Strands of Genius: Adrian Mediavilla + How To Succeed in Mr. Beast Production
featuring: an interview with our guest editor and a research report
Welcome to the Bonus edition of Strands of Genius! On Fridays, we’ll be publishing interviews from our guest editors, and sharing a research report. Thanks for being along for the ride. Oh and by the way, you look great today :)
:: STEAL THIS THINKING | RESEARCH REPORT ::
A guide on succeeding in Mr. Beast's production environment, covering strategies, tips, and insights into video creation and production processes. Your goal here is to make the best YOUTUBE videos possible. That’s the number one goal of this production company. It’s not to make the best produced videos. Not to make the funniest videos. Not to make the best looking videos. Not the highest quality videos... It’s to make the best YOUTUBE videos possible.
:: DIVE IN | THE INTERVIEW ::
ADRIAN MEDIAVILLA, CO FOUNDER (GRANPASO) STRATEGY COMPANY
>> Adrian Mediavilla guest curated Strands on September 26th 2024. Read it here.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what keeps you busy. How did you end up doing what you’re doing today?
I found advertising briefs were getting less interesting and so decided to co-found a strategy studio to help brands come up with more hairy problems to solve.
What excites you most about what you do?
The blank slate. Literally, we have no blueprints, no templates, no forms to fill. It's more time consuming and more fun.
What beliefs define your approach to work? How would you define your leadership style?
"We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak." I just learned Epictetus said that.
What has been the most rewarding project you’ve worked on and why?
Lately, I've created a newsletter for modern dads called Papapalooza with strategy friend Rob Estreitinho. It makes us think harder about parenting matters, which is great.
We are big believers in diversity -- Not only because we believe in equality, but because we also think it’s better for business. How do you frame these kinds of conversations, both internally and with clients? Is there an emphasis on action, or are the conversations really more about communication?
I'd say two levels: internally, we believe in cognitive diversity so we hire people coming from different backgrounds (region, education, class) to come up with new solutions. Externally, we push brands here in Spain to have a more inclusive and cliché-free approach to the current population here in Spain (two outstanding trends being senior population being in good health and Spaniards now being of different racial origins other than Caucasian!).
Switching gears a bit, how do you find time to balance personal interests with your career? Do you believe work/life balance is possible? Anything you’ve implemented that you recommend that others try?
I usually devote my daily slot between 5pm and 9pm to my most demanding clients, my daughters Europa and Liébana.
What’s your media diet? Where do you find inspiration?
I wish there was a less toxic alternative to X (formerly known as Twitter). The best newsletter in my inbox is Estelle Metayer's, do subscribe to that!
What’s the best piece of advice/knowledge you’ve stolen, and who/where’d you steal it from?
"Be rigorous on brand strategy work because most people are not, so that's a big competitive advantage". Dan O'Donoghue at Publicis Worldwide in Paris said this to me many years ago.
How do I measure success in life?
My short answer would be only in hindsight, which is weird but that's how I see it. For me, success in life would come in the form of a 20-year long retirement in a little house in Cantabria, the most beautiful region in Spain, with my wife and the occasional visit by daughters and friends.
You can keep in touch with Adrian on LinkedIn.
If we can ever be of help to you, even outside of a formal engagement, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
rockON,
faris & rosie | your friends over at geniussteals.co
(still want more? @faris is still “tweeting” while @rosieyakob prefers instagram stories)