Jet Lag: Group Therapy Edition

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Jet Lag: The Game is a phenomenon. Sam from Wendover Productions - together with his writers Ben and Adam- have traveled around the world in 100 hours, played capture the flag in Japan, and chased each other thru tag in Europe.
Join us today for an in depth look into how the Jet Lag crew met each other, became friends, what they appreciate about each other, and what frustrates them.
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Now available on Spotify at:
link.trykarat.com/JetLag-Spotify
Follow Karat at
/ trykarat
Follow Eric at
/ erictway
Follow Jet Lag at
‪@jetlagthegame‬
Follow Sam, Ben, and Adam at
‪@Wendoverproductions‬
‪@halfasinteresting‬
/ sam.from.wendover
/ thewheatgerm
/ adamhchase
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00:00 Intro
02:51 - Better than the Amazing Race but no Harlem Globetrotters sadly
09:02 - First date moments for every coupling of the crew
18:50 - Sam's our boss! but also our friend - how does that work
25:22 - Smosh and MythBusters fell apart - how have you stayed together and like each other - when did you feel happiest vs most frustrated?
29:03 - What happens when you don't agree on game design - throwing out New Zealand
35:56 - Don't fall into the "Who Cares More" trap
40:07 - Adam & Ben learning KZbin from Sam
43:18 - What we appreciate most about each other
56:12 - Bonus clip ;)

[@TheCodysbiggestfan]

Ben: will you take me on as an intern? I'll even do it for free! Sam: okay, but how about you do it for money?

[@georginabensley9453]

to be fair, ethics aside, in my experience it's a TERRIBLE idea to accept people who want to work for free. they always crap out on you. because the expectations are all weird and it becomes more of a fun bonus and automatically gets shifted pretty low down the priority scale when anything else comes along. it lacks proper structure. frankly when people offer to work for me for free by this point i'll probably just throw the offer in the trash. so there's my life pro-tip: if you're desperate for attention offer to work cheap, but not free.

[@ricardoludwig4787]

Big fan of how much they emphasized that they do have to create some boundaries in their friendship because of how the relationship as not only coworkers but ones with an inevitable power imbalance. That's the type of thing need to talk more about when it comes to making creative companies

[@ShaggyRogers1]

That's the unspoken truth when working with "friends". Unless you are going to be 100% democratic on things and NEVER suffer from a severe disagreement on something, there will always be friction happening at various points and levels. While being friends with coworkers is common, it is very common for those kinds of relationships to be strained as soon as one of the people is at a higher point in the chain of command. Subordinate - higher up work environments don't really promote "friendship".

[@lilymulligan8180]

Normalize men giving other men detailed, heartfelt compliments!!! The ending of this episode really touched my heart 💗

[@AlexandreCanuto]

Sam just chilling blurred in the background like a secondary character 😂

[@trykarat]

I screwed up the camera focus 😭

[@alistairwall5470]

We've just not unlocked him yet

[@mrsquid_]

i love how he just side eyes them nonstop while theyre rambling about their first date

[@dhananjayapasan]

Humans aren't ready to see Sam yet

[@ilayda4754]

some people watch it for the travel content, some for the game strategies, some for the dynamics between the three. I just watch in the hope that I get to see drunk ben again.

[@iwasboredyay]

I can't believe you were able to get Adam and Ben from "not being famous!"

[@someperson3883]

The first episode start: “Here’s my editors Ben and Adam, so they don’t get to talk.”-Sam

[@deepitback94]

i have to say sam really figured out how to run a company in the creator economy. this was a good watch

[@wateryourcermet]

I’d be very interested to hear them talk about filming (also what’s going on when the camera is off) in situations that might make them seem suspicious. For example, when Ben hid under the slide at the playground for hours. Or being all stressed out in an airport or other high security area. Any confrontations with locals ever happen? Ever get the police called on you? Ever get in trouble for filming somewhere? How do you explain what you’re doing to people? How do those conversations start when you’re the ones bringing it up, like with an Uber driver or something? Do you plan ahead for situations to make sure you’re not breaking any laws? Etc etc

[@clx001]

The fact that Sam, is a famous, young, successful, KZbin millionaire and Ben and Adam.... are not. Gives Jet Lag such a fun dynamic, where I am always invested in seeing Sam lose.

[@havek23]

Well they're his employees, and likely not part-owners of Nebula like he is, but I'm sure they're paid well (and all the travel/food/etc on the race is paid for by the show so they get pure profit through their wages)

[@bonelesswatermelon420]

​@@havek23 still doesn't change the fact that it's fun seeing Sam lose lol ((Except for when Sam has excellent partners, in which case I don't want them to lose))

[@philaeew4866]

this is a super interesting perspective, I knew of wendover but honestly never thought about that. it certainly doesn't come across that way in he show!

[@inkpendude]

If there's one thing I know about Ben and Adam, is that their are not famous, young, successful, KZbin millionaires

[@StanleyFlinn]

Sam has a very effortless seeming confidence about him, which, I am sorry to him I’m sure he is a lovely person, but it makes me crave his downfall at every opportunity.

[@teamcoltra]

For anyone in the cross over universe of Dropout and Nebula: They were talking about how naturally funny Ben is and it made me realize how similar Zac Oyama and Ben are. Other than handsomeness (of course) they both have a very understated humour but they just hit the right notes at the right time consistently.

[@digitalharmony26]

Omfg yes. I adore both Ben and Zac so much,,

[@deekshas3936]

Ooh that's an excellent comparison

[@MrPeercraft]

I would love to see someone from Dropout on Jetlag. Like having Grant, Brennan or Erika Ishii along for the ride could be so much fun.

[@cherryhearthuh]

that is so spot on omg!!

[@moddingart]

Wouldn’t Tom Scott’s lateral count as having Sam on two episodes

[@qwertyTRiG]

Definitely, though they were recorded together in one session, so he may not have thought of it.

[@trykarat]

It’s my mistake- I forgot!

[@jonjanson2]

Did anyone else notice that when Ben and Sam are talking about Adam, the clip in the back fits perfectly. They are talking about Adam as good caretaker and the part where Ben and Adam are in the broken-down rental car in Montana is playing as Adam gives Ben extra clothes.

[@victorc8581]

This employer-employee class relation is why I always suport Adam-Ben team against the boss

[@robertforrest9327]

I would only think this way if Sam was a bad employer. Since he doesn't seem to be, I base who I support more on who I find more relatable, which usually leads me to supporting Sam's team.

[@bomoose]

I support ben & adam because their funnier

[@qwerty112311]

@@robertforrest9327who knows what happens when the cameras are off

[@philaeew4866]

as someone who's studying to become a sort of therapist, I really appreciate your quick compliments round in the end a lot! the appreciation thing is a really good, effective little group intervention. And the way you lead the three of them through the entire podcast and that section calmly, naturally and with a very warm demeanor, knowing when to speak and when to hold back... it's honestly inspiring!

[@trykarat]

awww thank you!! and very cool - what type of therapist are you studying to become?

[@jijitters]

It was brief but I loved the mention of how dangerous the "who cares more" game is in disagreements. Decisions should never be made based on how willing each party is to fight their point, rather than what the actual point is, but that's exactly what happens when personality types influence the decision. One person will usually always be the same one more likely to back down and it creates a terrible precedent.

[@user-xh2kx4vv3k]

I really liked your discussion on breing friends, but at the same time, recognizing that when working on projects, Sam is also the boss. I'm really good friends with my boss, but both of us maintain that professionalism where we separate the working relationship from the friendly personal relationship. It's not something that anyone can do.

[@livethefuture2492]

Sam, Ben and Adam really make a great team! Its great to see how well they work together in this company they've built. It's really quite inspiring, especially some of the stuff that Sam talks about in regards to the relationship between employees and partners in the company was very interesting and insightful. As a long time jet lag viewer this was a joy to watch!

[@trykarat]

i'm glad to hear that! And yes - I find their relationship to be very special

[@livethefuture2492]

As someone whos in college right now and thinking of maybe starting a startup with a couple of friends, this was actually really insightful in understanding the structure and dynamic of relationships in a well functioning company. I've been a long time fan of jet lag and even aside from just having 3 of my favourite youtubers just chilling out for an hour, this was a very interesting and fascinating interview to watch. Great work man!

[@trykarat]

they're very conscious that they're not just friends - that they're also coworkers and maintain professionalism too!

[@proplaystowin]

After the okaihau express therapy makes sense

[@nikkipdx4109]

Love it. Also can tell Wendover (Sam) Seems way less stressed post NZ to me, assumed it had something to do with Nebula creating stability, but mad props to Sam for such a visible personal and professional growth, and for enabling us to have such killer content. As a business owner it's inspiring like, you gotta leap sometimes and let go of control which is hard. I think the lesson I am learning is you gotta have the right people, believe in the dream and boundaries boundaries boundaries.

[@nikkipdx4109]

P.S. Ben love your outfits. Adam you're just great but you know that ;)

[@sleepyguy69]

this made me cry im so serious. i love you eric thanks for making them do this.

[@qwertyTRiG]

We will see fanfic of that Tinder meeting within twenty-four hours. Why do they do this to themselves?

[@artielikesthings]

I knew I had a reason to watch this

[@itsnotcrawly]

​@@artielikesthings Fancy finding you here 🤣

[@achacosodavid]

love every minute of this, such a great dynamic on all fronts. it really is the best thing ever when you're able to really get along and work with people that have the same drive and creative energy that you do

[@shubham19901990]

Man I love the culture and energy with which these guys work and create stuff

Anything with this trio, I am in.

[@tadeja1906]

That was a really interesting conversation. I really like how much creativity goes into writing those seasons and how it kinda inspires me to apply some of that creativity in my own life. Also I really appreciate their personalities like Ben's chaotic and spontaneous energy versus Adam's anxious approach to the game and mad people skills and then Sam's calculated approach and reservedness about himself but then he surprises you about the most random facts about his life. They seem like cool people.

[@mitchelmiller6513]

You can tell these three have their own podcast together

[@pitify_]

Never heard of this channel. but the podcast and questions we're absolutely amazing! Keep going and excited for a new one :)

[@trykarat]

Thank you!! Any creators you’d want to see on next ☺️

[@hx0d]

Great chat and food for thought, especially as I see Sam as an inspiration and role model, and I find chorus in how he operates. It was also really interesting and informative to see "backstage" into small creator run businesses and how things go behind the scenes, there is plenty in the bucket to learn from here. Subscribed, cheers from England.

[@juliadandy6019]

43:50 "I'm gonna disassociate." LOL Sam's awesome

[@Ayelet.M]

3:05 I agree 100% It’s one of the first things that came in my mind when I saw the show for the first time. A big part of that is that the challenges and the whole writing of the game is just 👌🏼

[@Yuki_xoxo_has_quit]

This video is awesome. I knew it existed for a while but never took the time to listen to a whole hour of podcast Then my english teacher said we had to listen to any podcast for an assignment and i just HAD to choose this one

[@silasj.d16]

Loved Adam in this. Very articulate young man.

[@apa182]

this was great.... thank you!

[@josephmao5077]

I am just now learning that I am much closer to them in age than I thought. Dang.

[@user-ws8gy3mn4v]

New fav channel

[@breeboyce490]

Y’all have me crying at 8am. Hearing all this further deepens my love for the show and respect for them ❤

[@Doug_Hannon]

Is it just me, or do Adam and the host have almost the exact same voice?

[@trykarat]

😳

[@evanwillett1635]

yeah, I noticed that when I was not looking at the screen. "Why is Adam asking the questions?"

[@hx0d]

Glad I wasn't the only one haha

[@primisole123]

great interview questions!!

[@yeasturianin]

This is a masterclass of leadership.

[@kathrynstemler6331]

Super interesting! Thanks!

[@dontknowdocare]

Love jet lag. As an avid (Euro-)board gamer the thing that bothers me in-game is the card shuffling. As a viewer you're not aware of the totality of the cards and the number/probability but the player must know how often each is present. If used cards (challenges/road blocks etc) were taken out of the game or the cards were NOT shuffled all the time it would add an element of strategy to the game and would be less repetitive. I also recommend looking into the classic German board game 'Scotland Yard' for a season in one location. The game is played across a map of London with bus/taxi/subway lines connected to each other in different frequencies. The runner and chasers have a limited amount of tickets for each method of transportation. Every player including the runners takes 1 method of transportation each round and the runner (Mister X) only has to reveal his location every few round. If someone catches the runner / lands in the same spot as the runner the chasers win as a group, if Mister X manages to evade the runners he wins. I think this idea could easily be adapted to jet lag so the game could be played in one location (this cheaper and faster to produce). Love the big seasons but a chase around just Paris or any city with a variety of public transport would be great 👍

[@RachelJade70]

I love how quickly they went from "reinvented media" to "losing an award to a grandma cooking"

[@dailyfrankfurt9978]

A wood a DREAM to join another Jet Leg Europe Season. I would have a good advantage. 😊

[@fergie42069]

this was incredible

[@thekamakaji]

This is a great podcast that i just discovered through shorts. Can't wait to listen to the scumbag dad one next!

[@yonko_Z]

Hearing them talk about their company really reminds me of danplan

[@09_CRAZY]

Yay

[@pingew]

rip cooking with lynja :(

[@MinecraftImplosion]

i see it as a modern top gear

[@GideonSubramani]

😂😂😂 not ben being his own mic stand 💀💀💀

[@trykarat]

He didn’t want one haha! I offered

[@freja3187]

i wish they had reused the jingle with sam is digging a hole for new zealand whole digging

[@JulianDanzerHAL9001]

the moment hte first jet lag episode got hte first view jet lag viewership grew by infinite percent per second making it the fastest growign thing ever

[@arystanmars]

The video isn't working for me. Anyone else? I hear the audio but the video is just black

[@ImRefleex]

I can’t wait to see them do an Australia season

[@someperson3883]

They already caught a fish there

[@sSteppingStones]

It has arrived 🎉😎

[@LOLE_Editz]

Well, team Ben.

[@Nderak]

28:43 these last 2 seasons of JLTG, while i enjoyed them, it made me wonder how much longer this is going to last. Are we going to see JLTG Season 58? are my children going to grow up watching new episodes of JLTG even with different hosts? I can totally see JLTG going out of production in a few years, which will be very sad.

[@etymology3]

It was basically the Adam and Sam podcast lol

[@bradj977]

Yeah Ben looked bored for most of it. Even questions aimed at him were answered by Sam or Adam

[@livethefuture2492]

Well that's kinda Ben's vibe...Sam and Adam are the two polar opposites and Ben is the glue that holds the team together.

[@GuntherGlesti]

Where can I buy an Adam..?

[@dragonsaige]

SAM IS WENDOVER PRODUCTIONS?????? HOW AM I LEARNING THIS NOW. I thought they hired a narrator for jet lag who sounded oddly familiar

[@Lord_James]

Just wait until you learn he is also "Half As Interesting"

[@bshaw8175]

WOAH fastest growing thing? do that not know about danny gonzalese fandom THE GREGS

[@trykarat]

🫡

[@Strathclydegamer]

I’m a massive fan of these guys, love all the channels. Maybe it’s nerves, but good god they all use the word “like” an insane amount

[@bilegttsolmon6027]

29:03 what did they mean by throwing out new zealand? as in they're not doing that format anymore?

[@ErikaCartet]

from my understanding, adam was describing the pre-production of the series and how the three had a preliminary meeting to discuss and decide the concept of the game for the season, but adam and ben came away from the meeting with a slightly different understanding of what they’d landed on than sam did, so after the two of them had fleshed out the details more and brought it back to him, their work had to be scrapped because it didn’t align with what sam was expecting for the game. so not throwing out the game concept that they ultimately filmed, but having to throw out and re-design the game in the pre-production stage.

[@mindlessxav]

SAM IS THEIR BOSS?????? 😂 Like Sam said, I thought they were just friends who did a show, and actually I also thought they got their videos on a streaming platform...

[@RebeccaSchwartz703]

They released this six months ago there shooting season 10 now and releasing season 9 now there only growing

[@XYoukaiX]

Lol I might be to old/young/weird or whatever but neither do I know any of the Basketball things you talked about nor about that TV show and or TikTok cooking thing oO

[@andrewcow108]

Ben funniness and Katya funniness are the same. They don't try it's just built in.

[@havek23]

Japan was my least favorite (in terms of interesting) season, I love Japan and would love to see more challenges and more scenery of Japan but the train stations were less interesting than the connections you have to make in Europe.

[@cea6770]

Japan was my favorite season. So people like different things. Good thing they have various game formats.

[@dwight7975]

#mindfart

[@CshiBaSe06]

Sooo, you're "Helping createors with their finances", but couldn't help yourself with 2 more mic stands? jk :D goodvid

[@trykarat]

Ben didn’t want one!! Then I decided to emulate him haha

[@MayorVideo]

i know jet lag i am jet lag i have jet lag jet lag jet lag

[@duckky2443]

let jag

[@MayorVideo]

jet lag

[@trykarat]

JET LAG

[@supercobrarl8213]

Wait aren’t u the person who said that they found ben annoying

[@MayorVideo]

@@supercobrarl8213 and adam 😒 but yes i am

[@opaljones1560]

Ben is *such* a cutie, urgh 🥹❤️

[@cagedtigersteve]

Mr. Beast crew next

[@Jongre1512]

Kn ð bæ

[@mikkelgxp8573]

Oooooooooh so thats why sam wins jetlag so often, they’ll get fired if they kick his ass (:

[@gogowshagenai6139]

He likes... NEVER win??? Wtf

[@lelekhaing4135]

What do you mean I feel like Sam never wins even though he always has great strategies.

[@mikkelgxp8573]

@@lelekhaing4135 ….. people really have a rough time with jokes……. A joke doesnt have to be factually correct…

[@cea6770]

@lelekhaing4135 Sam has low probability scenarios which he calls a strategy. Ben and Adam typically have actually useful strategies.