Twenty years in the past, not too lengthy after YouTube itself launched, Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla began importing movies to the platform. What began as two youngsters making an attempt to make one another snort changed into the largest channel on YouTube. It was the primary ever to achieve 10 million subscribers. Finally, Smosh was acquired by an organization known as Defy Media. The corporate would develop quickly—extra movies, extra solid members, even a film—however then got here turmoil and uncertainty for Smosh.
Padilla left the corporate in 2017, largely attributable to inventive variations with Smosh’s mother or father firm. He returned to the enterprise in 2023, when he and Hecox bought Smosh from YouTuber-led media firm Legendary (which acquired the model in 2019 following Defy Media’s abrupt collapse).
Alongside the acquisition, Hecox and Padilla employed Alessandra Catanese—an govt with over a decade of expertise in digital media—as CEO. Within the ensuing two years, the corporate has steadily expanded its content material providing whereas choosing up new subscribers throughout 5 YouTube channels. With extra content material in improvement than ever, and greater than twice as many workers because it had in 2023, Smosh is transferring right into a 32,000-square-foot Los Angeles studio that’s roughly twice the scale of its present headquarters.
Hecox, Padilla, and Catanese joined me on the Most Innovative Companies podcast to speak concerning the firm’s progress, its new area, and the way they approached designing an area for the subsequent era of the corporate.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
Smosh is making an enormous transfer in 2026. Are you able to inform me why now could be the fitting time to develop?
Alessandra Catanese: We bodily simply couldn’t launch one other present or tackle a brand new venture, irrespective of how a lot we liked it. So on this new constructing, it’s each going to permit us to develop what we’re doing and, extra appropriately, home the workers that we have now and create somewhat bit extra of a structured surroundings.
It’s actually vital to us to steadiness the construction with the startup vibe that we nonetheless really feel we have now as we speak. We don’t really feel this must elevate ourselves to this company construction the place there’s much more purple tape and there’s much more guidelines. We do have numerous pointers, however we love that numerous the issues we have now, and processes we have now in place right here, are very fluid. They’ve a sandbox by which they play in.
And on the enterprise facet, I keep out of the inventive choices; they do know to carry me issues. So yeah, so we need to honor that. After which this constructing permits us to create extra space and communal areas the place we will have a good time what we do, but in addition be skilled and really feel somewhat bit extra polished.
What’s going to the brand new area assist obtain for Smosh?
Ian Hecox: I believe one of many main focuses for that is simply figuring out a greater move for manufacturing and expertise, getting expertise to the levels, and manufacturing figuring out precisely the place the expertise is.
I imply, we love our solid, however generally it’s herding cats. Creating an area for them to really feel comfy in and to congregate in, I believe, was actually vital. After which we have now, we’ll have a non-public room. If there’s perhaps a star coming in that wishes somewhat extra privateness, we will have a room particularly for . . .
AC: A correct inexperienced room with a closing door.
Anthony Padilla: Not a bizarre little makeshift curtain.
We wished to stage up the area and produce a stage of professionalism, but in addition we would like it to really feel enjoyable and embody that ingredient of creativity and dealing collectively as a group. Proper now, numerous our lights are large, fluorescent overhead lights, and we wished much more comfortable lighting and stuff that feels extra comfy. You’re hanging out with your mates, not at somebody’s home, however you’re hanging out with your mates in knowledgeable surroundings.
Because the pandemic, office design has been moving toward more of a living room, or lounge, really feel. It seems like you might be embracing that as effectively.
IH: I believe we would like it to be someplace comfy, however I additionally don’t need individuals falling asleep as a result of I’ve seen a few of these manufacturing corporations, and every little thing appears to be like very calm. So I believe it was putting a steadiness between comfy, but in addition you’re going to remain awake, but in addition not hitting individuals with Nickelodeon greens.
AC: We would like it to really feel grown up and mature, however in a approach that also honors the comedy, the web of all of it. So I believe we introduced shade in very deliberately. And Studio Keya clearly did a wonderful job.
It’s wonderful to have the ability to deliberately design an area for the place you at the moment are. It’s been two and a half years since shopping for again Smosh. Does this transfer really feel like a completion of that transition or like you might be formally making a house within the latest iteration of the corporate?
IH: I don’t suppose we might’ve anticipated to be right here this rapidly. I believe this was extra of a five-year plan or a 10-year plan. We really feel very grateful. We’re nonetheless doing this inside our scope. We don’t have an enormous backer. We’re making an attempt to do every little thing in a sustainable approach.
AP: I believe it’s actually about persevering with to hone in on what we do greatest. The “comedy-rooted-in-friendship” ingredient. You’ll most likely begin to see extra faces on digital camera. There’ll be extra individuals working behind the scenes. Actually, we need to create an surroundings the place individuals, both in entrance of digital camera or behind digital camera, get to dwell out a few of these desires that Ian and I received to expertise within the early days.
