The MKBHD Effect: the Reviewer That Determines the Success of Startups

Marques Brownlee, also known as MKBHD, is one of the biggest technology-based social media influencers, with over 19 million subscribers on YouTube as of June 2024. He recently critically reviewed two tech products. After his review was published, both companies' stock prices plummeted, leading to potential bankruptcy, and startup founders have accused him of misusing his platform.

Marques Brownlee from Wikimedia Commons

Context

Marques Brownlee is one of social media's most respected tech content creators. He started his journey in January 2009 when he posted his first video on YouTube. His content mainly focuses on in-depth and unbiased tech reviews with high production quality.

As a result of his thorough and critical analysis, many tech enthusiasts and consumers rely on his insights to make informed purchasing decisions. Major Tech companies like Nothing have also collaborated with him to take his recommendations into account when creating products. He is also held in high regard by high-level tech executives, as evidenced by Vic Gundotra, a former senior vice president of Google, who called Brownlee "the best technology reviewer on the planet right now." Marques Brownlee runs multiple YouTube channels and a podcast called Waveform.

The Controversy

On 18th February 2024, Marques Brownlee posted on his car review channel, Autofocus, about an electric vehicle by a small startup, Fisker, called Fisker Ocean. His review was critical, dubbing it the "worst car I've ever reviewed." His review led to a significant loss of trust in the company. The company had to lay off more than 15% of its workforce, and its share price fell from 28.50 USD at its peak to a mere 0.056 USD.

Prominent tech enthusiasts, including tech employees of major corporations like Amazon web services, criticized Marques for crumbling a company using his platform within a few hours. His review was called "distasteful" on X(formerly Twitter). He was accused of hurting the startup ecosystem by misusing his platform. But his review couldn't be called anything but accurate as all his criticisms were valid and faced by everyday consumers, including brake performance issues, software limits on the number of times boost mode can be used, and faulty keyfobs. Marques Brownlee's sentiment was shared by other popular auto reviewers, including Carwow, Austin Evans, and Edmunds Cars.

The Humane AI Pin

Humane Inc. was founded by two ex-apple executives, Imran Chaudri and Bethany Bongiorno. The company developed an AI pin to revolutionize technology and how we communicate with our devices. Their pin was an AI assistant that responded to voice commands and could project a display on your hand.

The company raised more than 230 million USD before shipping a product. It was meant to replace the need to take out your phone and constantly get distracted. However, the company failed to deliver as its AI pin's performance was lackluster compared to its 700 USD starting price, and the AI pin required a constant internet connection, for which you had to buy a subscription separately. Marques Brownlee posted a YouTube video on 15th April 2024 criticizing the AI pin. This led to a firestorm on the internet with Daniel Vassallo, a tech entrepreneur, calling Brownlee's review "almost unethical," given his vast following. "With great reach comes great responsibility," Vassallo wrote. "Potentially killing someone else's nascent project reeks of carelessness." Brownlee's sentiments were shared by other Tech YouTubers, a prominent one being Mrwhosetheboss, a British tech content creator.

Is Marques Brownlee at Fault?

Marques Brownlee and the startup founders' concerns are valid, but it is essential to understand the nature of tech reviewers like Marques Brownlee. They have a massive following that relies on the content creator's review and experience with a product to decide upon purchasing it. A bad review can harm a company but cannot kill it.

This is only possible when there is something genuinely wrong with the product. Both the products discussed in this article are overpriced and hold empty promises. As a tech reviewer, Marques Brownlee is responsible for his audience and not for the companies he reviews, as his audience considers his review before making an expensive purchase. Companies shouldn't accuse reviewers but consider their criticism and make changes to ensure the product's next iteration is better. The best example of this would be a British tech company, Nothing. They released their Nothing Buds One to compete with other TWS earphones, but their earphones had many problems; Marques Brownlee addressed them via a YouTube video, and instead of accusing him of killing their business, they collaborated with Marques Brownlee to create the hit Nothing Ear(2).

Conclusion

In summary, the controversy surrounding Marques Brownlee's critical reviews highlights the responsibility of tech influencers and the impact of their reviews on companies. While startup founders have accused Brownlee of harming their businesses, companies need to consider the feedback from reviewers and use it to improve their products. Ultimately, tech influencers are responsible to their audience, and companies should focus on addressing legitimate criticisms to enhance the quality of their products.