The business behind Unnecessary Inventions’ millions of followers

On the dance floor at the Webby Awards in 2023, a very elegant man in a subtle paisley suit came up to me with a big smile and said “I love your content.” It’s always nice to know that someone likes his work, but I’ve never heard that from someone with an internet presence like his. It was Matty Benedetto from Unnecessary inventionsa creator who has amassed millions of followers across virtually every social network, creating and showcasing all sorts of strange, eccentric, and baffling gadgets to improve our daily lives.

As I thanked him and tried not to blush, I shouted out to Matty that he was trying to launch a video series about creators and “maybe we could connect.” More than a year later, I found myself in the heart of Burlington, Vermont, where Matty lives and works, ready to hear how his videos work.

Upon entering Matty’s spacious studio, I was struck by the number of unique pieces things. There was a wall of 3D printers, an assortment of Supreme collectors’ items, shelves of photography equipment and hard drives, and of course, lots of unnecessary inventions.

These inventions are what Matty describes as unique solutions to first world problems. They vary from a pair of glasses with built-in sponges that absorb tears to a funnel that catches falling ingredients of a burrito and carefully separates it into a taco below. It’s these funny creations that have kept people coming back to Matty’s videos over the past five years and helped him build a successful business as a creator.

In this first episode of my new video series profiling internet content creators, I spend a full day with Matty to find out how he makes his inventions and how he makes a living posting about them. Because as a YouTube lover, I’ve always wondered how people can turn making silly videos into a full-time job. Tune in to the video above to learn more about Matty’s process and let me know who you want me to profile next!