Warhol and a weeklong series about Drugs! (ohh! How scandalous!)