The first person that came to mind when I thought of “millennial entrepreneurs” was David Dobrik. Dobrik stands out to me because he has redefined social media entrepreneurship. He has over 11 million subscribers on YouTube as well as being one of the most popular vloggers in the world. Since 2016, Dobrik has become one of the biggest vloggers on the platform. Dobrik was born in Slovakia and immigrated to the United States with his family when he was 6 years old. His parents pushed him to succeed back handedly. After high school, his parents gave him an ultimatum: Either go to college or move out. Dobrik chose the latter. He was a self-starter. Dobrik optimized his potential to work at something and pursue it aggressively.
Dobrik later moved to L.A. and supported himself in the beginning. He ran Vine accounts and would upload sports clips, and then sell revines on those accounts. He had an entrepreneurial mind from the beginning. As Vine was going away, he was introduced to vlogging and the idea of recording your whole day. David Dobrik used his upbringing and success to comment towards others with the same goal, “If you’re in it for the money, there is no way you will ever make it! Never. That’s not going to get you there at all. I just made fun videos with my friends. That’s the key. Actually that’s not the key. Don’t watch this and take tips from me. Just go do you. If people see that you’re passionate about what you’re creating, they’re going to enjoy it.” (Forbes, 2019)
Dobrik also embodies impressive work ethic. He has posted three videos a week for four years. On top of that, he also hosts a popular podcast, “VIEWS With David Dobrik and Jason Nash.” He wanted to diversify and keep expanding his entrepreneurial horizons. He wanted to get better at interviewing, so he hosted a late night podcast to improve on that skill. He doesn’t take breaks, and if he sees an opportunity, he attacks it. He can’t better his career unless he first betters his mind.
While a handful of YouTubers have burned out, Dobrik has continued to create consistent content and expand on “Fortune favors the brave.”
It would be impossible to not be somewhat familiar with David Dobrik, but I didn’t know this backstory. I’ve read elsewhere that having no “plan b” forces you to get things right, and Dobrik seems to be a good example of this. My other takeaway was the importance of being in your career for more than the paycheck- having a mission, vision, purpose, or passion is important because it keeps the bigger picture in focus. Thanks for sharing!
I really enjoyed this read on David Dobrik! I never knew how crazy of a backstory he had with his upbringing but he obviously did not let that stop him. One big trait I noticed David portrays is the will to never give up or his drive for what he loves. Often times entrepreneurs are going to be doubted in their work or called crazy for choosing the path they take. David chose to leave his home away from what he knew to go pursue what he loved. Another thing I picked up from this article is the fact that David is doing something he loves and has a passion for. My dad always used to tell me “If you choose something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life”. David found the thing he loves and has made himself very successful because of it.