How a Comedy Content Company Built an Audience No Algorithm Can Touch

For years, Dropout, the comedy platform formerly known as College Humor, followed the same audience-building playbook as most creators. Post content to YouTube, Facebook, and elsewhere – then hope the algorithm promotes it and that ad revenue holds over time.  But this approach to creation came with a major cost. Today, all three of them run on Vimeo OTT . But unlike The Sidemen and The Try Guys, Dropout took a slightly different path to get there. Building Their Own Ship for Streaming Before turning to Vimeo OTT , Dropout’s initial instinct was to develop their platform in-house. That meant creating a web player plus mobile and TV apps, each needing its own set of engineers and updates. “We are a content business,” Bridgman said. “[But] we forced ourselves to become a tech company.” So in 2020, Dropout decided to pivot. To focus on what they do best, they removed responsibilities like app maintenance, customer service, and legal compliance by migrating to Vimeo OTT . “Do not build your own app,” Bridgman said. “Our budget can go to what actually matters to us and what we’re actually good at, which is content.” What Changes When Fans Fund Your Work Today
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