# Mythical: Rhett and Link

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2024-04-08
- Length: 1h 18m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-04-08-mythical-rhett-and-link

## Summary

Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal, founders of Mythical Entertainment, recount their journey from Christian comedians to building a YouTube empire with over 75 million subscribers. They detail their early experiments with sponsorship, including a pivotal deal with AJJ Cornhole and a viral campaign for Red House Furniture, which established their unique business model before YouTube's Partner Program existed. The episode highlights their strategic pivot to daily content with Good Mythical Morning, their navigation of failed Hollywood TV deals, and their eventual scaling into a multi-platform media brand including Mythical Kitchen and live tours.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-04-08-mythical-rhett-and-link#t=0) Introduction: Rhett and Link and the Carolina Reaper Pepper
- [6:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-04-08-mythical-rhett-and-link#t=367) Early Years: Campus Crusade for Christ and Video Experimentation
- [15:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-04-08-mythical-rhett-and-link#t=923) Leaving Engineering: Full-Time Comedy and the First Sponsorships
- [24:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-04-08-mythical-rhett-and-link#t=1452) Hollywood Struggles: Online Nation and the Search for Validation
- [33:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-04-08-mythical-rhett-and-link#t=1993) Inventing the Model: AJJ Cornhole and Red House Furniture Commercials
- [52:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-04-08-mythical-rhett-and-link#t=3168) The IFC Setback and Launching Good Mythical Morning
- [1:00:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-04-08-mythical-rhett-and-link#t=3608) Scaling Up: The Mythical Show and YouTube Algorithm Changes
- [1:10:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-04-08-mythical-rhett-and-link#t=4209) Building Mythical Entertainment: Team, Mythical Kitchen, and Longevity

## Topics

- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Mythical Entertainment (company)
- Campus Crusade for Christ (company)
- AJJ Cornhole (company)
- Alka Seltzer (company)
- IFC (company)
- Good Mythical Morning (product)
- The Mythical Show (product)
- Mythical Kitchen (product)
- Online Nation (product)
- U.S. Bank (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [397: The Gift Curtain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2023-05-05-397-the-gift-curtain) (Making It)
- [Episode 050: Good Days](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2015-12-18-episode-050-good-days) (Making It)
- [Episode 182: Been trying to sell out for years](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2018-09-07-episode-182-been-trying-to-sell-out-for-years) (Making It)
- [Episode 058: Important Forks](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2016-02-12-episode-058-important-forks) (Making It)
- [Episode 043: Tell us how you really feel, Jimmy..](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2015-10-30-episode-043-tell-us-how-you-really-feel-jimmy) (Making It)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-04-08-mythical-rhett-and-link. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to How I Built This.