A Message to Linus (LTT)

Whokeys back to school 25% code：TS25
Windows 10 Pro a $16: biitt.ly/XNQ7G
Windows 10 Home a $14: biitt.ly/Lcum9
Windows 11 Pro a $22: biitt.ly/Bfj6E
Office 2021 Pro a $51: biitt.ly/Xrlz6
Office 2019 Pro a $45: biitt.ly/Z9VtR
Office 2016 Pro a $27: biitt.ly/dtNvb
-----------------------------
I was staying out of the LTT drama, but I've seen some very anti-employee stuff going on, and I'll never shut up about that. I do expect tons of hate from this video... and I expect people to yell about whatever false reality they live in regarding the old tek drama... I'll just be blocking you if you try to derail this topic with that nonsense.
The issue here is the double standard I see with Linus of, "If you have a problem, you can come to me," but also, "MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY."
I'm going to get past a lot of the nonsense and address the paradox that is this: what's best for employees is not what is best for the CEO, the owner, the rich people at the top, or the corporation. In order for a corporation to grow and make the maximum amount of money, they must exploit the labor as much as possible. So, the interest of the corporation is to take as much as possible from the employee. The interest of the employee is to have a good life/work balance. These two things are at odds... so the choice is to continue to exploit employees or to allow them to have a better life.
Just watch the dam video.
Discord: / discord
Twitch: / midnightdojo
Twitter: / teksyndicate
For marketing (sponsorship opportunities) inquiries email [e-mail]
As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases... even though Amazon is ugly.

[@teksyndicate]

People are being nice about this video? You all are awesome. Here's the announcements: I'm working on a little game. Follow the development here: twitter.com/moonrisemansion OR here: easymode.im/@ward (if you are on the fediverse) 30% off Fenek gaming hardware with coupon: backtoschool epicpants.com/collections/fenek-gear Cheers!

[@miketothe2ndpwr]

I'm not trying to JUST bring up the past here so let me start with a short explanation of my relationship with this channel. Tek Syndicate 10 years ago perfectly fit my life. I had watched every one of your videos and you and the team were my cutting edge news. It felt like being subscribed to the most raw zine in town in some 1980s cyberpunk universe. After the collapse of the show there was a hole in my life that no other channel filled. Sure the subject matter could have been comparable but the feel was never there. Ya'll taught me Linux for gods sake, helped me optimize my router and invest in bitcoin before the term "crypto bro" was even a thing. This channel genuinely changed my life in many ways, all for the better. When I say you're bringing back the magic. You're putting the lightning back in the bottle. I don't mean to say you're clawing your way back up. I'm saying that your channel is giving me that same feeling again. With every video I see and feel you honing in on that same je ne sais quoi. But I'm not the same person I was 10 years ago. I don't think old TS would hit me now like it did then. I am digging the shit out of new TS though and felt the need to write this entire long comment to just say: You're brining the magic back for me. And... at least for me, that is the highest compliment I have. Wishing you all the best. And I'm excited for what this channel has in store.

[@inund8]

How could we not? This is such a level headed response.

[@joshwwarren]

The implosion of the Tek podcast with Wendell still makes me tear up a little bit, I don't know about behind the scenes but on camera there was just a perfect balance between you and the topics you covered were great.

[@particles343]

It's kind of the saying: Don't be room mates with your bestie. Eventually you'll get on each others' nerves. Same reason some of the best bands break up after a while.

[@Adam-cr8qe]

I prefer ward on his own to be fair, I like how humble this channel is, its very real and genuine

[@Superacerc]

I miss those old days as well. It was a good balance.

[@zr6542]

It was perfect.

[@deusxyz]

It was what made youtube good

[@rkornilo]

I thought it was really unfortunate that you guys parted ways, I was sorry to see that happen. But if you're happier now, clearly it was the right decision for you.

[@OrjonZ]

Not sure about that.

[@rkornilo]

@@OrjonZ Ok, what is it you're not sure of?

[@xeobit2781]

He can have a productive outlook on the situation as well which is nice to see (given his past)

[@teksyndicate]

I'll eat a bowl of hornets if anyone can point to how I did this. You know, some of the employees posted all the bank accounts including my private personal account so everyone could look through it... But nobody ever found anything. They kept saying negative things without any proof. People really do need a toxic false reality to live in because it's easier than not knowing the details, so I get that... But it's still hurtful to say things without any proof other than, "this person said." The proof (bank accounts) is out there in plain sight. So the whole, "he isn't transparent," thing is a lie too.. the team had access to QuickBooks.

[@blinks6736]

@@teksyndicatewerent people pissed off at you for not owning up to patreon donations?

[@justinj2]

I've been a subscriber of yours for years and years and I will continue to support any way I can. This was a brilliant take on the topic.

[@YuProducciones]

same here.

[@TheSocialGamer]

same

[@bomberdomme7308]

same here even longer a a tek syndiukate sub than on LTT. I love his take because I'm a union man, always have been always will be. hell even porsche the german luxury car brand linus drives has a better look on unions that LTT does.

[@Darksyne]

I remember that world’s highest lan party collab you guys did together like it was yesterday.

[@teksyndicate]

I'm ready for part 2.

[@bassplaya69er]

Pritty sure they screwed LTT over on that one

[@mediaconsumption3972]

​@@bassplaya69er Yeah they've mentioned on wan show lol (without directly naming)

[@Darksyne]

@@mediaconsumption3972 lol wait what happened again?

[@mediaconsumption3972]

@@Darksyne They weren't being cooperative, and it almost led to not getting the record. Look up My worst LTT experience on LMG clips and skip to 4 mins in

[@bwloawesome]

"Does that make sense?" If you can open yourself up to be empathetic, yes. It truly does. I obviously don't know Linus, but having watched him in just about every platform he's been on for over a decade he's continued to have a problem of stepping back, putting his feeling aside, and trying to empathize with others.

[@sHaNeR766]

Was interesting hearing your input here Logan. I remember being in high school and watching tons of videos from you and Linus when I was picking parts for my first build. Hope all is well with you.

[@benjamins7229]

100% support this message and unions are the way to go. I would love to see tech guys start to unionize. For years all I have heard are the pretty crappy working conditions that tech employees have to endure. It’s about time you guys organize. Love it man!!! You got my vote!!

[@rifleman1002]

In order for tech unions to work, we need to make it extremely expensive or impossible to outsource the workloads. Programmers needed a union in the damn 80's for God sake but nothing materialized.

[@JoseSanchez-mk1ed]

Unions ruin everything and eventually become as corrupt, money hungry and powerful as the businesses and institutions they originally sought to keep in check.

[@kb470]

Look in to what happened with Across the Spiderverse.

[@JoseSanchez-mk1ed]

@@kb470 lol 😆. There are plenty of real world examples but ill take it.

[@nateTrh]

​@rifleman1002 You would also have to pretty much cap immigration as well. All lot of "outsourced" work is actually being reimported back to the US and the workers from those countries follow. The sad thing is, the "pro union" party will call those types of regulations racist and will kill the people that support them ironically.

[@Stinker4583]

To be honest I lost track of your channel 7 or 8 years ago, didn't even know you where still around until recently. I have no clue what happened, I was just surprised that it was just you doing videos now.

[@Nattraks]

This hits home, I'm working for a local large health organization that is being acquired by another huge health org. So far in the "Town Hall" teams meetings, none of our leaders have once looked out for the employees, or been transparent. Its always "Whats best for the company" "This is a good thing" and other buzz phrases. It sucks, but you are right. Its not personal. It's time to look out for what's best for ourselves.

[@ajsdfk]

OHSU?

[@kriskrisSILESIA]

This is the power of LTT. Years and years ago I was following you with my old account. I remember those console killer builds, those stacks of books on your desk, including Dune, I remember when you put out your first music and then I lost my account, I missed "your" drama with your team. It took LTTs problems for me to find you again so I quess thank you LTT?

[@TotalTechAddiction]

Really refreshing to see someone bringing some positivity into this situation. All the hate and negativity has become overwhelming.

[@teksyndicate]

Oh, I know all about that! lol. These days, I try to step back and look at things for a bit before jumping in. Cheers!

[@raulojeda8567]

You can blame the gamer nexus d riders for that.

[@barry_online]

I have no clue what is going on can u give me some back story

[@-opus]

@@raulojeda8567 poor linus, tell us where it hurts

[@StatusQuo209]

You hit the nail on the head man. I really find co-ops to be the ideal situation when you are prioritizing business incentives that can make everyone happy. Cant exploit though, but that's a pro in my book. Everyone is then motivated to make the company grow.

[@Mr_Wh1]

How come you aren't bigger than LTT?

[@StatusQuo209]

@@Mr_Wh1 because I have a career outside of KZbin? I made the conscious decision a decade ago that I want a job that can directly make people's lives better. That's why I chose healthcare. I make enough to be happy, and I see people get better from what I do and go home from the ICU.

[@Mr_Wh1]

@@StatusQuo209 Would you then say Linus is better suited for his role than you? Romanizing co-ops are so wrong in my opinion. People aren't equal in all regards. That is why most people aren't even close to LTT levels of "success", nor even have any company at all. Have you started a co-op company surrounding healthcare? I am not knocking you, I am just saying that co-op companies would not work without a team consisting only of entrepreneurs.

[@StatusQuo209]

@@Mr_Wh1 I understand what you are trying to say, it depends on the relative skill levels of those involved. For example, in the anesthesia world, it is mostly contract work, so many "groups" start businesses. These businesses are almost always co-ops. That's because everyone can pull their own weight and is motivated in doing so. When you have a co-op, the hiring dynamics are vastly different. Normally, you are looking for the employee that you can squeeze the most work out of while paying the least amount. In a co-op, you want an employee that can bring something to the company that can advance you all as a whole, hopefully in ways you didn't think of. The macro economics are less common and more viewed as more risky because it's more unknown. But to answer your overriding question regarding the size: does it really matter? The meaning of life is to be happy. You don't need to be a large company. Mo money, mo problems. I feel this is also why co-ops never gets too large. You find a sweet spot, everyone pulls their weight, you coast.

[@Cyba_IT]

Yeah dude, from what I've seen of real, large businesses co-ops are the best and fairest from the producer to the distributor and buyers. It doesn't/can't work in all scenarios of course but when it can it's great.

[@brillman]

Logan, remember RTW? they were good times...hope you're doing well.

[@CruelQuertos]

Pff that was recent, earlier he was reviewing computer parts and a video host

[@travis.napier]

Raze the World 🤘

[@Tome4kkkk]

The LTT hiatus reminded me how I enjoyed Tek Syndicate! Scale down, ease out, don't be greedy.

[@falkenfluegel]

I can 100% subscribe to everything said in this video. What really got me here is the part about work sometimes just feeling wrong. Like something is off. I have that feeling from the day i started working. And it never went. I am now 43. And it really grinds on me. I know i have to do something different, but i haven't found my path yet. Hopefully i figure it out eventually. But hearing about other people having these thoughts gives me hope there is a way out, somehow, some day.

[@BlitzkriegGT]

sometimes you cant because you depend on the money they pay or there isnt enough opportunities on the field you enjoy to work in my case happens alots of times, sometimes pay is high but the job is shit and others you feel comf but pay is lower or lack.

[@TheEldritchArchives]

Yes, work "feeling" wrong resonated with me too. There is a strange line between friendship and work relationship in the workplace. People are friendly, but its really superficial for the sake of getting through the work day. The reality is that workplaces are all about making money for a business. I've had bosses that were very friendly or wanted to have a more friend-like relationship but then later tried to underpay me or pressured me to work long hours - it always ended badly. The reality is that there does need to be a buffer between employees and employers, otherwise it becomes too confrontational and personal.

[@FlyboyHelosim]

I knew from a young age that I was going to struggle with work and that because of the way I was and thought, doing a 5 day work week straight out of school was going to be almost impossible. I was having anxiety about work life before I even left school. Well luckily, in a way, I was later diagnosed with high-functioning autism. This not only explained my thoughts about work (because I think deeply and logically) but also ensured that I would never have to work full-time in my life (thus alleviating that stress, at least).

[@michaelnovak9412]

having a union is better than not having a union, but it can't replace a co-op, i.e, full democracy

[@ryanleninfan1337]

A union would have solved at least 2 of the major problems they were having, rushed videos and employee harassment. A union provides a safety layer between you and your employer to report harassment without it being dismissed as drama. The video quality and rate of mistakes could have been massively improved with less rushed videos.

[@markus1351]

Yeah but as Linus Said multiple times, it's not on him to create the union and he can't Stop His employees from unionizing.

[@markus1351]

@@AnimeBeefRandoms Unions are actually great... No Idea where this notion of "Union Bad" comes from... Oh wait I do.

[@ryanleninfan1337]

@@AnimeBeefRandoms weeb, opinion invalid

[@mydogzty]

In case you didn't read the description: "I do expect tons of hate from this video... and I expect people to yell about whatever false reality they live in regarding the old tek drama... I'll just be blocking you if you try to derail this topic with that nonsense." I am not n board with old tek drama, business fell apart and I wasn't hardcore watching this channel but am loving Logans thoughts, topics and sharing expirences through the latest videos of the past year.

[@MrTuco40]

So who's in charge of the union?

[@teksyndicate]

shut up

[@MrTuco40]

@@teksyndicate why don't you sell your products under union produced labor, here? funny to hear a guy talking about unions while also hawking stuff produced by a decidedly non union slave labor in China. I think maybe you should shut up.

[@teksyndicate]

You type into your device filled with products from China. We live in a society and it's not possible for any of us to live untainted, but that doesn't mean we can't critique things.

[@emilyshabang]

"Hot take" there were/are obvious problems at LTT/LMG as GamersNexus brought to light for the masses, and it appears there was a bit more out there too. However, I noticed a small dig and facial expression Steve made when Linus first brought up the Labs concept and how its healthy to have more competition in that kind of space. Steve took exception to that and made a comment about it. So while Linus and his team 100% had data errors and on the production side of visuals, inner turmoil with employees, poor decisions with certain vendors, and obviously Linus being a victim of his own lack of thinking before speaking. GamersNexus has had ill feelings towards Linus for probably a year plus and its been brewing...which i think drove him to make the video. Dont truly believe it was purely to bring about problems, Steve treated the video like his MSI Killshot. So it was personal not just editorial

[@-opus]

No doubt partially true, but you also appear to be very deliberately underselling the issues at LTT, including what is probably the most significant (outside of the employee relations), their repeated failures at objectively and competently testing anything. One of Linus's staff members defamed Hardware Unboxed and Gamers Nexus, you cannot expect them to just sit back and fake smile. Linus personally proved himself beyond a doubt with what he did to Billet Labs, and he very much deserved to be taken to task for it, his response was basically 'I am above the law', but then even some of his fans also took issue, and rightly so, yes it definitely became personal and deservedly so.

[@brenolad]

Spoken with reverence and maturity. I agree 100% with you. Rallying to uninoize bears no relevance on personal insecurities or failures, much more the opposite. If anything, Linus exposed himself as feeble and insecure.

[@richardthemagician8991]

"Spoken with reference and maturity." Ward surecan surprises sometimes! LOL. Totally agree with you.

[@richardthemagician8991]

I also want to add that I think this is probably the most non-toxic thread of comments I've seen on a KZbin channel! LOL. You made a good video. Proud of you buddy.

[@onkz]

Hi Logan. After years of occasionally coming back to the channel after 'the various situations', this may be the single best video that oullines both your current perspective and your reasons behind the previous Tek Syndicate boss-employee structure that you mentioned did not work out well. Using Linus' fallout as a way to express what happened to you in the past is actually a really smart move and showcases that you're really not trying to be a bad person, but you're actually more about integrity (i.e. not forcing yourself to do a thousand product videos, not forcing employees to smash 5-10 videos out on a daily basis, not wanting to feel overpowering.....) This video has brought so much respect back to you. I don't even know why I lost it in ther first place. Started watching you and your previous team when I was 13. I'm nearly 23 now! Love & respect from the UK. Cheers mate.

[@SiimKuusik]

I've been watching you both (Logan and Linus) for more than 10 years daily and I feel like I am somewhere between Logan and Linus where the employees should vote on stuff (day to day stuff) and take breaks from work but ultimately the executives have to have the power to steer the ship. You're both mother hen's, you both have big hearts but yes when the nest gets THAT big it's impossible to be responsible to manage all of them. That's why Linus is not the CEO anymore. The empolyer and employee having two different interests is a very good point Logan.

[@MrNEWDY]

A lot of the toxicity in the workplace you've mentioned is why I left the job I had where I had the privilege to meet many like yourself. I went into a union trade that allowed me to still be near cutting edge technology but ensured I has stringent work life balance, I could turn down OT without any blowback, and the nearly tripling of my pay was not a bad thing either. Glad you could use your experience to give insight to all this. Many don't remember how this channel was one or the really big channels when ltt got big. I watched this channel sometimes more than ltt. You have just as much experience in these matters and your opinion is valid and a gesture of good faith so linus doesn't have a similar outcome to what happened to you. Thanks and i had a blast when i got to meet you.

[@rassbabbo3285]

People don't need unions, they need bean bags, table tennis, and kombucha on tap.

[@4on4nam]

The clip is really just Linus saying, "No, I'm a *benevolent* dictator, and I couldn't ever see myself being anything else!" Yeah, you and all the other dictators, man.

[@Prodiod]

Great perspective on the issue. I thought you would make a video on this, but I forgot about the tek syndicate drama way back when that totally does apply to the LTT issue. Very refreshing hearing someone talk about the root issue of small business mindset transitioning into a capitalist large corporation. Treating employees like numbers is where it starts to go wrong. Unions balance that out. Been watching since way before the pre-Highlander days! Glad you’re happier with what you’re doing now Logan.

[@miketothe2ndpwr]

I'm pro union but man the unions that survived the purge are just like working for 2 corporations. Glad to see a resurgence of grass root unions... however slow it might be it's the only way

[@michaelthompson9798]

I worked for my employer, a bank here in Australia 🇦🇺, and amounts of pay, bonuses, benefits etc were privatised under individual contracts, whereas I was employed under an enterprise agreement by a union and my pay for my grade was about 12-15% higher than those on private contracts. However my end of year bonus was about $500 less than private contracted employee. My conditions such as paid bereavement leave, rostered days off and other special leave for moving home etc were offered on my enterprise agreement and not for private contract employees. To top it off, we were told never to discuss our weekly pay amounts, our employer super contribution amounts, our bonuses with other staff as many were getting paid much less …. But tbh, considering the skill levels of certain cultures employed, I felt I deserved waaay more than I was getting for what those indiviuals were producing in their work day!

[@williamfernandez5170]

You’re missing a big crucial piece here, this is his show, he didn’t become the boss he is the boss because he started this channel, if you don’t like it go work somewhere else, this talk of union is pure nonesense.

[@MotardSteve]

Your old Tek videos and PC builds helped me figure out my first PC build back in 2012 and I've been around since and I have to say the way the channel has been lately with more of your genuine interests and talking pieces is lightyears better than shoveling out empty hardware review after hardware review. So let the haters throw shade but I can tell your much happier and more authentic now. Also very good solid advice to ol Linus.

[@thelionskiln]

Strong message regarding unions, love that. Remember to salt your workplaces and keep pushing for worker rights. ❤

[@maxweinbach3996]

Unions are designed to be a temporary remedy. Collective pushes towards a balance where there is a real or perceived imbalance. Pursuant unions tend to move into a direction of power which causes the same issues as what the unions is supposed to prevent.

[@tocotaku4787]

Honestly was one of the best takes on what is going to from what I have seen. It has gone one of two ways, one: people condemning him like he is the devil and crooked. Which I find to be very arrogant of the media and it's followers to condemn someone they really do not know and only going along with what supposedly others think of him. two: people understand he made mistakes but so do all people and are giving him time to fix their shortcomings and see if they can bounce back. Honestly, I had a hard time judging anyone that I do not know a full story and the intention behind the actions and perhaps inactions of that said person. I really appreciate your take on things because I can tell you are trying to come up with an informed and fair opinion of what is going on,.

[@DylRicho]

There's also a third kind -- those that see nothing wrong on Linus's part and back him up no matter what.

[@todddembsky8321]

A wonderful insightful look at the change between entrepreneurial and managed growth. All companies that are growing in size have to make the change from leadership one of management. It is not a fun change, but I agree that LTT can do it if Linus truly just steps back from running the company. Learn to have fun again as the Creative Leader.

[@dbmaster46446]

i blocked that channel years ago :'D

[@erikahuxley]

True, I couldn't stand the goofy face in the thumbnails in my recommendation list.

[@dbmaster46446]

@@erikahuxley exacly, but sometimes still open his channel to see what he had dropped recently

[@mat_max]

ok i totally didn't expect that the "syndicate" in "tek syndicate" actually stands for unions and co-ops

[@ufomammut2557]

That sponsership bit at the end made me almost spit out my drink in laughter.

[@ryanswatson]

Thank you, I have watched a few videos on this and I think you have highlighted the best path for the company. Giving the employees a union would likely have given them the ability to sort this out themselves. With all of the comments on crunch coming from the employees themselves, this would likely had been one of the first things that would have been voted on, and would have avoided the situation in the first place. Seems Linus wants people to forget that this is now a huge corporation, with a high budget CEO. Does this not remind us of what happened with Cyberpunk 2077?

[@bassplaya69er]

As Linus has said many times. He can't stop them forming a union. It's entirely up to the employee's. Unions in the live events industry at least are a total joke. Basically every excuse to not do work or use 6 people when one or 2 can easily do the job. Run by overpaid clipboard warriors that haven't a clue about what is required to do the job.

[@scottmckinstry1698]

If you have power over someone, you aren't friends - not truly. It's that simple.

[@-Vikson]

I though about this very point when Steve released that video. Linus has the wrong prespective; it's not a malice perspective and he means well, but it's just simply wrong. If you start to pull back and reflect on what's right for everyone as a group it leads to unions and warranties. It doesn't mean you failed, quite the opposite, it means you've grown to a point where you need to start thinking about large-scale accountability. You can see this same mindset with the "trust me bro" incident (that Steve also brought up a year ago) where Linus feels he should be trusted to do the right thing instead of having formal accountability. I'm glad you see yourself as someone that wouldn't intentionally cheat me, but I'd prefer as a poor Joe Smuck over here to have that in writing please. It's just the cost of doing business at your level, it's nothing personal. (Also I'm glad you're doing well Logan)

[@Hathos9]

I respectfully disagree. Steve made that hit piece out of malice and to grow his channel. It has since some out that some of the information reported has been inaccurate, such as the Billet Labs narrative. That, combined with Steve not reaching out to LTT and the narrative of the video, does more than indicate Steve's intentions. Sadly, this isn't the first time and won't be the last. It is scary how many in Steve's community worship him and never will doubt anything, even if he blatantly gets things wrong and doesn't correct himself, like the recent Asus situation.

[@-Vikson]

I don't wholeheartedly agree with Steve either. TechTechPotato has a very thorough video that pulls apart all of Steve's issues with his journalism standards. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6ucpomJgLGMi6ssi=-mz5RqXurzZNzCBe I agree that not reaching out to LTT was very telling and definately not part of normal investigative journalism. That being said, I think Steve is "Paving the road to hell with good intentions" so to speak and not nessarily trying to undermine LTT.

[@stevetech5150]

problem i've run into is that some people that work for others that actually invented or started something...they think that because they are "part of" that thing, they should share in the ultimate reward of it when they had NOTHING TO DO with the creation of it. thats not right. you get paid for your work or contribution but you don't get to have what those that created it or sacrificed to build it have. there's no EQUALITY in the creative or sacrifice. you get paid for contribution or continuation but you dont get to have ownership with the person that created it.

[@PersianImm0rtal]

I really hated Linus Tech Tips x58 review, tech yes city KZbin channel called him out last year about that

[@Northman_Roams]

Probably on the take from Intel to encourage people to mothball older tech that is still capable. "We are green!!" Yeah, that's why your happy to see old tech in a landfill you lying pond life bastards.

[@wingscancer]

is this the one ? kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3qkloeOm52Hjas if so i had no idea

[@sureno1833]

The story is that LTT did not give Madison free days, for her to go to her home after death of her brother, if that is true, and I think it is- then we have nothing to talk about. Linus has all signs of egoistic narcissist, he is obviously obsessed by himself and I can see from his videos that he is not someone who is OK with being told that he cant do something( with slight exception of some old people that work for him for long time). He and his wife are huge problem for their employees.

[@TheKingLeeroy]

Tek Syndicate I don’t appreciate the comment on “peoples false realities in the comment section”. Who’s to say your take on the Linus situation isn’t a false reality? We’re basically watching you speak of your own take/your reality on the situation. Doesn’t mean you aren’t automatically more correct than anyone else.

[@teksyndicate]

I tried to not speak for any of the employees. I didn't speak for him and said, "I don't want to put words in his mouth and don't know what he is thinking." I speculate but say that's what it is... Ave my message is beyond just his situation. It's a broad perspective video, not a video claiming to know all the details.

[@AngelUribe18]

Idk if it's only me, but I don't see Linus as anti-union, I can understand where the sentiment comes from. But when he said that he feels that if his employees need a union, then he failed as a boss, I can kind of understand it. He has also said that he wouldn't do anything to stop a union if employees decided to unionize (in part because it would be illegal to try to stop it). He's probably stuck in the mindset of being a bunch of friends starting from the ground up and his answers reflect that, he doesn't seem to grasp the idea of being a large company, which comes with the responsibilities of any big company, and one of them is the way they respond to the public and communicate to their audience. The WAN show being so unfiltered and him being so emotional sometimes is the leading cause of controversies around LMG (trust me bro guarantee issue, privateering/pirating/adblock/, billet labs video conclusion - just the conclusion, the whole selling of the prototype is a different can of worms -). They need to grow up and realize they're a big company, they cannot be seen as the weird but kinda cool techy dude and his friends anymore, they need to start their employeeds as any other serious employer would, and that includes not sticking their noses and not taking things personally if the employees decided it's time to unionize.

[@framo_official]

your voice is veeery bassy, my subwoofer going crazy lol. perhaps you could try to turn down the lows a bit :)

[@johnwelander]

Very wise words, the most sensible advice offered to Linus . Not sure he'll listen to anyone but it's out there in case he comes back down to earth anytime soon. Time will tell. Totally agree about unions too, over my nearly 50 years of work they are definitely needed for many reasons... Great video, thank you.

[@AndersHass]

LMG workers can unionize but it is discouraged which is probably biggest reason nobody is. I dunno if any of them have talked about it and then was close to getting fired over it or something but it is not like their employment contract says they can’t and by Canadian law they cannot exclude workers from joining a union.

[@hoangal]

I've listened and followed you for a long time. I miss those Rant 30 segments.. good times. You guys helped me build my first budget rig, Kentucky thermal tooth paste and all. I work in healthcare now and we just unionized, I was on the bargaining committee and i could not have been prouder to be in that position. I didn't ask to be put there, but the universe delivered me the opportunity and now that I've seen "the other side" after we ratified our very first contact, i gotta say we truly need unions in this country. They work when the conditions are right (ie company getting too big/ corporate). Loved your message, agree 💯 gotta take the emotions out at a certain point.

[@rayw8252]

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb deciding what's for dinner." - Benjamin Franklin

[@BAMBAH101]

Came for the drama, stayed for the politics and tech

[@gman102formyspace]

Hold on, agree with everything except Libertarians want the freedom to exploit everyone. Litterally workers rights to unionize are a core part of libertarian views. What you were probably thinking of is conservative views, as it's almost only been conservative people I've seen have issues with unions while they lean more towards authoritarianism... Libertarians mostly want less government involvement and opt for states to have more power in deciding things than they currently do.

[@KutsukiTsukiyo]

I don't remember when I followed you, I think it was around when Wendell was still around. But seeing this video, I'm honestly really proud of you for realizing how important unions are. If I remember back then you were....a very different person.

[@XDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXDXD]

Living and working in France, when I heard on the wan show Linus saying that about unions I laughed out loud. Here you HAVE to have a union, you don't get a choice after the 50th employee. This avoids you from this stupidity, everyone is better off except for the CEO and shareholders who already have enough (most of the time).

[@gman102formyspace]

How many employees does linus have tho? I don't think he's got 50 people to hit that France limit

[@friendly0]

​@@gman102formyspacedude he has over a hundred now I think

[@vladstr100]

​@@gman102formyspaceThey're a 100+ employee company now

[@antemasq6520]

Realisticaly most unions become trojan horses for grifters, HR departaments also feel the need to be relevant and end up creating even more problems

[@armorclasshero2103]

Its illegal in Canada to try to prevent employees from discussing wages. Its a major workplace violation. Where did Linus say this?

[@Tkozuh]

Very informative video. I hope Linus sees it and watches it. Might actually help him. I have been a sub at LTT since 2012 and I'd hate to see it go down. That being said if the shitstorm continues and they dont learn anything from this situation I will unsub and not look back. But it would be a shame.

[@pewwpew]

I dont really know much detail about what happened with RTW/ Teksyndicate... I just know i miss the old gang. I remember the Achieva Shimian monitor hype leading me down the rabbithole of love for PC hardware "there is no oh whats plugged in it just goes DVI IS PLUGGED IN ALL THE TIME... its serious business" . Love your videos keep at it Logan

[@alpacafursona3128]

Unions would also help with procuring and implementing the third party investigations mentioned with the SH accusations to his employees and processes It would also allow for arbitration and offloading of managerial / C-Level workload that he stepped down to move to his new CEO in the first place I feel like it would fix a lot of the problems they were talking about with the shift in management they were working towards anyway.

[@michiganjack1337]

Spend one week working with Ford and you will see how both sides of the union argument. I have way too many stories to share, just note that it’s not a catch all.

[@TonyDupre]

Banning employees from discussing wages is ILLEGAL You have the right to discuss your wages. It is protected by federal law.

[@leonidas540bc]

Logan - wise words my friend. Other people don't really that running a business is tough - but running a business that's online and viewed by the public every day must be so much tougher! Every decision (and yes there were bad ones) is magnified 1000 fold -hence why this all blew up so fast. Unions man - I love them. Make the staff feel appreciated and give them choices - it will make everything so much better!

[@PeacelordApropos]

Hi Linus! I appreciate the extra point of view presented here. I also feel that everyone does want to do their best. I look forward to the return of the crew

[@ImTheKaiser]

To try and turn work into a voting democracy is not possible without workers also being responsible. When they sign guarantees and when their personal property becomes at risk, then they can have a vote. Otherwise the owner is taking all the risk and giving up his authority in the process. When bankruptcy or lawsuits happen, his life savings are on the line, not the employees. If I take all the risk, I get the rewards.

[@teksyndicate]

Their ownership is their labor. Their investment is their labor. They make the company a lot of money. That is why they should have some ownership over their own situations.

[@ImTheKaiser]

@@teksyndicate for that labor they are compensated with a salary. And employees don’t take the risk. The owner takes the risk. He puts out the capital investment to start the company. Thousands-hundreds of thousands of $$, often his life savings. How can a person who was hired 5 minutes ago have similar buy-in to the owner who has 10 years and $500k of his own money invested? When the company gets sued, it’s the owner who is sued, not the employees. His house and life savings are what will get taken, not the employees. When business has to shut down over Covid and goes bust, owner files for bankruptcy, it’s the owner who is bankrupt, not the employees. When you get a loan, the owner signs and guarantees the loan with all of his assets, not the employees. An employee gets to just walk away from all that liability. An owner cannot. They are not democratic equals. I do believe you can share in profits better, but you can’t share the authority without sharing the liability.

[@teksyndicate]

You're really defending those who exploit too much for my taste. The compensation an employee gets is nowhere near the value they generate for the company. That's really what makes capitalism different from other systems. The owner gets to keep the surplus and not distribute it. Also, stats show that the rich rarely pay for big mistakes, rather employees do because they will just get fired if the boss needs money... The owner can declare bankruptcy too... And the government helps many as well. It's a very unfair system.

[@FeisarX]

Wow Tek Syndicate!!! KZbin hasn't recommended one of your videos in like 10 years. Congrats on beating the algorithm.

[@SenorBolsa]

Well spoken Logan. My perspective from the start was that this whole thing just went off the rails, Linus is a very intense and scrappy person who still behaves like the underdog and has just lost sight of what's important, that attitude absolutely worked when it was just him and some bros in a house in Langley but we are way beyond that now. I hope he can take some of the more constructive criticism to heart and build LMG better. I think it means a lot coming from someone who has gone through serious growing pains in this business.

[@JerryLass]

Chapeau. I've been a small media business owner once. You broke the boss-owner-conflict down in a perfect way. I actually didn't make it long-term not only but mainly because of this conflict. I learnt a lot. Thanks.

[@numberz010]

It's really sad/disappointing to see what happened here, unfair to the fans/viewers and smaller companies he works with

[@heribertogomez5191]

what happens to all these tech guys who want to get famous talking about another person, jelly and a lot of envy on their eyes

[@teksyndicate]

Live in whatever reality makes you happy.

[@middle_pickup]

FYI, if you want to be a capitalist who hires people never admit your interests are in opposition to those of your employees. Exploit that surplus labor value, babayyyy. Jokes aside, great video! Based takes here.

[@zontarr8812]

I am here to say that Tek Syndicate merch is top quality as I have a t-shirt(NSA- We like to watch) from prehistory times, when L1 was in Tek Syndicate and when beer was running waves.

[@Bananeisafree]

I don't know what is more soothing ... the sound of your voice or the words coming out of it...

[@torguy5763]

That's a weird thing to say.

[@Bananeisafree]

@@torguy5763 ... Only as weird as you want to make it .

[@torguy5763]

@@Bananeisafree Whatever you say weirdo

[@plantnovice]

This is why it’s best to never, ever be friends with the owner, boss or management. It’s not usually the employee’s fault for having a warped perception because PC culture, when applied in the workplace, makes people forget that there is a hierarchy and there are expectations. Be FRIENDLY but never cross the line and make employees think you are their FRIEND. I have come to this opinion after seeing my wife and several other relatives abused in their work environments. In each case the business owner was a woman and the employees were also female and so there is probably an additional element, a unique dynamic there which I could only speculate on, maybe that certain personality types that are more likely to exist in one sex than the other can complicate business relationships.

[@stevendarn2011]

Linus is like alot of boss's with a huge growth, they remmber what it used to be like on the ground floor when things was not as bussy when a few people could do it all, and thinks it is still the same they do not see the massive growth in work load and that scews thier perspective and expectations, the indicator to how big lttgot was he had a gamer friend he did not realise worked for him, showing it is at the point he does not know them all and needs manages that are trying to impress and putting pressure on works so they look good.

[@user-tw9io9nz2m]

If Linus takes this message to heart my faith in humanity would improve considerably

[@Lucatoni22]

What was your show called back in the day

[@try2topdat742]

Who won at Quake in a Wan show a long time ago ?

[@20quid]

If a boss is genuinely interested in treating their staff well then they wouldn't see a union as a failure on their part, they would appreciate there being someone else in the room to keep them honest and accountable.

[@kevinmoehring8259]

I see where Linus is coming from, but he's just wrong. He seems to view unionization as a failure on his part to provide a good workplace for his employees which caused unionization efforts - which can definitely be the case. But that's not what causes all or even most unions. Logan nailed this. Unions remove the "come talk to mom/dad" aspect of bringing up issues and give the employees a collective voice without having to have any single person singled out.

[@rowenarrow]

I have been trying to share some of these point with friends that it is most likely wasted on. After seeing this video I am happy to see that I am not the only one that thinks these things.

[@Tomatokillz]

I hope you don't mind that I always feel nostalgic watching your videos, reminds me of the fun times I had with computers ~10 years ago. I always enjoyed your reviews the most even if you were totally over doing them 😂

[@jessterman21]

Been watching here for fully 10 years now - thanks for your take Ward, I know you've been through this kind of thing with its ups and downs

[@monrover48]

Pretty cool that you used to be the lead singer of Seasons After

[@whyzen2081]

Good take, and well reasoned arguments, drawing on your own experience. Loved your content since tech update all those years ago, and I'm glad to hear you're happier now.

[@905JimRaynor]

Libertariamism is neither pro union nor is it anti union.

[@_PanchoVilla]

Logan, I miss you buddy. Hope all is well.

[@lukesmith7951]

I've been following you for year's and you've been there and worn the shirt, its great to get a level mindset from you, hope you're doing well and good luck for the future.

[@ap6806]

I may be wrong but I am pretty sure Linus has taken on a lot of debt as well with the labs building, the new badminton sports facility that he just purchased, and his new home that he has had for about a year now, in fact I think I remember him saying on a recent WAN show that he would have to hold off on renovations to the new badminton building because he did not have any actual cash or liquidity to do so at this time. This may be why he is so stressed out about content, especially here lately, I just hope he has not gotten in over his head by trying to grow and expand too quickly all at once.

[@Lovingisnecessary]

What is good about Logan is he explains why he believes something, and it might be a bit like Morgan Freeman but it makes sense if it works the way he says it's working lol. I used to work for UPS and that is a Union job. Management was talking down to the loaders and not the other way around, there was a little back and forth at one point; but not when I got there. There was never a protest at my facility in Illinois and it was a dead end job with a union tax that was hefty. I lived in Dupage County as well as Cook County at the time and I managed to save up almost $15,000 and had to move back in with my parents later because I didn't have enough saved and my dad who cosigned wasn't going to make my life any bit lucrative at the time while I was on my own because he cares about his one savings and rightfully so. society tried so hard everywhere around me and people were usually not marginalized to the same extreme as myself as well as everyone around acting like they didn't have grandparents; and everyone at my school was trying at life like they came from nothing with nothing on hand. I remember anyone with a voice harassing special ed students or marginalized kids like myself at the time on the bus. A loader there worked for approximately 20 hours a week starting out a dollar above minimum wage. 40 years of inflation and no change in the pre loaders pay. It was stressful sometimes, and the drivers were disrespectful usually. You could not work OT any other time but Christmas. I'm not mentioning any names but some of the workers their particularly the drivers kinda deserve to be exploited so I can understand the perspective of the libertarian. Union jobs are democratic from what I understand of UPS, I'm normally Republican but more into telling the truth than some of them.

[@mrmerlin6287]

Logan, will you ever bring back the Kill Your Console series of videos? I havent built a modern PC since one of your last videos.

[@helloimatapir]

He literally made a budget Ryzen build 2 videos ago... Come on man.

[@mrmerlin6287]

@@helloimatapir sorry, I just bought a Playstation Portal.

[@helloimatapir]

@@mrmerlin6287 Wow... I might cry.

[@maxweinbach3996]

LTT is based in Canada. There are (I was say concrete) laws in place for workers' rights Per BC law, "You are required to provide your eligible employees with up to 5 days of paid sick leave per year if they need to stay home because they are sick or injured." Additionally, there is a minimum vacation and other time off standards. The problem what I see is uncontrolled dynamics which lead to poor working environment. Based on a few interviews, it seems like they don't really have a knowledgable HR department or "social responsibility".

[@teksyndicate]

These laws may exist, but a toxic environment can pressure people to overwork and not take their time off. So that's why I think emotions have to be taken out of the equation. Mind games have no place in a workplace... I'm not sure what was going on behind the scenes, so my comments should be taken as general statements.

[@maxweinbach3996]

@@teksyndicate Appreciate the response. In theory yes, emotions should be taken out. However, the reality is we are humans and humans have emotions. You can't fight that in the long run. There are structures in place to help cope with situations where emotions can hamper the workplace. This is why I brought up Canada, there are structures and rights to follow. LTT, either wasn't aware or didn't care. The onus is on the organization (from the top) to follow the guidelines so that a toxic environment doesn't happen in the first place. Employees, by law, have anonymous avenues to go if such situation arrises such as harassment and bullying (which was discovered at LTT). That being said, yes, who knows at this point... ...and I understand your general sense in your video.

[@jonnyeldritch]

whoa didn't realize you were so based

[@travis.napier]

C'mon now. Logan usually has very well developed opinions. Usually closer to reality than most. Nobody has a perfect one though, so while I appreciate hearing his and do enjoy his opinion. That doesn't mean everything he has or will say is correct, and I think he understands that as well. So I stay close by and listen to him.

[@colbybastian17]

I think the biggest separation is not in interests, it's in authority. What I have seen, Linus does his best to meet the needs of his employees, listens to them, etc. No matter how well he does that, he is still the one with the power to make the decisions. No matter how consistent he is, there will always be the concern for some that he WON'T be for a vital decision. That is what unions provide.

[@50PullUps]

I pray that Trey and Matt write an episode showing the absurdity of the hate bandwagon for LMG that sends all the toxic keyboard warriors running for cover.

[@hoangal]

That or Meatcanyon comes up with a gross animation parody

[@jeziel675]

Been with the channel since the OG days and to be honest I really did sour on you for a while after the drama but honestly, I've realized that in the end I don't know all the details and it seems to have worked out well after all for both you and Wendell, even if I wished it had gone down in a more amicable and less public way.

[@headcas620]

LTT as we knew it died when the company got more than a handful of employees. His ego took over and he had to make it bigger and bigger instead of just saying that's enough success.

[@schmudge237]

LTT 2023 show was that final straw breaking him, over worked and his defence system went to full alert. He needs a 6 week break to reset.

[@gnarlin4964]

It feels like a splinter in my mind. It's always there. The splinter is capitalism. We need democracy at work. The workers should democratically decide: 1. What to produce. 2. How to produce it. 3. What to do with the profits. Most humans claim that dictatorships and kingdoms are bad and are inferior to democracies. That also applies to workplaces, where we spend a very large portion of our lifetimes.

[@richardthemagician8991]

I think you and I both have learned the hard way the Dark Side of starting a company or working with your friends. Do you and I have never had an issue working together, you were never my employer. And vice versa. Nice thing about unions, contracts, and lawyers, is it helps take the strain off the Friendship part of the business. They are third-party mediators. So when the Union comes to the executive board and says the employees are requesting XYZ, the board of directors or Board of Executives can hash it out with the Union. It allows you as a CEO to say to your employees who are also your friends, "hey, I hear you are asking for XYZ. I hope you're you knew can work out a good deal with my board." And your employee / friends can say the same to you. As you grow a company, you learn to Outsource certain things. One thing no one considers Outsourcing, but they should, is power. There is freedom an Outsourcing power. And by power I mean certain types of decision-making. The real job of a CEO is to be the creator of big picture, new ideas. Elon Musk has served as a perfect example of what happens when you run a company as a dictatorship. So, I support unions and Boards of directors. At least in terms of a more traditional, capitalist business.