Own Comedy Infrastructure

Hasan Minhaj describes a strategy for comedians to maintain independence and capture more value by owning their production infrastructure and intellectual property, rather than relying on traditional entertainment industry gatekeepers.

Key Points:

• Own Your Production Pipeline:

  • Control your own IP and content
  • Own production infrastructure
  • Manage your own touring operations

• Value Capture Strategy:

  • Analyze the supply chain to identify where value is being lost
  • Question traditional fee structures (e.g., Ticketmaster fees)
  • Understand streaming revenue splits and distribution economics

• Audience Building Framework:

  • Top of Funnel:
    • Get mainstream exposure (e.g., morning shows)
    • Build name recognition
    • Attract new audiences
  • Middle of Funnel:
    • Convert viewers to first-time show attendees
    • Get them to watch your best content
  • Bottom of Funnel:
    • Create maximum value for dedicated fans
    • Explore new revenue models (mentioned NFTs as example)

• Business Model Goals:

  • Focus on sustainable independence rather than venture-style returns
  • Avoid predatory industry relationships
  • Build with close collaborators rather than traditional industry powers