Today’s article is my first interview with a tech person. This person is the second human in the world that I admire the most after Steve Jobs, and his name is Jon Rettinger, founder and president of the beloved TechnoBuffalo website and YouTube channel. Jon is a huge influence to me, because due to his videos I started getting into technology, YouTube and being a tech writer. Without him I wouldn’t have joined the world of the Internet. So a big thanks for that and for accepting me to interview him.
I interview Jon through Skype at 10AM PST on the 27th of April 2012 (Friday). Those are the 12 questions that I asked Jon for the interview:
1. When did the whole idea of making TechnoBuffalo, and use it as your main job came up to your mind?
“After a year I started making videos on YouTube, I loved making them, talking about technology was (and is) my passion, I was working in a job that I didn’t like and I saw that YouTube brought me a little bit of money. So I thought if I could focus more on this and create a company, it can become my future career. So in early 2009 I decided to create TechnoBuffalo and live my dream.”
2. How did you come up with the name TechnoBuffalo?
“I wanted something to have “Techno” in it, and something simple. Everybody knew what the “Buffalo” was everybody could spell it, and it was something that everybody could remember it and something that I could brand.”
3. Before TechnoBuffalo where have you been working? Since TechnoBuffalo’s creation, did your life quality improved?
“When I was at school I always thought I would become a lawyer. So I had studied for law school and had applied for law school but my parents convinced me before I go, to work in a lawyer’s office for a year. I went to Los Angeles, worked there and I hate it. Lawyers were working too many hours; they couldn’t have a family neither a personal life, so I worked for an advertising company. I was an assistant to the entire advertising agency, so I learned a lot about advertising and marketing and got promoted one time. Then I wanted to return home and worked in the market section of a software development company. I worked there for 3 years and it was the last job I did, before I created TechnoBuffalo. In fact some of the early videos in the channel were filmed in the conference room of the company when it was empty. My life quality have definitely improved since the creation of TechnoBuffalo, I make a bit more money and have the job of my dreams, due to my audience which I want to thank it a lot for that.”
4. What was the first reaction of your wife and your parents, when you announced them that you will make videos on YouTube for a living?
“Back in 2009 economy in the U.S. was really bad and many people lost their jobs. I quitted the job that I had and told my parents that I did that because I want to create this company. Both my parents and my wife were very supportive. Both were very nervous, they didn’t understand what YouTube was and I am not really sure if they can explain what I do for a living (laugh). ”
5. How many hours do you spend in TechnoBuffalo offices and what do you do?
“I spend about 9 to 10 hours in the office and then 2 hours at home with the iPad checking our news, management and stuff. I spend most of my time on the growth of TechnoBuffalo. We have many employees that relay on me for their jobs, that they can be secured and TechnoBuffalo will have a bigger reputation.”
6. If people want to join TechnoBuffalo, is there any public application form or do you hire them?
“When we hire people we always post an article on the site that we hire. Then people contact us send some sample articles and our “Editor-In-Chief” reviews them, and interview those people. Then it comes to me for a final decision. Right now all our positions are filled.”
7. How much coffee do you drink daily?
“(laugh), I drink one or two cups of coffee in the morning but that’s it.”
8. What’s the first product you ever got for review from a company?
“The first product I ever got for review was an AT&T phone. It was called AT&T QuickFire. I remember I wrote a one and a half page letter and send it to AT&T’s PR; I found their contact info on a press release, saying why I should get a product to review and what my influence could beand what I wanted to do with it. AT&T was the first company that took a chance on me. I was so excited that I got it for review!”
9. If in the future “YouTube LLC” closes, what will you do for a living?
“TechnoBuffalo.com is a website that brings its own income. Also I would try to keep producing videos on another video producing network like Vimeo etc.”
10. What’s your favorite computer and smartphone?
“The iMac is my favorite computer; I use it daily in both office and home. It makes my life a lot easier. My favorite smartphone currently is the HTC One X.”
11. What’s your favorite desktop and mobile operating system?
“My favorite desktop OS is “Mac OS X 10”. My favorite mobile OS is… it depends. I like them and use them all. Some days I use iOS and I switch back to the iPhone 4S, I’ve also received many Android phones to review and eventually I loved Android and I also really like Windows phone 7. So in conclusion I don’t have a specific mobile OS that I like the most.”
12. Any advice or message you want to send to people that just started YouTube and kids that are getting bullied in school for making videos on YouTube?
“School is so hard and kids are so mean. It takes incredible courage kids to put their faces and give their opinions on YouTube. Some kids are immature and they destroy kid’s dream to do things online because they are worried of what people would say for that. It’s tough for an older person like me to say “Be strong and fight through that”, because the reality is really difficult. I’ll probably make a video on this topic soon.”
“The best advice I can give to people that just got into YouTube is to be their selves. Don’t copy people styles, like mine or other YouTubers. Just be yourselves. Making reviews also doesn’t require having a lot of money and the device itself, you can simply talk about the product without buying it. Make videos on what you are interested in. There are many boring videos on YouTube but there is one and only one you and your opinions and your take is unique.”
Those were my questions to Jon Rettinger folks. Huge thanks to Jon for letting me interview him and to you for reading this article. If you have any questions related to this interview feel free to leave them in the comment section below or mention me on Twitter @OrestGPap.
Jon’s and TechnoBuffalo's links:
Jon’s Twitter
TechnoBuffalo.com
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Ryan Cruey 