[MUSIC PLAYING]
SPEAKER 1: I am very excited to
introduce you to Simone Giertz.
Her name's spelled
differently, but that's
how you pronounce it.
Simone is Swede-born and a
descendant of Ericsson founder,
Lars Magnus Ericsson.
How cool is that?
Simone describes herself as
the Queen of Shitty Robots,
Breaker of Transistors,
Mistress of Malfunction,
Mother of Terrible
Inventions-- however,
I really prefer Inventor-tainer,
coined by a Redditor,
supposedly.
She explored engineering
physics in college
before finding her true
calling on YouTube.
I'm not sure why, but
her family calls her Pim.
You can check out Simone's
terribly brilliant creations
on her YouTube channel.
Googlers, please welcome
Simone to Google.
[APPLAUSE]
SIMONE GIERTZ: Thank you.
I think that this
is the first time
that I've heard that
YouTube is my true calling.
[CHUCKLE]
SPEAKER 1: Well, it is for now.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Yeah.
No, I mean, it's legit.
I'm just like, have I said that?
[CHUCKLE]
SPEAKER 1: Now you have.
Yeah.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Yeah, sure.
Yeah.
YouTube is my true calling now.
SPEAKER 1: The YouTube team is
clapping wildly [INAUDIBLE].
SIMONE GIERTZ: Crying,
[INAUDIBLE] so emotional.
SPEAKER 1: So, before
talking about Shitty Robots,
I'm completely jealous about
your recent vomit comet trip
that you included on
your YouTube channel
as part of your
astronaut training.
Describe how it works.
And what I'm most interested in
is what it's like that moment
you become weightless.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Mmm.
So a little bit of
background story,
I took a month-long
break from Shitty Robots
because I really
want to go to space.
I'm 100% serious about
it, and I actually
got funding from Google to do it
from Google's Making & Science
Team.
So thanks for that.
But I got to go on the Vomit
Comet, a zero-g flight,
on the last episode.
So, basically, it's this
airplane that does parabolas.
So it goes up and
down really fast.
So you get to experience what
it's like to be weightless.
And I was so--
first of all, I had to pee
really badly, which took--
cause you're both
worried about vomiting
and about peeing
at the same time.
So it was a lot of body
fluids to keep in check.
I feel like 25% of my
brain power went to that.
But it was the craziest
feeling because you're
laying down on the floor.
And, first, you experience an
increased amount of g-forces
because you're accelerating.
And then you just get
lighter and lighter.
And it feels exactly as if
you pictured meditating.
You'd start levitating because
you just very slowly float up.
And it actually
made me really sad
because while it felt like
the wildest and weirdest thing
I'd ever experienced.
It also felt so natural
because I was like, yeah.
Of course this is
something that humans do.
And I think every human
being dreams about flying
and what it's like to be flying.
And it was just like,
yeah-- this is-- yeah.
This is what I'm made for.
And then you get back to
gravity, and you're like, no.
I'm bound to this big dirt ball.
SPEAKER 1: Gravity sucks.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Gravity is the
biggest downer on planet Earth.
Yeah, I've used
that joke before.
SPEAKER 1: We've got to work
on no gr-- who's the No Gravity
Team?
There's got to be on
in Google somewhere.
So you talked your
way into a job
as a professional maker for
a startup in the Bay Area.
How hard was it to walk away
from, basically, a real job,
and find your way, and
make a living on your own
where you're consciously
convincing your friends
and family that it
wasn't a huge mistake?
SIMONE GIERTZ: That was
not the way it happened.
It was more-- because
I did have a great job.
I dropped out of
college after a year.
So I started studying
physics, but I dropped out
because I just felt it
was a little bit too dry.
And I really wanted to
learn about electronics
because I saw these different
DIY projects that people
were building.
And I thought that
they were super cool.
And I remember being,
like, I should go back
to school for it?
Or should I try and
learn by my own?
And what I decided on was,
no, I should try and get
a job in the field, so I can
get paid to learn about it.
So I got a job as a
maker-in-residence
inside a company that makes a
micro-controller, or Arduino
board, called the Blue Bean.
And they're here
in the Bay Area.
And it was really great.
The job was super
fun, but I just
wasn't very
enthusiastic about it.
And I decided to quit
because I realized that I--
I've tried out a lot
of different things.
I've had a lot of
different jobs.
And it's like trying on
different pairs of pants.
And you're, like, ahh,
these pants kind of work.
But they're crawling up
my butt a little bit.
Or these ones are a
little bit too short.
And you're just trying out all
these different jobs and work
to see what fits you.
And that was like, yeah!
It's like right.
I love what I'm doing.
But it's, like, the setting
of it doesn't really work.
So it was actually that
I quit my job not knowing
what I was going to do.
And I decided to
move back to Sweden
and to cut back on
all of my costs.
So I moved back with my mom.
I lived on like half a gigabyte
of data every month, you know?
Yeah, it was rough.
But all of this
just-- and I'd try
to work as little as I
had just to make a living,
just so I could free
up a lot of time
to spend on whatever
I wanted and to pursue
what I was enthusiastic about.
And from that time
that I freed up
was where I started building
these Shitty Robots.
So, I mean, yeah.
Maybe it was the
way you said it.
But my parents have always been
very supportive and were like,
yeah.
Do whatever you want.
It'll be fine.
I think it's more
been my brother.
My brother was like--
I remember him, at some
point, being, Simone--
he calls me the
walking life crisis--
[CHUCKLING]
--he's like, Simone,
if you're ever
going to do something
great, you have
to settle down on what you're
going to do, or choose a field,
and go for it, and spend
more than a year on it.
But I think it was--
yeah, it actually
wasn't that hard of a decision.
It would have been
harder to stay.
SPEAKER 1: Ah, cool.
So you mentioned you don't
have an engineering degree,
but you've got creative ideas--
experiment and
build stuff-- which
sounds like engineering
to me and probably
a lot of people in the room.
A maker for sure, do you
see yourself in any way
as a role model and
stereotype-buster
for girls interested in tech?
SIMONE GIERTZ: You know,
I struggle with that one.
In part, I often
get the question
if I see myself as a
role model for girls.
And, in some way,
what I hear is--
and I think there's
something inherently wrong
with it because it's
like people have
this perspective
that, as a woman,
you can only be a
role model for girls.
And people are always like,
you're such a great role
model for girls.
And I think, actually, it's
just as important for men
to have female role
models as for girls
to have female role models.
So, I mean, that's
aside from me probably
not being a great role
model in many ways.
[CHUCKLING]
But I'm telling myself
that people can cherry
pick the good parts and
exclude the bad parts.
But, I mean, I hope.
I mean, to me, it was also--
it was really important
to see other--
it does get stronger when you
see another woman or somebody
you can identify a little
bit more with doing the thing
that you want to do.
And it wasn't until I saw a
woman giving a talk on hardware
hacking that I was like, wait.
If she can do it, I can do
it, too, because you realize--
because I was always interested
in building things and making
things.
But I never saw myself as
somebody being interested
in technology and electronics.
And I think that's just
because you've been brought up
with the stereotype of, oh.
This is the type of person
that would be interested in it.
And it takes seeing somebody who
you can identify yourself with
to be like, wait.
This is all just bullshit.
It doesn't make sense.
Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: So a lot of people
who go down an engineering
or maker path, they've taken
something apart that they
probably weren't supposed to.
Or they've built something.
So what's the first
thing you took apart?
What's the first thing you
built that you remember?
SIMONE GIERTZ: Oy.
I just about to
take this mic apart.
The first thing I remember--
and a kind of cool project--
we had this old--
what's it called in English?
Like-- satellite dish?
You know when you're
getting television?
You know, television?
[LAUGHTER]
AUDIENCE: A satellite dish.
SIMONE GIERTZ: A satellite
dish-- like, the big parabola
or the big thing you had on
your house that was white.
So we had one of those that
we were going to throw away.
And I was, like,
that looks cool.
And I turned it into a
chair when I was nine.
So I built up-- it was the
most uncomfortable chair.
[LAUGHTER]
SPEAKER 1: Did it get
good reception, though?
SIMONE GIERTZ: But you
kind of slid out of it
because it's very just round.
So I built a little
podium under it.
I think that was the first.
But I did also--
I remember I attempted
to build a robot when
I was seven or eight.
And I had this grand idea
what this robot would be.
But all I got to was
I got a block of wood,
and I drilled a hole
through the wood.
And I put a stick
through the hole.
And it was a robot
because if you
wiggled one end of the stick,
the other end would move, too.
And I was like, yeah.
I just built a robot.
It wasn't that hard.
What are people talking about?
Like, whatever.
It moves.
SPEAKER 1: So what's
been the response
been to Toy Hackers,
this partnership you
have with GoldieBlox?
And how'd that come about?
SIMONE GIERTZ: To me,
it's like a constant--
a lot of people think that
I'm doing kids content
because if you just see the
little videos of my projects,
I mean, it looks like
it's something for kids.
But then I'm just
not very kid-friendly
and my sense of humor.
So I've been trying.
And I constantly have--
I'm surrounded by
disappointed parents
all the time because they're
like I just really want
to be able to show
this to my son,
but I can't because
you keep dropping
the F-bomb, and the D-bomb, and
the C-bomb, and all the bombs.
No, I did not say that.
Oh, my God.
SPEAKER 1: Pretty much.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: Pretty much.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Yeah.
No.
Yeah.
So I'm trying to find ways
in which I can give kids
good content to watch
or watch my videos.
So I've been collaborating
with GoldieBlox,
which is this toy company
that has a female heroine,
and is this really
cool inventor.
And we did a Toy Hacker series.
And they're also
going to roll out
censored versions of my videos,
so kid-friendly versions, which
I'm really excited about.
So there would be
kid-friendly versions
living on their channel.
So I can just be
like, hey, parents,
don't be upset with me.
I've done my part of it.
SPEAKER 1: Very cool.
SIMONE GIERTZ: But, yeah.
No, it's actually really nice
because, as much as my content
isn't that kid-friendly,
when you have 10-year-olds
write you and be like, hey.
I built this thing inspired
by this thing you did.
You're like, I am so good.
[LAUGHTER]
You just get
emotional from feeling
so great about yourself.
[LAUGHTER]
SPEAKER 1: So you
kind of mentioned
this with your brother.
I'm not sure how you could have
planned for the success you
found online.
Is having a master plan for
your life or even the weekend
coming up totally overrated?
SIMONE GIERTZ: I mean,
it really depends.
So when I was younger, I always
had like five-year plans.
I was like the Russian economy.
I was like this
is what I'm gonna'
do in the next five years,
and then it never happens.
So now I'm more--
I mean, I think it's like--
I try to not have a plan.
So I've been doing this
for 1 and 1/2 years.
It's been happening
pretty quickly.
It was 1 and 1/2 years ago since
I published my first Shitty
Robot.
And I've realized that when
you kind of get dragged
into this high-pace thing,
it's hard because everybody
wants you to have a plan.
And I'm trying to-- because
it really started as something
that I did just because I
was enthusiastic about it--
and I'm trying
not to have a plan
because I feel that, as soon
as I have that, and I'm like,
I'm going to do this.
This is the trajectory.
I feel like I'm going
to kill my enthusiasm,
and that's just going
to kill it itself.
I mean, I have long-term
goals, like going into space.
And I also want to go
in a deep sea submarine.
SPEAKER 1: That's covering
the whole spectrum.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Yeah.
So it's like really
low and really high.
Yeah, but I try not
to limit myself, too.
But, I mean, it all
depends on what you--
I mean, I freak out
whenever I feel that I'm
cornered into something.
So I think if I was, like,
this is what I'm going to do,
and I'm going to
lock myself into it--
I mean, I've been really
trying to not lock myself
into any contracts
or anything like that
because I just want to keep
on reminding myself that,
if I wake up tomorrow being
like I never want to put out
another video, that's OK.
SPEAKER 1: I think
you should have
YouTube channels
involuntary-spaced travel where
you just take random people,
and you put them up in space,
and see want happens.
Anyway-- all right.
So, like--
SIMONE GIERTZ: No, no,
no, no, no, no, no, no--
SPEAKER 1: --idea that
popped into my head.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: So like
many YouTube creators,
there's a blur between your
personal life and your YouTube
persona.
I'm thinking, in particular,
of your hilarious battle
with the septic system of your
houseboat, which is so funny.
If you have not seen it,
if you want to see true--
SIMONE GIERTZ: You're horrible.
You're a horrible person.
SPEAKER 1: It's so funny.
[CHUCKLES] How do you
protect your privacy,
or you've totally given up?
SIMONE GIERTZ: Mmm.
I mean, for one, I just try to
remind people that in real life
as much as I fe--
I mean, I'm not acting like
somebody else on my YouTube
channel.
But you're like a watered-down
version of the YouTube
because, when you're
doing a video,
you have 45 minutes of footage.
And you just cut it out, and
polish this little diamond,
and turn it into a
four-minute video.
In real life, you're just a
more boring version of that.
But, I mean, it's hard because
it's definitely a different
type of--my mom's a TV host
back in Sweden where I'm from.
And she's been a TV host
for the last 20 years.
And it's a very different type
of celebrity because people--
when you're on the internet,
people know you more personally
in a more informal setting.
They don't really know
the professional you.
So it's definitely
much more blurred.
But I'm also like an open book.
I don't have any secrets.
I share everything.
It's compulsive.
I'm a compulsive
over-sharer in many ways.
And I'm fine with stories about
me making a fool out of myself
and sharing that.
But I am really reluctant
to show footage of my family
or the people
around me because I
can take people being mean
to me in the comments.
But if I would have
my sister in a video,
and they'd be mean to her, I'd
just stab my computer screen,
I think.
Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: So I was interviewing
a friend of yours, YouTuber
Dianna Cowern, recently.
And she said she has to block
words like kitchen and ears
from comments.
Don't ask why.
It's basically people are evil.
SIMONE GIERTZ: She does get a
lot of comments about her ears.
It's so weird.
SPEAKER 1: --think it's fair.
SIMONE GIERTZ: I
don't think I've ever
gotten comments about my ears.
And I'm like, are
they boring ears?
[LAUGHTER]
SPEAKER 1: So how do
you deal with trolls?
Or have you been blessfully
not having to deal with that?
SIMONE GIERTZ: So I've only put
up one filter on my channel,
and I made the mistake
of telling people
that I put up a filter.
So I've seen so many
creative spellings of dildo.
[LAUGHTER]
But I think that's--
yeah, that's probably
the only one.
I mean, I just hit half a
million subscribers yesterday.
SPEAKER 1: Woo-hoo!
SIMONE GIERTZ: Yay.
[APPLAUSE]
SPEAKER 1: [INAUDIBLE] half a
million in the room anywhere?
Maybe?
No?
SIMONE GIERTZ: No.
Yeah?
Look at you.
SPEAKER 1: You'll
win steak knives.
There you go.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Yeah.
AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE].
SIMONE GIERTZ: Oh, thank you.
That's great.
Umm, cool.
Yeah.
So, I mean, I
definitely notice it.
Like, as you grow, people get
progressively meaner and meaner
because, when it's small, it's
just the people who sought you
out and who really like it.
But, as you grow, there's
people who didn't really opt in,
and they get very upset about
you showing up in their feed.
Or the worst is when a
video trends on YouTube.
So I locked myself in my
bathroom for 48 hours.
And that one trended on YouTube.
And, when it does that,
it's like you just
have this little--
what do you call when you're
fishing, and you just open up,
and you just get all
the weird sea creatures?
You get all of it, all of it.
I'm scared to talk about it
'cause I don't want to jinx it.
But I've been weirdly
spared from a lot of hate
and, especially, being a
woman on the internet, which
tends to be worse.
I mean, it's different
YouTube channels.
On the tested YouTube channel--
I work for another YouTube
channel called "Tested".
It's rougher or just more
focused on my appearance
and my sexual preferences,
very relevant to the videos.
But my channel has
actually been really nice.
And I don't really
know what I've done
or haven't done to deserve that.
But, yeah.
It's been surprisingly nice.
SPEAKER 1: So maybe,
on the positive side,
you mentioned that a
10-year-old might say, hey.
I was inspired to
build something.
So what's the sweetest,
most memorable thing
a fan has done that
makes everything
you're doing worth it?
SIMONE GIERTZ: It's a lot.
I mean, now I'm
starting to get messages
from people who have gotten
into engineering school
because they sought it out
after seeing my videos, which
feels really weird
because you can put people
on a different life trajectory.
So that feels really like an
honor to be able to do that.
But I'm a sucker for
getting packages,
and people send me such
nice things and projects
that they've built.
I actually had
a guy named Stewart who
fabricated this whole robot
arm for me.
And he made it out
of custom aluminum.
Everything was really polished.
He put in video footage
of him building it.
I mean, it must have taken
him a week to make it.
And just the fact that somebody
would spend that much time just
to make you happy
is pretty wild.
Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: Well, someone in
the audience mentioned Patreon.
So you ran into a bit of sponsor
trouble that you talked about.
What's been your experience with
crowdsourcing financial support
as another vehicle?
What would you offer
for other creators
that want to go that path?
SIMONE GIERTZ: So,
if you don't know,
there is a platform
called Patreon
There are multiple
platforms on Patreon
but where people can
give monthly donations
to different
independent creators.
And I think it's such a
beautiful thing because it's
really a democratization--
did I pronounce that right?
SPEAKER 1: Yeah.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Yeah, OK.
Of content creation because,
otherwise, it just makes it
a lot-- there's
something really sad,
I find, about being an
internet person because what
it's all about is
increasing your value
as a billboard for brands.
So you kind of sell your
audience's attention
and the trust that
they have for you.
And something about
that feels really dirty.
So having alternatives like
Patreon is really beautiful,
and people can go and
support you directly.
It's also really scary.
I was pretty reluctant to start
a Patreon because, otherwise, I
can just be like I don't
owe people anything.
I feel like-- I mean, I
don't owe them anything.
But, for my Patreon
supporters, I really
feel that I'm owing them a lot.
And it's a scary thing
because the worst thing
would be if people were
disappointed in you 'cause
it'd be like having 2,000
parents who are just like,
Simone, we just
expected more of you.
[LAUGHTER]
SPEAKER 1: That's right.
So I think there's some
really cool stuff in our world
right now that, if
you go back in time,
would blow people away.
And I think one of
those is a 3D printer.
So, if you could go back
in time with a 3D printer,
what's a crazy thing
you would build?
Or maybe what have you
built with a 3D printer
that you think would
blow people away?
SIMONE GIERTZ: I actually
made this thing--
this might be my best
contribution to the world.
Do you guys know Neti Pots?
SPEAKER 1: Yeah.
We'll need a backer on that.
SIMONE GIERTZ: About 50%, yeah.
I can't believe I'm
talking about this.
Net Pots-- it's like
this weird-- my dad
is an old hippie yogi dude.
And he always had
these Neti Pots.
It's this little pot, and you
poor water through your nose
when you have a cold.
It's really nasty.
But it's very effective
if you're sick.
So I had a cold.
And I was, like, I
don't have a Neti Pot.
What do I do?
I have a 3D printer, so I
made a little Neti Pot nozzle
that goes on a regular bottle.
It's the best thing
I've ever made.
It's a legit thing,
and that's what I bring
to people in medieval times.
[LAUGHTER]
SPEAKER 1: Very useful.
SIMONE GIERTZ: And them be
like, we have no bottles.
I'm like, oh, shit.
[LAUGHTER]
SPEAKER 1: The hell
with the plague.
Neti Pots!
Neti Pots!
So what is your
worst robot failure
that was so bad that it
didn't even rate being shitty?
SIMONE GIERTZ: That's tricky.
I mean, it's tricky to say.
When people ask me what my
shittiest invention is or my
most useless, it's
hard because I've
skewed what shitty means
because, to me, a Shitty
Robot would be that
worked really well
or that worked poorly but did
it in a very uninteresting way.
I mean, the shittiest robot
is the one that doesn't start.
But, I mean, yeah.
I think my shittiest invention--
I mean, I passed
on a lot of ideas.
So I start building them,
and then I'm just like, no.
This isn't going to-- it
happens fairly rarely.
But I think I've
started building stuff,
and then I'm like I can't
go through with this.
SPEAKER 1: What kind of causes
that you start and then you
stop, which we do
all the time here?
Things you just decide,
it's not going to work?
SIMONE GIERTZ: Either
they're just too complicated,
I can't do it in a time-frame
that's worth doing it,
or just that I don't think
it's fun or relevant anymore.
But I think probably
the shittiest machine
I've ever made--
it's a pun--
[LAUGHTER]
--is the ass-wiping
robot, probably.
SPEAKER 1: That's pretty shitty.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Yeah.
We actually filmed another
video on it for "Tested".
And I don't think
we've published it.
I don't think we're going
to publish it because a lot
of people were disappointed
that I didn't-- so I did
a butt-wiping robot.
It's a toilet paper
roll on a drill.
And it just--
[LAUGHTER]
--and people were so
upset in the comments.
They were like, Simone,
you couldn't even
have put some Nutella up there?
This is not believable.
[LAUGHTER]
And we filmed a "Tested"
video where we were like, OK.
We need to put something that
looks like poop in there.
And then, halfway through, when
you're holding this mannequin
man, and you're just like--
[LAUGHTER]
--I don't want this
to be on the internet.
[LAUGHTER]
How did we end up here?
[LAUGHTER]
SPEAKER 1: Yeah.
And I think a mannequin
is the only thing that
would take that robot
because that looked like it
could be a torture device.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Yeah.
There's no way I'd put
my own butt in there.
SPEAKER 1: Noo.
No.
SIMONE GIERTZ: And, I mean, I've
had that idea for a long time,
but I didn't know how to do
it because I was like, I can't
do it with anyone's real butt.
And then I was like, I'll
just buy a sitting mannequin.
Yeah.
He can't sue me.
SPEAKER 1: I had a chance
to interview Adam Savage
several years ago and was struck
by how down-to-earth he is.
I like to call him an
accidental celebrity.
I really enjoyed
your back and forth
with Adam on the show
"Tested" that you
mentioned trying to work
out the popcorn machine.
Walk me through creating that
video, especially the feeling
you had when Adam's
vacuum-formed hands
that he created as part of this
project [INAUDIBLE] arrived,
and you had to
turn into a robot.
I almost feel like-- this
is from Adam Savage, icon,
pressure.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Yeah.
It was really intimidating
because he's, like--
I mean, I have no
idea what I'm doing.
And he really knows
what he's doing,
even though he wouldn't
say so, I think.
So we started working
together about a year ago,
now, a little bit more.
And the first project we
built was a popcorn helmet.
So it was, like, a beer helmet.
But, instead, it was
two popcorn containers
and two hands that
fed you, so you don't
have to use your own hands.
And we collaborated on it.
And he did the hand mechanism,
and I got the package.
I remember the
first thing I did.
I haven't told him this.
The first thing I did it
was I looked at the box.
And I was, like, did he
give a signature anyway?
Like, could I get his autograph
from here and just cut it out?
I mean, I still--
I mean, now, it's a lot
chiller with "Tested".
But, in the beginning, I had
the worst imposter syndrome
and, especially,
building stuff with him.
And, before having met
him, it was really scary
because I was just
sweating being like what
if I don't get it together?
Are they going to fire me?
But, once you get
to know him, he's
the most devoted
teacher and mentor.
So whenever you don't
know how to do something,
it almost feels like
it makes him happy.
And he's, like, oh.
I can explain this thing.
And that just completely
takes the edge off of my fear.
Yeah.
He's been great.
I mean, I think it's all due to
him just being very kind, just
very kind.
SPEAKER 1: Cool.
That's just what he seems like
on the other side of the glass.
So you had a terrific segment,
also, on Stephen Colbert's show
recently-ish.
What happened behind the
scenes because you only
get six minutes on television?
But you'd, actually--
well, here,
if you're in product
group, you'll
be terrified of any
sort of live demo.
It's the scariest
thing you can do.
You had multiple live demos
that you'd brought with you.
What was it like leading
up to that six minutes
that you can't do anything but
do that six minutes and you're
done?
SIMONE GIERTZ: It was a lot
of death thoughts, thoughts
about death.
No.
I mean, the circumstances
were pretty special.
I was just about to
move to San Francisco,
so I had everything
packed with me.
And I'd been to LA
for a YouTube event,
and then I'd been to Vancouver
to pick up my US visa.
And then I did the red-eye
from Vancouver to New York.
And I came there, and I
was on set for 10 hours,
from early in the
morning because they
switched around the schedule.
So I had 10 hours of having
slept for three hours
and just being super
tired and really nervous.
So it was actually pretty--
I mean, it is always painful.
But I feel like that always--
I give a lot of talks.
And, always, before
I go on stage,
I'm like why do I
do this to myself?
I always think that this
is the time when everything
is going to go wrong.
But they were so kind.
And, always when I do
stuff like that, especially
with somebody like
Stephen Colbert,
you try to remind
yourself that he's
one of the best in the world
at doing what he's doing.
And we share the
responsibility of making
it fun and interesting.
So you're in really
good hands is what
I'm trying to remind myself of.
But it's really scary because
I brought four machines.
And just making sure
that all of them--
I mean, you know, yeah.
Live demos, they never work.
And just making sure that all
of them would work reliably
was really--
I was more worried
about that than what
I was going to say or do,
but all the machines worked.
I've had times when the
machine doesn't start.
Back in Sweden, I
did a live kids show.
Like five minutes
before we go on stage,
the robot arm that I used
for the breakfast machine
just broke down.
And you're like what
are you supposed to do?
And that's your responsibility.
But I just thought that,
whenever it doesn't start,
I'll just be like,
shitty, right?
[LAUGHTER]
And then it's OK.
SPEAKER 1: So this
sort of ties into you
went to Canada to come to the
States and getting a visa.
So Sweden makes
these "Top Countries
to Live in the World's"
list frequently.
So what attracted
you to the United
States and, specifically,
San Francisco?
SIMONE GIERTZ: So I
lived in San Francisco
two years ago when I had
that maker-in-residence job.
I just think it's a
really fun place to live.
And having a kind of weird
job, in San Francisco,
I don't feel weird.
And so I'll call my
field a little bit weird.
But, here, it's like
everybody's a unicorn.
And I think that is
really heartwarming.
And, also, I just love
paying a lot in rent.
It's this weird thing I get
a kick out of, you know?
Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: So got to ask
a question about Ikea
because Sweden.
So, if could go into Ikea
and get a debit card paid
for by someone else-- you
can buy anything you want,
including the meatballs--
first of all, would
you want to do that?
Second of all, what would
you build with anything
you could buy at Ikea?
SIMONE GIERTZ: I very
rarely buy stuff at Ikea.
But I have gotten away
with a lot of times.
I trick people that
if you're Swedish,
and you lose your passport,
you can go to Ikea,
and it works as a
Swedish embassy.
And you can get a new one.
[LAUGHTER]
But what would I build?
Hmm.
I mean, a project that I wanted
to build that I could build out
of Ikea cars is I want to have a
couch that you can lay down on,
and then you have a seatbelt
that comes from the back.
And you can pluck
yourself into the couch.
So you're seated
down, and then you
can just drive to the fridge.
[LAUGHTER]
I'd probably do that, yeah,
for the very lazy person.
SPEAKER 1: And what
Swedish name would
you give to that
because all these--
I don't know.
Is Ikea real Swedish words?
Or is it just like--
SIMONE GIERTZ: It's
real Swedish words.
I'd prob-- call it--
[SPEAKING SWEDISH]
SPEAKER 1: [SPEAKING SWEDISH]
SIMONE GIERTZ: Laziness.
SPEAKER 1: Oh, there we go.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: OK.
So one more question from
me, and then the audience
gets to take over.
So if you could have a cameo
in one of the following,
which would you choose and why?
So "Star Trek,"
"Lord of the Rings,"
"Star Wars"-- which you're a
recent convert to or, at least,
recent viewer--
SIMONE GIERTZ: Oh,
you know so much.
SPEAKER 1: --or "Sharknado"?
SIMONE GIERTZ:
"Lord of the Rings,"
hands down, without a doubt.
SPEAKER 1: Why does
"Lord of the Rings" win?
SIMONE GIERTZ: I was a
huge Lord of the Rings fan.
When I was younger, I went
though an elvish phase.
Yeah.
[LAUGHTER]
And I had a huge crush
on Orlando Bloom.
Yeah.
So I'd do it just to make
14-year-old Simones proud.
SPEAKER 1: All right.
Lord of the Rings.
If you're going to do
episode seven, [INAUDIBLE]
"the Hobbit," then here you go.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Yes.
SPEAKER 1: All right.
So I'm going to grab
my computer so we
can do some Dory questions,
which is our online question,
answer tool.
And then Samara from
the Google News Team
is going to help out
with microphones.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Oh, gosh.
Yeah, I was--
I mean, I wouldn't do a cameo.
I wanted to do a voiceover--
I'd love to do a voiceover
for "Adventure Time," one
of my favorite TV shows.
And, as soon as I
put it out there,
I realized that they were
about to discontinue the show.
And they've already
recorded the last episode.
It made me so sad.
SPEAKER 1: Oh.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: All right.
So first question out here.
AUDIENCE: OK.
You spoke briefly
about the relationship
between advertisers
and content creators,
as it relates to the
quality of the work.
And I wanted to just
hear a little bit more
about your thoughts about that.
SIMONE GIERTZ: How it relates
to the quality of the work
that you put out as a creator?
AUDIENCE: Yeah.
And how creators can survive
well in this relationship
and what that does
to the creator.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Yeah.
I mean, you just need to find
sponsors who are fully OK with
what you're doing
and who don't--
I think, as soon as you have
companies come in and tell you
what you can and
can't do creatively--
I mean, maybe some people
are better at handling that.
But because you are, as
a YouTuber, especially,
often you're your own producer,
you're your own writer,
you're the on-camera
talent, the camera person,
and having somebody
be like, oh, you
can't say that is
just really weird.
And I think, also, like
what a lot of companies
that aren't very accustomed
to the field at working
with online talent, what
they don't understand
is the audience is completely
accustomed to this person
being the way that
they've always been.
And, as soon as you
start altering that,
immediately people are like--
it's like when your parents
snuck in medicine in your drink
and you're like, there's
something weird about this.
You're trying to get
something down with me.
So I think it's a lot of that.
I think the most
successful companies--
I mean, something
like Audible does
where they're just like, yeah.
You do whatever.
We don't really judge what
you do, within a range.
But, yeah.
I think that's the way to do
it because, as soon as you
get the legal team involved,
they're like we can't do this.
We can't do this.
We can't do this.
You can't do this.
So I think it's just
being conscientious
of what companies you
choose to work with
and making sure that they
are very well understanding
about the type of
content you make.
SPEAKER 1: Cool.
So I'm going to take
one from the Dory
and then we'll go
back in the room.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Yeah.
Will I put a dildo on it?
No, stop asking.
SPEAKER 1: [LAUGHS]
SIMONE GIERTZ: Come on.
SPEAKER 1: So this is
actually Googler that's
watching from Google Boston.
Hello, Google Boston.
Before working here, I
was a teaching assistant
for a robotics class.
Your video has definitely
helped motivate
me to build stuff in the
job which, in turn, helped
me get into Google.
So thank you.
Well, that's not
really a question,
but that's a compliment.
There you go.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Oh, thank you.
That's good to hear.
SPEAKER 1: All right.
So a question from the room?
AUDIENCE: Hi.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Uh, what?
Oh, there you are.
Great.
AUDIENCE: So thanks for talking.
I just wanted to know how you
find inspiration for your ideas
and what to do next.
SIMONE GIERTZ: So
thanks for listening.
I find inspiration-- I mean, a
lot of it spurs from everyday
problems I have and just being--
I mean, I'm just a very
ambitious, lazy person,
I think, so I go through
lengths to help myself
with the everyday
problems that I have.
It's a lot that.
But, I mean, more recently,
I found there's just so much
shit going on in our
world and that I feel
needs Shitty Robot solutions.
I did a Pussy
Grabs Back machine,
which was this arm,
this plastic arm, that
went out from your crotch,
and it was a mouse trap.
And it was, like, [CLICKS]
bang, pussy grabs back.
And I think that now I
find a lot of inspiration
in just things that are
happening in society.
But, I mean, most of it is
also just body maintenance,
like maintaining your
body in different ways.
And, yeah.
Most recently, I
did a manicure robot
to help me paint my nails.
And, yeah.
SPEAKER 1: And there's
a shampoo robot
where you learned what it feels
like to have your hair pulled
by a robot.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Yeah.
There was the wake-up machine,
I think, that my hair got--
SPEAKER 1: Oh, it was
the wake-up machine
that got tied up.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Yeah,
I got tangled up.
And, yeah.
It was very humiliating
and painful.
SPEAKER 1: All right.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Yep.
AUDIENCE: My kids and I are
big fans of your channels
and, also, Patreon supporters.
Have to ask.
You're in San
Francisco now again.
And Burning Man, have you been?
Are you going?
It seems like a natural.
SIMONE GIERTZ: I was
there two years ago.
Yeah.
It was-- oh, gosh.
I'm doing that thing.
I'm doing that thing that
people have been to Burning Man
do where's it's like, you
can't really describe it.
[LAUGHTER]
It was-- no, I liked it a lot.
It was very weird.
It was such a mindfuck,
because you're like,
would normal Simone
do this or not?
But I'm just not that
much of a party person.
I get very tired, and
I need to sleep a lot.
And it's a long time.
And it's just like
a tricky thing,
but I'm not going this year.
But I might go in future years.
It would be fun, and I'd
want to build something big.
Yeah.
AUDIENCE: Have
any of your robots
turned out to be not so shitty,
kind of too useful to be funny?
Because we all love when they go
wrong, but I assume sometimes.
SIMONE GIERTZ: I actually got--
the thing is, people
get very upset with me
if they're not shitty enough.
So, for example, when Scott
and I did the beer robot,
one of the takes--
so it was a robot
that put down the cup,
and then poured a beer,
and handed me the beer.
It was one of the takes
where it was still
spraying me with beer.
But people were like, Simone,
this isn't shitty enough.
What have you become?
And they were really
disappointed in me
that it worked too well.
I mean, most of them
just really suck.
So, yeah.
They're good at--
SPEAKER 1: Well, it's almost
if you get more budget,
I hope you keep it for yourself
because you shouldn't invest it
in your robot because that
would totally kill it.
SIMONE GIERTZ:
I'd want to invest
in stronger and bigger motors.
Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: OK.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: So just the scale
of the shittiness would go up
but not the quality level?
SIMONE GIERTZ: No.
No, but I realize I have
probably one of few jobs
where the sentence, that was
really shitty, great job,
actually makes sense and
isn't just passive aggressive.
Yeah.
[LAUGHTER]
SPEAKER 1: So we'll take
a few more questions.
So we got one back there.
Yeah.
AUDIENCE: So, Simone,
you've told about how you've
done a lot of different things.
And I guess you'll continue to
do a lot of different things.
And it's really inspiring.
But, at the same time, it
must have been pretty scary.
So my question is, how
did you practically go
about finding out and doing
the right research to become
successful in all of these
different things that you did?
Because when you start
doing something new,
you might not have
all the information.
So did you just go
on Google and type
in how can I be an
astronaut or something?
SIMONE GIERTZ: I mean,
I've definitely not
been successful in
everything I've done.
I've been pretty terrible
at a lot of stuff.
I mean, I worked
as an MMA reporter.
I was a pretty bad MMA reporter.
I think the key thing
to-- and I understand.
It's been a huge privilege
having supportive parents
and growing up as a middle class
person in a country like Sweden
because I've had the
opportunity to try out
a lot of different things.
And I think mostly
what I realize
is, because I had this feeling
that I was very duty-driven,
and I had this feeling that
for it to be important,
it has to be hard.
It has to be a
struggle, and you have
to push yourself really hard.
And then, in my early 20s,
I realized, like, wait.
I'm a lot better at the things
that I'm enthusiastic about,
and that I actually like, and
don't really feel like work.
So I think it was just
that shift in perspective
and trying to pursue the things
that I feel that I'm good at,
and that I really enjoy
doing, and that somehow feel
a little bit guilty to be
spending time on to just do
more of that because
you're obviously
going to be better at that.
Yeah.
And, to me, it's just building
things that don't work.
SPEAKER 1: [CHUCKLES] Over here.
AUDIENCE: Thanks.
I'm not sure how much you
like to predict the future,
but I am very
curious to know what
you think the role
of robotics will
be in theatrical performances
and musical performances.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Oh,
that's interesting.
I don't actually know.
It's an interesting thing
because I'm a hobbyist that
happened to gain a following.
And, often, I get
interview questions
about what is the future
of artificial intelligence?
And I'm like, I'm not an
authority in this field.
I think that, definitely,
people have this urge
to create everything that we
have around us into comedy.
And I think that, as we are
more surrounded by technology,
that definitely gets
integrated into the arts more.
So I'll do a Shitty Robot show.
I might even sing a little bit.
SPEAKER 1: Now have you been
to Maker Faire in the Bay Area?
SIMONE GIERTZ: I have.
Yeah.
But I'm going to miss it
this year, unfortunately.
SPEAKER 1: Maker
Faire, still go.
But next time--
SIMONE GIERTZ: Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: All right.
Let's take one more, one
more audience question,
right back here.
AUDIENCE: I want to ask you
if one of your creations
were to gain sentience,
which one would you
be most afraid of?
And which one would be the
happiest of having them become
[INAUDIBLE]?
SPEAKER 1: The drone haircutter.
That would be my nightmare.
SIMONE GIERTZ: The
drone haircutter,
that would be a good one, yeah.
But, I think, probably--
so MegaBots made--
they have these huge
fighting robots,
and they made a chopping machine
extension for their robots.
So it's eight-foot long knives.
I feel like having that one
run after me would probably
be pretty terrifying.
I chopped up an oven with it.
I think that one.
And the one I'd most want
to have sentient, probably
the applause machine
because if it
knew by itself when it
needed to clap and not,
that would be great.
It'd be like the
perfect audience.
Yeah.
I'd swap all of you out
for the applause machine.
No.
SPEAKER 1: You're all going be--
SIMONE GIERTZ: You're
all going to be replaced.
So how many it takes
for me to get it?
So, I mean, I've like
transitioned a little bit
from that.
But, usually, what
I did in the start,
I did it only for the GIF.
And that's the whole
filming the video
is that I can get a little
GIF of this project working.
And I think the
wake-up machine--
I mean, sometimes I do 20 takes.
And the wake-up
machine was really--
now it's nicer
because I have Scott
who's sitting over there who
helps me and can be like, OK.
That was good.
Or that wasn't bad because,
otherwise, it's just me.
And I'm running
back and checking
that everything was in frame.
But it does take a
fair amount of takes.
I think the worst one was
actually the lipstick robot.
So I had a robot arm
put lipstick on me.
And I think I did 5 to
10 takes on that one.
But in between each take,
I was covered in lipstick.
And I had to wipe it
off and try and cover it
up with more makeup.
And, at the end of it, I had
the worst rash on my face
because I just had layers
and layers of lipstick.
And I just had to scrape it off.
So I think that was actually
the most painful one.
Yeah.
SPEAKER 1: So the
cover-up machine
to go along with the lipstick
machine, that would actually
be useful.
SIMONE GIERTZ: It
worked too well,
so I was like this
is way off-brand.
I can't show this.
No.
Yeah, but that would
have something.
SPEAKER 1: It just again,
though, sounds too useful.
SIMONE GIERTZ:
Sounds too useful.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah.
Yeah.
SIMONE GIERTZ: A lot of peo--
I mean, yeah.
A lot of people
do useful things.
I can't compete with that.
I can't.
I mean, it's just
like it's all about
finding a field
that's small enough
so you can be at the top of it.
SPEAKER 1: You have
cornered the useless market.
SIMONE GIERTZ: I just want
to be the best at something.
So I'm just going to
find-- it's narrow enough
so you're like, OK.
I can actually climb to
the top of this thing.
SPEAKER 1: Useless Enterprises--
AUDIENCE: Who's the number
two in your field then?
SIMONE GIERTZ: Oh,
I mean there's a--
I can't say that
I'm the number one.
There is a few people
who do stuff like that.
There's a guy who is
like really doing well.
His name is William,
and he mainly
does laser cutting stuff.
But he does really weird stuff.
He did a ham and cheese
sandwich of Vin Diesel that was
laser-cut layers of just ham.
So he just laser
cut a bunch of ham.
And it turns into
this Vin Diesel model.
There's also a company.
A Canadian guy runs the
useless duck company.
So you might have seen it.
It's a baby feeding machine
where there's an app connected.
And there's a little bottle
that goes up to the crib.
And the baby is
standing-- it's a doll--
and the bottle just punches
the baby in the face,
and it falls over.
SPEAKER 1: Well, I
want to thank you
for trucking down to
the Googleplex today,
and sharing your
stories, and for everyone
who turned out online
and virtual in Boston.
So thank you very much.
It was great having you here.
SIMONE GIERTZ: Thanks
for letting me come.
Thanks for showing up.
Yeah.
[APPLAUSE]
You, too.
And thank you.
Yeah.
[APPLAUSE]
