They Cracked the Code to Guaranteed Virality | Fixated Founders Zach Katz and Jason Wilhelm

<p>Can you actually manufacture virality?</p><p>Zach Katz and Jason Wilhelm, the co-founders of Fixated, join to explain that you can.</p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://fixated.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Fixated</a> was built to be the architect behind some of the internet&#39;s biggest cultural phenomena. They&#39;ve done well so far -- their first client was Sketch, who they brought on when he had only a few hundred viewers, and scaled him into a megastar. Since then, they&#39;ve taken on big investor money and bought firms like Ellify, Elevate, and Studio71 to continue to scale.</p><p>Today on the show, Zach and Jason pull back the curtain on the creator economy, exposing the dark side of early talent management and revealing the uncompromising &quot;burn the boats&quot; mentality required to reach the top. From building massive creator houses to discovering true talent in a sea of millions, you&#39;ll learn how two industry pros navigate the modern creator economy.</p><p><br></p><p>0:00 The Boldest Claim in Content: Can You Actually Manufacture Virality?</p><p>2:15 Pop Culture History: The Hilarious &quot;Sean Kingston&quot; Origin Story</p><p>4:51 Building the Sway House: Professionalizing the Creator Mansion Model</p><p>9:36 Exposing Predatory MCN Deals &amp; The FaZe Clan &quot;Shush&quot; Story</p><p>16:22 The Fixated Blueprint: How to Guarantee Distribution &amp; Views</p><p>33:33 The Sketch Story: Finding a Mega-Creator Before They Explode</p><p>39:25 Controversial Takes: Why &quot;48 Laws of Power&quot; is Messing Creators Up</p><p>57:27 The &quot;Burn the Boats&quot; Mentality: Why Having a Plan B Guarantees Failure</p><p><br></p><p>#businesspodcast #pittsburgh #thoughtliters</p><p><br></p><p>WHAT IS THOUGHT LITERS?</p><p><br></p><p>Thought Liters is a series created and hosted by Adam Conner. On the show, Adam learns from the top of the world through the bottom of their glass. Each episode, we share a flight of local craft with the best and brightest brand minds around – whether it be an entrepreneur, an athlete, an artist, or otherwise. The questions evolve as the sip changes.</p><p>The show is proudly founded and produced in Pittsburgh, PA.</p><p>The whole goal is to have conversations about business with a more lighthearted look and feel. Adam thinks most business content is dry, and wants to change that.</p><p>If you’re interested, follow along! If not, that’s cool too. But if you wanna be where the thought leaders are…you’ll tune in to where Thought Liters is.</p>