Why I left The Verge

Summary

Becca Verace, formerly of The Verge, shares her journey and reasons for leaving the company. She reminisces about the creative freedom and camaraderie that made The Verge special, but expresses her struggles with the isolation and lack of connection during the pandemic. Becca's passion for creating content independently led her to start her own YouTube channel, where she plans to make more personal and adventurous tech videos, free from the constraints of corporate ownership.

Takeaways

• 😀 Becca Verace announces her departure from The Verge and expresses excitement about her future endeavors.
• 🎥 She started at The Verge in 2017, at the age of 23, with limited experience but found a supportive environment for creative growth.
• 🌍 Becca traveled the world with her colleagues, creating content and forming strong bonds, which she cherishes.
• 📹 The COVID-19 pandemic changed the dynamics at The Verge, moving from collaborative in-person work to isolated home setups, impacting Becca's creativity.
• 🤝 She highlights the importance of personal connections and the sense of community, which she felt was lost during the pandemic.
• 🚫 Becca faced restrictions on creating personal content, which led to feelings of being controlled and stifled by The Verge's policies.
• 📝 She emphasizes the challenge of not owning the content she created, as everything she made belonged to The Verge.
• 💡 Becca is eager to build her own brand and content, where she can take full creative control and ownership.
• 🎉 She invites viewers to join her on her new journey, promising to infuse more personal elements into her future videos.
• 🔮 Becca hints at the possibility of launching a Patreon or subscription service to engage more directly with her audience.

Q & A

Why did Becca Verace leave The Verge?

Becca Verace left The Verge because she felt the company lost its creative spirit and connection with its people due to the pandemic, and she was not able to create content with her friends. Additionally, she felt restricted by the company's policies regarding personal content creation and the fear of having her personal videos taken down.

What did Becca learn at The Verge?

At The Verge, Becca learned to edit video, take big risks, and try new things. She also developed her skills in front of the camera with the help of her friends and mentors.

How did Becca's experience at The Verge change after the pandemic?

After the pandemic, Becca's experience at The Verge changed significantly. She was no longer able to work with her friends in person, which led to a decrease in creativity and connection. The company's environment shifted from a collaborative and creative space to a more isolated and restrictive one.

What was Becca's first video hosting experience like at The Verge?

Becca's first video hosting experience at The Verge was nerve-wracking. She was very nervous but received support and guidance from her friends behind the camera, which helped her improve.

Why did Becca start making videos for herself?

Becca started making videos for herself because she felt less creative and less connected at The Verge after the pandemic. She bought an a7c camera and decided to create content independently to rekindle her creativity.

What was the reaction from The Verge when Becca started posting personal videos?

When Becca started posting personal videos, she was pulled into a meeting at The Verge and was told that they could make her take down any videos they wanted and that she shouldn't be sure she owned anything on her social media channels.

Why did Becca feel The Verge owned her?

Becca felt The Verge owned her because of the restrictive policies and the fear that they could control and take down her personal content, making her feel like she didn't have ownership over her own work.

What is Becca's plan after leaving The Verge?

After leaving The Verge, Becca plans to build her own content platform where she can have full ownership and creative control over her work. She is excited to review products she knows well and to create content that reflects her personality and style.

How does Becca feel about the written word and her role at The Verge?

Becca does not consider herself a writer and found it challenging to create written content at The Verge. She preferred making videos and felt that her role was limited because she was not able to get the big written reviews due to her lack of writing skills.

What does Becca mean by 'taking Tech outside'?

By 'taking Tech outside,' Becca means that she wants to showcase technology in real-world scenarios, using devices in the environments where they will actually be used, rather than just in a studio setting.