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Complexly

company · in 85 videos (2016–2026)

The brothers' educational media company, long called EcoGeek after Hank's blog and renamed Complexly in 2016. It grew from $10,000 that funded the first test episodes of Crash Course; Hank runs it, John was temporary CEO in 2023, and as of January 1, 2026 it relaunched as a nonprofit.

Makes: Crash Course, SciShow · Includes: Journey to the Microcosmos, Ask Hank Anything, Something Worth Knowing

Videos by year: 2016: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 3 · 2019: 6 · 2020: 5 · 2021: 6 · 2022: 9 · 2023: 15 · 2024: 15 · 2025: 10 · 2026: 13

Threads

Also named in the threads: John's Pizza John mustache, worn on camera as a recurring bit (2011) · Hanklerfish: an anglerfish drawn by a Hank (2011) · Crash Course: launch of the brothers' educational channel (2011) · SciShow: launch of Hank's science channel (2011) · Hank asks viewers to fund Crash Course through Subbable (2013) · Subbable: launch of the brothers' pay-what-you-want subscription service, starting with Crash Course (2013) · Hank asks viewers to check out Jessi Knudsen Castañeda's new Animal Wonders channel (2014) · Animal Wonders: launch of Jessi Knudsen Castañeda's rescued-animal channel (2014) · Vlogbrothers pre-roll ads and the Vlogbrothers Creator Grants (2014) · Dear Hank and John: the brothers' advice podcast (2015) · Hank asks viewers to use their state's How to Vote in Every State video to register, get a sample ballot and vote (2016) · How to Vote in Every State: launch of the 54-video guide to registering and voting in each US state (2016) · Awesome Socks Club: monthly sock subscription (2016) · VidCon 2017 edition (Anaheim, June 21-24) · Hank: attend all three 2017 VidCons, in Anaheim, Amsterdam and Melbourne (2016) · P4A 2022 edition · Nathan Zed's merch on DFTBA.com, partly based on his Vlogbrothers video (2017) · Maternal Center of Excellence: the brothers' Partners In Health project in Sierra Leone (2019) · Journey to the Microcosmos: Hank and James's YouTube channel about microscopic life (2019) · Bizarre Beasts: Hank's weird-animal videos for John (2019) · Study Hall: Crash Course and Arizona State University's free learning-playlist series (2020) · John asks donors of $500 or more to join the P4A 2021 matching fund by Google form or email (2021) · Hank asks viewers to buy a Crash Course coin to fund Crash Course (2021) · Crash Course coin: collectible coins sold to fund Crash Course (2021) · Crash Course and Complexly begin from John's 2010 Gchat proposal and $10,000 of Hank's money (2010) · Awesome Coffee Club: the brothers' coffee subscription for charity (2022) · Good Store: the brothers' store and subscription box at good.store giving all profit to charity (2023) · Hank's Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis and chemotherapy (2023) · Keats & Co.: the brothers' coffee and tea brand fighting tuberculosis (2024) · P4A 2026 edition

Often together

What comes up in the same parts of the videos; the number is how many parts.

Eons (13) · Crash Course (42) · Crash Course coin (16) · SciShow (29) · Study Hall (8) · Bizarre Beasts (8) · Good Store (18) · DFTBA Records (30) · Journey to the Microcosmos (8) · Something Worth Knowing (3)

What the videos say

The most important statements of each year; all statements.

2016

  • 2016-10-07 · Changing Our Business a Bit — Hank explains their content company has been called EcoGeek after the blog he started in 2005, the reason for his first company, an LLC; the name no longer really applies. — 00:02:47
    • Hank announces that this week (week of 3 October 2016), after years of failing to settle on a name, the company that produces their content is renamed Complexly. — 00:03:10
    • Hank gives the name's reasons: the world is not simple, we will never fully understand the universe, each other or ourselves, the process matters as much as the outcome, and they want to help others imagine complexly. — 00:03:18

2017

  • 2017-06-13 · Cheyenne, Wyoming — announcement: John says a Nerdfighter gathering at VidCon in Anaheim in a couple of weeks, Thursday at 9:30 am, is where he and Hank will announce exciting new Complexly projects. — 00:03:11
  • 2017-11-08 · Follow Hank All Day — Hank: At the monthly all-staff meeting the VidCon, DFTBA and Complexly staffs update each other on the big picture at each company. — 00:03:00

2018

  • 2018-07-13 · Why Do So Few Countries Have Nukes? — recommendation: Hank recommends a series on the US court system on youtube.com/complexly, Complexly's new YouTube channel where the production company can try new things. — 00:09:40
  • 2018-11-02 · Let Us Now Praise the Panda Person — ask: The description points viewers who want to learn their state's voting laws to Complexly's How to Vote in Every State. — video description
  • 2018-11-07 · A New Thing? — announcement: Hank announces Truth or Fail Trivia, played only at a physical place: it exists and is available now in various forms. — 00:00:58
    • Complexly, the production company behind SciShow and Crash Course, puts the questions together. — 00:01:27
    • Sales are open now at truthorfail.com at a low introductory price, and the trivia starts going out in early 2019. — 00:03:24

2019

  • 2019-01-15 · On Burning Resentment — ask: John and Rosianna are hiring someone in Indianapolis to help make their things; uncommonly organized people good at calling strangers should check the link. — 00:02:55
  • 2019-02-22 · I Don't Want The Same Things Anymore — announcement: Hank clarifies that DFTBA is a separate company from Complexly: DFTBA's profit from services to creators goes to Partners In Health, while money Vlogbrothers makes selling merch still goes to Complexly and creators keep earning as normal. — video description
  • 2019-06-28 · My New Obsession — announcement: Hank: The channel features original music by Andrew Huang and design and editing by Complexly staff. — 00:02:29
  • 2019-10-25 · Unscripted and Unhinged — Hank: In a comment reply Hank says he draws a salary as CEO of Complexly and DFTBA but mostly already made his money: he sold VidCon a couple of years ago. — creator comment
    • Hank says Complexly is two-thirds through a pilot season: three shows with three episodes each. — 00:02:40
  • 2019-11-01 · On Looking Up to Your Little Brother — John says he is used to looking up to Hank as a philanthropist, a YouTuber and his boss at Complexly, and now gets to look up to him as a novelist too. — 00:03:09
  • 2019-12-13 · Is This the Cutest Animal Noise? — ask: Hank says Animal Wonders has a YouTube channel, Animal Wonders Montana, which Complexly helps produce; it is wonderful and educational, so subscribe. — 00:01:54
    • Hank praises Animal Wonders' work, people and videos, admitting he is biased because his company produces them. (playful) — 00:03:29
  • …and 1 statement more in 2019 — all statements of 2019

2020

  • 2020-01-10 · The Thing I would Like to End — Hank: A job candidate for a fairly high-level role once offered to get Complexly to acquisition in a couple of years; Hank refused: he wants to be running the company when he dies. — 00:00:21
  • 2020-03-03 · Consciously Experiencing Human Dignity — recommendation: John says Sarah and Complexly producer Brandon Brungard made a brilliant Art Assignment video last week (week of 24 February 2020), The Case for Video Games, and viewers should watch it. — 00:00:00
  • 2020-07-31 · Your Brain Gets Smart, but Your Head Gets Dumb — Hank says Complexly thinks about this every day: its goal is free educational materials that make teaching cheaper and easier, plus bigger ideas like its partnership with Arizona State University. — 00:03:12
  • 2020-08-28 · Break the Mold — Hank says it is also true that following trends is part of his work: it feeds some of the best parts of his novels, and Complexly, SciShow and Crash Course need to understand how people get information. — 00:00:14
  • 2020-09-11 · If you don't go… — announcement: Hank says Complexly, with MediaWise, has created How to Vote in Every State: videos for every state and for situations like military overseas or territories, covering absentee voting, sample ballots and registration. — 00:01:27

2021

2022

  • 2022-01-07 · For Our 2000th Video: Just a Normal Snowy Day — Hank calls it an amazing, weird, fun run that would not have been possible without the community and the people at Complexly, VidCon and DFTBA. — 00:02:55
  • 2022-02-08 · How Much Money Vlogbrothers Makes from YouTube (...and where it goes) — announcement: John says half the money went to the brothers' Partners In Health project to reduce maternal mortality in Sierra Leone; the rest was split between a Complexly educational fund and a fund for emerging educational creators. — 00:00:58
  • 2022-03-25 · US College Students Need Help — Hank says they understood none of this when starting Crash Course; over the last couple of years he, John and many at Complexly had a crash course in how US higher education works. — 00:01:56
  • 2022-05-06 · Why I Didn't Quit YouTube (yet) — Hank: After 15 years, thanks to viewers, parents, friends, Katherine and Sarah, and colleagues at Complexly and DFTBA, the brothers keep creating together, with the weight mostly healthy and the support strong. — 00:03:03
  • 2022-05-31 · A Casting Announcement — John says almost everyone who recognises him on errands knows him as the Crash Course Guy, his favourite nickname, even more than 19, because he is proud of the people who make Crash Course. — 00:02:38
  • 2022-07-22 · What are These Boys Doing?? — Hank feels community pride in Crash Course because Complexly staff, the script writers, freelancers and Thought Cafe came together to make it. — 00:02:05
  • 2022-08-05 · Let's Make Some Fish — Hank: To simplify his life, Hank shares footage of people from Complexly, DFTBA and friends making the Project for Awesome Hanklerfish art, available only during the Project for Awesome. — 00:02:40
  • 2022-09-02 · How A YouTube Company Actually Makes Money — Hank: Because most people aren't on Premium, it is around 3% of Complexly's revenue, while YouTube ads are around 28%. — 00:00:00
    • Crowdfunding, unlike advertising or grants, comes with no strings, so it not only makes their work possible but better, because Complexly gets to make all the choices. — 00:01:46
    • At 14% of revenue Complexly sells its own ads through an internal sales team, like Policygenius on Dear Hank and John or CuriosityStream on SciShow: more of a pain, but higher rates and no split. — 00:01:46
    • Complexly is selling five calendars for five shows: Eons and Bizarre Beasts art, James Weiss's Microcosmos microphotography, and SciShow and SciShow Space images, printed in the US with facts, shipping everywhere. — 00:02:16
    • Physical products, like the Microcosmos microscope, are last at 2% of revenue, and Complexly would like to do more. — 00:02:16
  • …and 9 statements more in 2022 — all statements of 2022

Also named in: How John and I Talk About Ideas

2023

  • 2023-01-31 · I'm Going Back to College? — John calls Hank's newly announced Study Hall, a Complexly, ASU and Google partnership linking educational YouTube videos to college credit, brilliant. — 00:02:35
  • 2023-05-23 · Rough Week — announcement: John asks people to spare a thought for the employees of DFTBA and Complexly, who now have him, a store-brand Hank Green, as temporary CEO. (playful) — 00:02:55
  • 2023-06-20 · Reflections from a Terrible CEO — John says he loves being the part-time, temporary, reluctant, marginally competent CEO of the two companies and genuinely doesn't resent the brief promotion. — 00:02:00
  • 2023-08-03 · I love you, Hank. Happy Esther Day. — John says the summer sucked massively, but he has seen up close how much love matters: from colleagues at DFTBA and Complexly, Hank's spouse and kid, family and friends. — 00:04:18
  • 2023-08-29 · Breaking News: CEO Demoted — John recalls that when Hank got cancer, he became the reluctant and temporary CEO of DFTBA.com. — 00:00:00
    • John announces that in one week (5 September 2023) he will no longer be the CEO of DFTBA.com. — 00:01:57
    • John tells Hank he is not going to be the CEO of DFTBA.com, though both brothers will remain deeply involved at DFTBA. — 00:02:55
  • 2023-10-06 · I Quit — announcement: Hank says he is not going back to his jobs as they were before he got sick; for over ten years he has been CEO of two companies, for a while of three. — 00:00:29
    • Hank credits people who believe in the companies' missions and leadership from others, especially two best friends, Dave at DFTBA and Julie at Complexly, for how far the companies have come. — 00:01:31
    • Hank says Julie, who has long run Complexly day to day, has been promoted to acting CEO, 'acting' in case Hank comes back. — 00:05:23
    • Hank says both companies thrived despite, and he hopes partly because of, his part-time leadership, largely thanks to the community, without which neither they nor VidCon could exist. — 00:06:51
  • 2023-12-01 · It's OK if you think less of me after this! — Hank: Stressed by hard problems at the companies, Hank wondered about stopping, but people work for and with them and enjoy their products; that felt like it should be enough, yet he struggled to be excited. — 00:02:43
  • …and 30 statements more in 2023 — all statements of 2023

2024

  • 2024-01-23 · Breaking News: Complexly Signs Major Tetris Athlete — announcement: John introduces the story of how Complexly, the brothers' educational media company, came to sponsor a world-class athlete: a Tetris player in Oklahoma. — 00:00:03
    • Complexly is now the lead sponsor of Willis's Twitch and YouTube livestreams, with Complexly's logo prominently featured. — 00:03:35
  • 2024-04-12 · Feeling Like a Failure (During an Eclipse) — Hank: Outsiders may think Good Store, Crash Course or the iPhone are inevitable, but from inside, with Nerdfighteria supporting them and people at DFTBA and Complexly working on them, they exist through sheer force of will. — 00:04:42
  • 2024-08-02 · My Letter to the Future — announcement: Hank announces that Complexly, maker of SciShow, Crash Course and Eons, has launched its own store, with products up to 50% off to kick it off; purchases help Complexly keep existing. — 00:03:49
  • 2024-08-23 · Is Google Training AI on YouTube Videos? — Hank says his company has more videos in the dataset than almost anyone: Marques Brownlee 9, MrBeast 19, Mark Rober 24, MinutePhysics 85, against Vlogbrothers 188, SciShow over 300, Crash Course 982. (hedged) — 00:02:26
  • 2024-08-26 · Welcome to the Learn-a-Thon — Hank says access to learning should not depend on location or money, which is why Complexly videos are free, and that good information can make the world better. — 00:00:51
    • Hank announces the Learnathon, a fundraiser over the next few weeks for Complexly's mission of accessible education, celebrating its staff with livestreams and behind-the-scenes videos. — 00:00:51
    • Hank asks viewers to check the Learnathon schedule of events and donate what they can at the fundraiser page to keep Complexly going. — 00:00:51
  • 2024-08-30 · The Two Coolest Things we Know About Sharks — ask: Hank tells viewers they can get his shirt by supporting Complexly during the Learnathon. — 00:07:02
  • 2024-09-06 · I feel like I can't talk about this… — ask: Hank: The Complexly Learnathon ends today; Complexly is not launching a streaming service, but viewers can pretend and give $60 for a year of Complexly. — 00:02:55
  • 2024-11-03 · Hank's very messy post-cancer year of mistakes, meaning… — Hank had stepped down as CEO of DFTBA and Complexly; DFTBA was already hiring his replacement, and he decided not to return to his leadership role at Complexly. — 00:02:04
    • Hank believes in all of it: Good Store would do tremendous good even at its current size, Complexly, Study Hall lowering barriers to education, and SciShow's science communication. — 00:10:57
  • …and 36 statements more in 2024 — all statements of 2024

2025

  • 2025-01-10 · SECRET PROJECT ANNOUNCEMENT! — announcement: Hank announces the show is called Ask Hank Anything, with episodes coming out once a month on youtube.com/complexly. — 00:02:16
    • Hank says the show will be free on YouTube but not on this channel, and asks viewers to subscribe to youtube.com/complexly now. — 00:03:31
  • 2025-01-24 · Am I OK? — Hank says those projects were incubated in Nerdfighteria and grew from its values; their energy to exist and continue comes from this small community that has done really big things. — 00:03:59
    • Hank says all Dear Hank and John ad money goes to Complexly rather than to the hosts, as would be normal for a podcast; ideally not forever, but Complexly needs it now. — 00:05:55
  • 2025-05-23 · I Can’t Believe How Few People it Takes. — ask: Hank invites people with significant business or personal wealth to email info at complexly.com, where they have ideas to share. — 00:05:05
  • 2025-06-06 · The Secret Inside my MIT Commencement Speech — Hank says he helped build an educational media company that provides free videos to everyone with an internet connection, whose content is used in most American schools. — 00:11:10
  • 2025-06-20 · 'Influencer' Must Die. — Hank: Asked by a press outlet for the biggest misconception about online video, Hank said everyone thinks it is a business but it is a craft; what he does as a YouTuber, not as a company head, is a craft. — 00:00:38
  • 2025-09-30 · WHO ARE WE AND WHAT ARE WE DOING — Hank says that is why he and John quietly take no profit distributions from DFTBA or Complexly and give away all the revenue from the channel. — 00:05:35
  • 2025-11-21 · I Wasn't Always Like This!! — Hank explains Complexly, the educational media company he and John started (SciShow, Crash Course, Eons): people who show up daily to wonder together and lower barriers to knowledge. — 00:03:40
    • On the last day of the Complexly Learnathon, Hank shows hand-drawn logo shirts and asks viewers to support Complexly: $60 gets a Pelican pin, SciShow dice set, Endlings bandana or shirt, gone after today. — 00:04:45
    • Hank says the best way to help Complexly and the world is to indulge curiosity and not let algorithms, which serve fear, anxiety and outrage to keep us engaged, shape our choices. — 00:05:43
  • 2025-12-09 · Hank Green, from A to Z — John shouts out Study Hall, the YouTube-videos-to-college-credit path Hank helped build with Complexly and Arizona State University. — 00:03:53
  • …and 7 statements more in 2025 — all statements of 2025

2026

  • 2026-02-04 · We Just Sold Our Company for $0 — Hank offered the $20,000 he had just made in affiliate marketing; John took $10,000, which funded the initial test episodes of Crash Course and became the seed of Complexly. — 00:01:17
    • Hank announces that, as of January 1, 2026, Complexly has relaunched as a nonprofit organization, which he and John had kept secret for about a month. — 00:02:02
  • 2026-02-10 · I Was a Teenage Dirtbag — announcement: John says Complexly will not be eligible for a Project for Awesome grant, because the brothers should not benefit even indirectly from the P4A. — 00:04:55
  • 2026-02-13 · Why Isn't Everybody a Nonprofit?! — announcement: Hank reminds John that Complexly, the company they founded together 15 years ago, just became a nonprofit organization, which they think was a good idea. — 00:01:27
  • 2026-02-14 · Project for Awesome 2026 part 4! — Hank says media literacy pitches to Complexly get the internet wrong: they assume people believe the true things and not the false ones, which is not what happens. — 02:33:21
  • 2026-05-22 · Why I Made Crash Course a Non-Profit — announcement: In a channel comment Hank says he forgot to say that he is no longer an owner because Complexly was converted into a non-profit, which is why coins are now tax deductible. — creator comment
  • 2026-05-26 · Hank Green Is a Fool — announcement: John says Complexly became a charity, so Crash Course and the rest of Complexly are now owned by the public it seeks to serve. — 00:03:38
  • 2026-05-29 · Chemo Cow Body Odor YouTube Helen Hunt Commute — Hank recalls a weird decision he and John made long ago: just as they never felt Complexly's value was theirs, they felt the same about the money the Vlogbrothers channel generates. — 00:01:51
  • 2026-07-03 · Why I Didn't Buy TED — announcement: Hank: Inspired by that week, Hank is starting Something Worth Knowing: a tiny, goofier, messier TED-like gathering of curious people, out of the world's spotlight, that is a fundraiser for Complexly. — 00:05:50
  • 2026-08-07 · Just Trying to Figure Out My Job — Hank: What Hank feels worst about: the reputational hit is his to take and earn back, but Complexly staff who write SciShow, Endlings, Eons and Crash Course and work with experts are now questioned because of him. — 00:02:23
  • 2026-09-11 · Our Last YouTube View… — announcement: Hank says they decided to hold Something Worth Knowing, a Complexly fundraiser in Los Angeles; Craig came up as an invitee, and Hank asked him to do something weird. — 00:02:30
    • Hank says Something Worth Knowing, Complexly's first ever live fundraiser, is happening five days from now (16 September 2026). — 00:02:59
  • …and 59 statements more in 2026 — all statements of 2026