Hank Green lets loose on YouTube, billionaires, and algorithms

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Vox Media Podcast Network

Business, Technology

4.2 • 3.4K Ratings

🗓️ 23 February 2026

⏱️ 78 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today, I’m talking with Hank Green, a longtime friend of Decoder and the co-founder and now former owner of Complexly, an online education company he started with his brother John in 2012. I say former owner because Hank and John have just converted Complexly into a nonprofit and given up their ownership of the company in the process. That’s some of the purest Decoder bait that ever was, because it’s all about how you structure a company and how you make decisions about changing that structure. So of course I had to bring Hank back on to talk all about it. Read the full interview transcript on The Verge. Links: Greens’ studio becomes nonprofit as they aim to make ‘trustworthy content’ | AP Hank Green makes Nilay Patel explain why websites have a future | Decoder (2024) Why Hank Green can’t quit YouTube for TikTok | Decoder (2022) Hank Green and Sam Reich on running content companies | Decoder Hank Green and Sal Khan on AI in educational video | Decoder Subscribe to The Verge to access the ad-free version of Decoder! Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Decoder is produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt and edited by Ursa Wright. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	In today's fast-changing digital world, proving your company is trustworthy isn't just important for growth, it's essential.
0:08.8	That's why Vanta is here. Vanta helps companies of all sizes get compliant fast and stay that way, with industry-leading AI, automation and continuous monitoring.
0:20.3	So whether you're a startup tackling your first
0:22.8	SOC 2 or ISO-27-001 or an enterprise managing vendor risk, Vanta's trust management platform makes it
0:31.8	quicker, easier and more scalable. The results? According to a recent IDC study, Vanta customers slash over
0:40.4	$500,000 a year in costs and are three times more productive. Establishing trust isn't optional.
0:48.7	Vanta makes it automatic. Visit vanta.com slash Voxpod to sign up for a free demo today that's v a mta.com
0:59.2	slash voxpod support for this show comes from doppel maybe that ping you just got is an
1:09.2	urgent message from your CEO or maybe it's a deep fake trying to target your business.
1:14.8	Dopple is the AI-native social engineering defense platform that's fighting back against impersonation and manipulation.
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1:37.1	Learn more at doppel.com.
1:39.6	That's D-O-P-P-E-L.com.
1:47.8	Music That's D-O-P-P-E-L.com. For a lot of Americans, credit card debt feels like a fact of life.
1:52.7	I think it's just important for people to understand how credit can work for you or against you.
1:59.4	Why that little piece of plastic has so much power.
2:03.7	That's this week on Explain It to Me.
2:06.2	Find new episodes Sundays wherever you get your podcasts.
2:19.2	Hello and welcome to Decoder. I'm Meli Patel, editor-in-chief of The Verge, and Decoder is my show about big ideas and other problems.
	...

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