How to DAD | Jordan Watson | TEDxChristchurch
TLDRIn this humorous and engaging talk, the speaker, known as 'How to Dad,' shares his unexpected journey to viral fame with a simple instructional video on holding a baby. Despite not having any parenting expertise, his spontaneous and comical approach resonated with millions. He candidly discusses the unpredictable nature of viral success, the importance of persistence, and the joy of creating content that brings laughter to parents worldwide. His story is a testament to seizing opportunities and embracing the fun in life's challenges.
Takeaways
- 😄 The speaker, named 'Hao', humorously admits to not knowing much about parenting and prefers to 'wing it' rather than read parenting books.
- 🎥 Hao's first instructional video on 'how to hold a baby' was made without much thought and unexpectedly became viral, garnering millions of views and media attention.
- 🤔 Despite the success of his first video, Hao's second attempt at creating a viral video did not succeed, leading him to believe that virality is not something that can be planned.
- 👕 He humorously attributes the failure of his second video to wearing pants, suggesting that his attire may have played a role in the video's reception.
- 📈 Hao's experience with viral videos led him to create a YouTube and Facebook page called 'How Did Dad', focusing on producing unhelpful but humorous parenting videos.
- 📅 The 'How Did Dad' channel posts a new video every Monday, consistently providing content and building an audience over time.
- 🌐 The channel's videos have been shared by local and international news agencies, increasing its reach and popularity.
- 🎉 Another video, 'how to put a baby to sleep', unexpectedly went viral despite Hao's initial belief that it was not their best work, proving once again that virality is unpredictable.
- 📚 Hao has since published books and embarked on international adventures, all stemming from the initial success of his viral videos.
- 💪 The key to Hao's ongoing success is persistence and making the most of opportunities, as well as embracing the unpredictable nature of viral content.
- 🤓 The speaker encourages others to pursue their passions and seize opportunities, emphasizing the importance of being persistent and having fun in the process.
Q & A
What is the speaker's name and what is his claim to fame?
-The speaker's name is Jordan, and he became known for his viral video on how to hold a baby, which he made without any prior planning or experience in making instructional videos.
What was the main reason Jordan started making instructional videos?
-Jordan started making instructional videos as a way to entertain himself and others while being at home with his four-month-old baby and being bored.
What was the name of the first video Jordan made that went viral?
-The first video Jordan made that went viral was titled 'How to Hold a Baby'.
How did Jordan's videos gain traction and what was the outcome?
-Jordan's videos gained traction through social media, particularly Facebook, and were shared by news agencies and even celebrities, leading to millions of views and a significant following.
What was the name of the channel that Jordan and his wife decided to create?
-Jordan and his wife decided to create a channel named 'How Did Dad'.
What was the speaker's approach to creating content for his channel?
-The speaker's approach was to make up content on the spot, focusing on problems parents face and turning them into slightly funny, unhelpful 'how-to' videos.
What is the speaker's advice on how to deal with opportunities that give you a 'tickle'?
-The speaker advises to not let go of opportunities that give you a 'tickle' or a sense of excitement. He suggests grabbing the opportunity, making it yours, and being the best at it.
What was the speaker's attitude towards wearing pants in his videos?
-The speaker humorously attributes the lack of virality in his second video to wearing pants, suggesting that shorts are more successful for his content.
How did Jordan's approach to making videos change after his first video went viral?
-After his first video went viral, Jordan continued to make videos weekly without planning for them to go viral, focusing on persistence and creating content consistently.
What is the significance of the phrase 'make it till you make it' as used by the speaker?
-The phrase 'make it till you make it' signifies the speaker's belief in the importance of persistence and continuous effort, rather than waiting for success to happen.
What was the title of the video that unexpectedly went viral and its content?
-The video titled 'How to Put a Baby to Sleep' unexpectedly went viral. It showed the speaker trying various methods to put his daughter to sleep, with her repeatedly falling asleep unexpectedly.
Outlines
😄 Casual Beginnings of a Viral Dad
The speaker, Hao, introduces himself with humor, sharing his lack of formal parenting knowledge and his preference for improvisation in raising his child. He confesses to not having time for parenting books due to his busy life as a dad and his disdain for taking advice from them. Hao recounts the accidental success of his first 'how to hold a baby' instructional video, which he made for fun and posted on Facebook, only to have it go viral, garnering millions of views and media attention. His video's popularity led to appearances on TV and online platforms, and even caught the attention of celebrities like Ashton Kutcher. Despite the fleeting nature of his viral fame, Hao's humorous approach to parenting resonated with a wide audience.
🤔 The Struggle to Replicate Viral Success
Hao reflects on his attempt to recreate the success of his first viral video with a second one, which did not achieve the same level of popularity. He humorously attributes the failure to wearing pants in the video, suggesting that the lack of 'stubby legs' and 'short shorts' might have been a deterrent. Despite the setback, Hao was motivated to continue creating content, inspired by the idea of achieving viral fame again, if only for the brief fame and perceived perks. He also mentions the suggestion of creating a YouTube or Facebook page to capitalize on the audience's interest in his humorous parenting style, leading to the creation of 'How to Dad', a platform for his unorthodox and entertaining parenting videos.
🎥 The Birth of 'How to Dad' and Viral Persistence
The speaker describes the inception of 'How to Dad', a series of weekly, unhelpful yet entertaining parenting videos that he and his wife decided to produce. Hao shares the process of coming up with ideas for the videos, which stem from everyday parenting challenges, and the decision to post them every Monday. Despite not going viral immediately, the videos gained a following, with local and international news agencies eventually sharing them. Hao emphasizes the importance of persistence and consistency in content creation, which eventually led to another viral video, 'How to Put a Baby to Sleep'. This video, ironically considered by Hao as one of their worst, ended up with over 26 million views, reinforcing the unpredictable nature of viral success. Two years later, 'How to Dad' has amassed a significant following, with over 100 videos, millions of views, published books, and even a TEDx talk, all stemming from the initial viral video and the decision to embrace the opportunity.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Viral video
💡Parenting
💡Humor
💡Winging it
💡Instructional video
💡Persistence
💡Opportunity
💡Make it till you make it
💡Facebook page
💡YouTube
💡TEDx talk
Highlights
The speaker humorously admits to 'winging it' from day one as a parent, without reading serious parenting books.
His first instructional video 'How to Hold a Baby' was made without much thought and became a viral hit with over two million views.
The video's success led to global recognition, including features on the Huffington Post, Time Online, and the Today Show.
Ashton Kutcher shared the video with his 22 million followers, contributing to its virality.
The speaker humorously discusses the challenges of a live TV interview with a baby and the importance of not forcing the situation.
Despite the initial viral success, the speaker's second attempt at a viral video did not achieve the same level of fame.
The speaker attributes the failure of the second video to wearing pants, humorously suggesting that shorts are a key to success.
After six months of regret over the failed second video, the speaker decides to continue making parenting videos, focusing on humor.
The speaker's wife comes up with the name 'How Did Dad' for their new Facebook and YouTube page, emphasizing the humorous and unhelpful nature of the content.
The speaker commits to making a new video every Monday, despite the pressure of coming up with fresh ideas each week.
The speaker's videos gain traction, with local and international news agencies sharing their content.
A video on 'How to Put a Baby to Sleep' unexpectedly goes viral, reaching 26 million views, despite the speaker's initial disappointment with it.
The speaker emphasizes the unpredictability of viral content and the importance of persistence in content creation.
After two years, the speaker has created over 100 'How-to' videos, gaining a significant following and even publishing books.
The speaker shares the lesson of seizing opportunities and making the most of them, as he did with his viral video success.
The speaker concludes with advice to pursue passions, have fun, and avoid wearing pants when trying to achieve viral fame.
The speech ends with a high-five gesture and an applause from the audience, encapsulating the light-hearted and motivational tone of the talk.
Transcripts
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