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I keep hearing the name but as far as I can tell his only claim to fame is that he’s an “internet personality”. What did he build, and why should anyone care ab

I keep hearing the name but as far as I can tell his only claim to fame is that he’s an “internet personality”. What did he build, and why should anyone care about what he has to say?

michaelbrooks 8y ago
He helped build his father's wine company called "The Wine Library" [0]. He then went on to build Vayner media and his internet personality "Gary Vee". [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vo0nykupIo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vo0nykupIo
bshimmin 8y ago
Before he became some sort of ill-defined entrepreneur/investor he used to talk knowledgeably and enthusiastically online via a podcast (or possibly several) about wine, which was his family's business - this was probably a decade or more ago. Since then I guess you could describe his career as having "sprawled".
patio11 8y ago
Since I would have sympathized with this viewpoint earlier in life, I’ll give you the just-the-facts version: He took an offline business in a regulated industry (wine) which he inherited and ~20Xed it online, got Internet famous, built one of those social media marketing companies which has fairly little lasting impact but (like Madison Avenue) has a metric truckload of money run through it, got deal flow, invested, etc. At least one thing he's done is worth watching for many HNers: someone said "It's easy to make money when you have connections but I don't have connections so boo hoo" and he said "Watch me. Suppose for the sake of argument that I own a beer blog, instead of the blog I actually own. My new name is Steve. I Google beer accessories and see this company is advertising on AdWords, so I know they have an advertising budget. I will now cold call them live, as Steve who runs a blog no one has heard of which doesn't exist, and sell them ads on my beer blog." He then does. Edit: Found the video. In the intervening years I had misremembered some of the details. Very little of what I watched in 2008 I still quote in 2018; I think I will probably be able to quote this video with that level of detail in 20X8, too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG7WFxT1ySY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG7WFxT1ySY
- cko 8y ago
  Just a nitpick about the wine business - he claimed to have taken over the operations for some time and then stepped away (not inherited.) He does give some practical advice for young people, like be willing to sacrifice your 20s. Besides that I’m not sure how helpful the rest of his stuff is. He believes FB and IG ads are currently underpriced. I think he makes predictions based on observing what people are putting their moment to moment attentions on, calling it “day-trading” attention. Honestly I’m wary of charismatic / hype / inspirational speakers / performance coaches as much of HN likely is. But I think he’s not bad for the younger generation, and at least he has some entrepreneurial experience, if that means anything.
blackbagboys 8y ago
His primary skill is being adept at Internet marketing. His other keys to success are inheriting a successful family business and gambling on Facebook. Some variation of this story accounts for about 95% of "personality entrepreneurs"/bullshit artists of the Tim Ferris ilk that plague us these days.
andrew_wc_brown 8y ago
My introduction to GaryVee was through Signal vs Noise in 2006. Beyond growing his parents wine company he's in the business of producing inspiration porn, like Malcom Gladwell or the 4 hour work week, its homeopathy for entrepreneurs.

I keep hearing the name but as far as I can tell his only claim to fame is that he’s an “internet personality”. What did he build, and why should anyone care about what he has to say?

michaelbrooks 8y ago

He helped build his father's wine company called "The Wine Library" [0]. He then went on to build Vayner media and his internet personality "Gary Vee". [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vo0nykupIo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vo0nykupIo

bshimmin 8y ago

Before he became some sort of ill-defined entrepreneur/investor he used to talk knowledgeably and enthusiastically online via a podcast (or possibly several) about wine, which was his family's business - this was probably a decade or more ago. Since then I guess you could describe his career as having "sprawled".

patio11 8y ago

Since I would have sympathized with this viewpoint earlier in life, I’ll give you the just-the-facts version: He took an offline business in a regulated industry (wine) which he inherited and ~20Xed it online, got Internet famous, built one of those social media marketing companies which has fairly little lasting impact but (like Madison Avenue) has a metric truckload of money run through it, got deal flow, invested, etc. At least one thing he's done is worth watching for many HNers: someone said "It's easy to make money when you have connections but I don't have connections so boo hoo" and he said "Watch me. Suppose for the sake of argument that I own a beer blog, instead of the blog I actually own. My new name is Steve. I Google beer accessories and see this company is advertising on AdWords, so I know they have an advertising budget. I will now cold call them live, as Steve who runs a blog no one has heard of which doesn't exist, and sell them ads on my beer blog." He then does. Edit: Found the video. In the intervening years I had misremembered some of the details. Very little of what I watched in 2008 I still quote in 2018; I think I will probably be able to quote this video with that level of detail in 20X8, too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG7WFxT1ySY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG7WFxT1ySY

cko 8y ago
Just a nitpick about the wine business - he claimed to have taken over the operations for some time and then stepped away (not inherited.) He does give some practical advice for young people, like be willing to sacrifice your 20s. Besides that I’m not sure how helpful the rest of his stuff is. He believes FB and IG ads are currently underpriced. I think he makes predictions based on observing what people are putting their moment to moment attentions on, calling it “day-trading” attention. Honestly I’m wary of charismatic / hype / inspirational speakers / performance coaches as much of HN likely is. But I think he’s not bad for the younger generation, and at least he has some entrepreneurial experience, if that means anything.

blackbagboys 8y ago

His primary skill is being adept at Internet marketing. His other keys to success are inheriting a successful family business and gambling on Facebook. Some variation of this story accounts for about 95% of "personality entrepreneurs"/bullshit artists of the Tim Ferris ilk that plague us these days.

andrew_wc_brown 8y ago

My introduction to GaryVee was through Signal vs Noise in 2006. Beyond growing his parents wine company he's in the business of producing inspiration porn, like Malcom Gladwell or the 4 hour work week, its homeopathy for entrepreneurs.