Harvard in Tech Spotlight: Susanne Daniels, Global Head of Original Content at YouTube
I spoke with Susanne Daniels, Global Head of Original Content at YouTube. Prior to joining YouTube, Susanne was President of Entertainment at MTV Networks. After three years there, she was driving to work one day and saw a billboard featuring a YouTube creator with 12 million subscribers and another creator with a similarly high number of subscribers. She was incredibly impressed with the massive followings of creators on the global platform. She had been working on a show that was not getting the ratings and viewership she had hoped for, so she brainstormed with a friend who mentioned YouTube as the key platform to find the audience. Susanne began watching more YouTube and learning more about the company. Shortly after, YouTube’s Chief Business Officer reached out to her about a job opportunity. YouTube wanted to do more original development, and Susanne saw an incredible opportunity to create content for larger audiences. She joined YouTube as Global Head of Original Content, where she has been for the past 6 years.
Susanne shared her perspective on finding talent, working with creators, cultivating partnerships, leadership, and advice for her younger self.
On finding content talent, Susanne shares that the role takes passion and having a unique point of view. She remembers first meeting Amy Sherman-Palladino, creator of Gilmore Girls. Amy was incredibly authentic and truly owned her identity and vision.
When finding a compelling story, Susanne looks for the potential to extend a show from season to season and how the story can be impactful not only within an episode but through an entire arc of a series.
On working with creators, Susanne highlights the importance of not diluting the writer’s voice. Supporting their vision is crucial. Find people who have a strong point of view with a story they’re burning to share. Aim to amplify it, not rewrite it.
On cultivating partnerships, Susanne notes that what she finds most exciting are partners who are themselves excited about doing something different. When she feels uncomfortable about an idea, it’s usually a good sign because it means she’s about to work on something different. She looks for a similar drive and intention in her partners. For example, a couple years ago, David Blaine shared his idea for creating something more light and bright. His prior work had largely centered around darker themes, but he was really excited about trying something new that would challenge himself. He ended up creating “David Blaine Ascension,” for YouTube which was recently nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award.
On leadership, Susanne underscores the importance of getting on the same page. Getting on the same page with your team members can take a meaningful amount of time, but it’s well worth the effort. You must start with a shared vision and goals and trust your team to make the right decisions or learn well from pitfalls along the way. Similar to parenting, you can’t micromanage or steer your team members away from any possible mistakes. Mistakes can lead to some of the most memorable lessons. Your team members will often make choices different from yours, but that’s okay and in fact, that’s the good part. Align on the big picture, but trust and let your team find their own way there.
On advice for her younger self, Susanne shares: worry less, enjoy the ride more, take more photos, and don’t be afraid of taking chances. When Susanne first joined YouTube, she was taking a chance entering a world so different from broadcast and cable TV that she was familiar with, but it’s been an incredible journey.
