# Dave Wiskus

> Dave Wiskus is the founder and CEO of Nebula, the creator-owned streaming service he launched in 2019 with a group of independent YouTubers, and of Standard, the talent company behind it. Before building a streaming platform pitched as an A24 for online video, he was a respected human interface designer who co-founded Q Branch with John Gruber and Brent Simmons to make the note-taking app Vesper. He also fronts the New York synth-rock band Airplane Mode and co-hosted the podcast Unprofessional.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at Nebula / Standard
- **Organizations:** Nebula, Standard (Standard Broadcast LLC), Q Branch, Airplane Mode
- **Nationality:** American
- **Known for:** Founded and leads Nebula, a creator-owned streaming service with more than 650,000 subscribers and 100,000+ daily active users., Built Standard into a talent company representing 160+ independent creators with a combined audience exceeding 120 million YouTube subscribers., Co-created Vesper, one of the most admired and discussed iOS apps of its era, with John Gruber and Brent Simmons.

## Career timeline

- **pre-2013** — Works as a human interface designer for iOS and Mac apps; writes for iMore and posts design work to Dribbble.
- **2013** — Co-founds Q Branch with John Gruber and Brent Simmons and releases the note-taking app Vesper for iOS 7.
- **2013** — Founds Standard (initially Nebula Talent / Standard Broadcast LLC), a creator-owned talent and management company.
- **2019** — Launches Nebula on May 23 with about 75 creators as an ad-free streaming service owned in part by its creators.
- **2020** — Launches the Unprofessional podcast on Nebula, co-hosted with Lex Friedman.
- **2021** — Curiosity Stream acquires a minority stake in Nebula in September, valuing the company at over $50 million.
- **2023** — Nebula surpasses 650,000 subscribers; Wiskus reframes the company as a Netflix competitor rather than a YouTube rival.
- **2024** — Announces Nebula Motion Pictures to expand premium and original programming.
- **2025** — Announces Nebula's first scripted original series, 'Sub/liminal,' with producer Dan Jinks.

## Achievements

- Founded and leads Nebula, a creator-owned streaming service with more than 650,000 subscribers and 100,000+ daily active users.
- Built Standard into a talent company representing 160+ independent creators with a combined audience exceeding 120 million YouTube subscribers.
- Co-created Vesper, one of the most admired and discussed iOS apps of its era, with John Gruber and Brent Simmons.
- Secured a minority investment from Curiosity Stream in 2021 that valued Nebula at over $50 million.
- Launched Nebula Motion Pictures and the platform's first scripted original, 'Sub/liminal.'

## Latest updates

- **2025** — Announced Nebula's first scripted original series, 'Sub/liminal,' produced with Academy Award- and Emmy-winning producer Dan Jinks.
- **2024** — Launched Nebula Motion Pictures to expand premium programming and originals.
- **2023-11** — Reframed Nebula publicly as a Netflix competitor with A24-style sensibilities.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dwiskus/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/dwiskus
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dwiskus

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/dave-wiskus
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-04