Louis Rossman and LMG LTX Email Summary and Opinions - Am I missing something?
EDIT: Turns out what I'm really missing is the extra "N" in "Rossmann". Whoops! Fixed the rest of the post.
I listened to Rossmann's entire hour-long hit piece, and I couldn't help but want to straighten out some of the story behind this back-and-forth communication about LTX travel and a broken motherboard that he spent a significant amount of time talking about. There are other parts of Rossmann's video this post doesn't touch base on.
Given Rossmann did an hour-long hit piece, my opinions in this post are targeted at him in response. Additionally I was inspired to review this because I have a history with people like Rossmann and it was therapeutic to break this down, and could do so while my newborn was sleeping on my chest with little else to do :).
I will refer to Louis Rossmann as just "Rossmann" to avoid the whole Linus/Louis confusion when reading.
EDIT: As pointed out in the comments, Rossmann was at LTX 2023. Something worth keeping in mind while reading this.
LMG/Rossmann Email Correspondence Summary with Timeline (and paraphrasing)
July 6th, 2019 10:08 PM
Yvonne emails Rossmann seeking more travel information. She indicates that LTX is over budget and is unable to cover travel costs for +1s.
July 7th, 2019 12:54 AM
Rossmann responds understandingly. He informs Yvonne that he paid his own way to LTX last year since he was already going to be in British Columbia for vacation. This year, however, it would be more difficult for him to get away from work. He indicates he will get back to them with a final answer.
July 7th, 2019 11:41 AM
Yvonne confirms they can cover his flight and hotel but unfortunately cannot cover +1 airfare. She offers to help book flights, etc.
July 7th, 2019 9:37 PM
Rossmann writes a more formal email to Yvonne with the following points:
- He paid his way to LTX last year in good faith.
- LMG's failure to consider that he paid his way last year, in addition to not covering his +1, goes against the values of community spirit and good faith.
- LMG is nickel-and-diming him to appear at LTX pro bono, especially given that LMG will profit from his appearance.
- Reminds Yvonne that he paid his own way to LTX in the past.
- Appreciates that budgets are thin and acknowledges he might not be a big-time creator, but he believes the budget should not be so tight as to be denied airfare coverage for his girlfriend.
- Calls the emails "squabbling" and indicates it sends a sad message about the state of the community spirit and future of LTX.
July 7th, 2019 10:27 PM
Yvonne apologizes and offers to pay for the +1, mentioning it was never their intention to cause any bad feelings.
Opinions/Observations
Rossmann flips back and forth on the 2018 travel. He was already going to be in BC for vacation, so it was no problem for him to appear in an LMG video and at LTX. Linus later clarifies that LMG offered to pay for his travel, but Rossmann declined. In 2019, Rossmann is frustrated they didn't consider the fact that he paid his own way for LTX in 2018, while failing to mention to Yvonne that LMG offered to pay and he declined.
Having a strict creator travel budget and needing to set limitations is not indicative of any lack of community spirit or good faith. If word gets out that some creators got their +1 covered and others were denied, it would be a bad look. Outright paying for all creator +1s would significantly inflate costs and blow the LTX budget.
Rossmann's messaging suggests his appearance in videos and at LTX is only beneficial to LMG, as opposed to appreciating any potential mutual benefit (e.g., Rossmann has an opportunity to interact with fans, gain exposure to other potential fanbases, collaboration opportunities with other creators, network, etc.). Rossmann owns a business, going to events like this serves to increase its visibility.
Rossmann appears quite agitated in this email, and I would agree there was a significant tone shift. He could have simply said: "Hi Yvonne, Unfortunately, I'm not in a position to leave work or my girlfriend for travel at this time, and it's not in the budget to pay for her travel. Thank you." Instead, the email is accusatory, contains conjecture surrounding the LTX budget and profitability, and has an overall negative tone about the future of the event and the community they are fostering.
July 10th 2019
https://www.youtube.com/live/4WptaZRY678?si=3bhBc0ZdI7WCLpDE&t=4194
Rossmann streams and expresses his frustration that they wouldn't cover his +1, further implying LTX is going to be very profitable. He is frustrated that he paid his own way last year. Rossmann again highlights how this is primarily beneficial for LMG and how it's a difficult time in the business given recent layoffs, and spending any time away from work would be a costly business decision. Rossmann continues, indicating LMG is charging for the event, charging for VIP tickets to have dinner with Linus, and overall feels slighted that LMG wouldn't consider the cost Rossmann would incur by leaving his business. He feels they are nickel-and-diming him by not covering the cost of his +1 travel.
Rough transcription of the key part of the stream
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A - I had to let go of several employees which means that I am going to have to do their job. It was a long and arduous process of going back and forth, trying to set an expectation that wasn't met so I will have to be here.
The second thing is the apparent somewhat nickel and diming when it came to the trip. So when I went to LTX last year, I paid my own airfare. Linus asked if I wanted to do this iMac video, fine, whatever, may be interesting cause you know I am going on vacation anyway with my girlfriend. So I paid my airfare, I paid my hotel, I paid for my food all that stuff. And they asked if I wanted to go to LTX well you know fine, and it was kind of interesting. There were a lot - surprising amount of people that knew me there. It was weird, many of you know I'm not exactly a big fan of people flocking up to me it's just... even when just one person comes into my store and says "Oh my god I watch your stuff!" it's weird. So they asked if I wanted to go this year and I said "Sure, fine, I'll see what my schedule is like and we'll go from there." So I said okay, let's do it. So they said "Great! So, give me your information" and I said my girlfriend may be flying out as well with me, I'm going to be taking maybe 2-3 days off business, so uh, what are you covering? So they say you know, we will cover, we can cover your plane ride but we can't cover hers. I'm thinking to myself okay, I own a business, if I leave my business I'm kind of giving up a few thousand dollars if I am going to be leaving for 3-4 days. I am going to your event for free. You're charging a lot of money for tickets to this event like last year I think it was like 300-500 dollars to be able to have dinner with Linus. I'm going to be there for free. You're going to be able to advertise that I am there for free. Charging people to go to the event, you're nickel and diming me about my +1. How about I don't go to your event. That really put a bad taste in my mouth.
--break about Tim Hermin and how Rossmann would respond if he was organizing a small event--
If you're charging people 10/20/50/100/500 dollars for tickets, and you want me to travel and you want me to leave my business to go to your event for free. I'll even do that. But then when you say that not only do I have to do that, but I have to pay for my girlfriend to go, or I have to choose to not have her show up, I have to choose to essentially leave the people I care about to go to your event, and you're not even willing to pay for the fucking plane ticket. Get the fuck out of here. Get the fuck out of here. I'm not going to LTX. Fuck that shit. That pissed me off. That actually pissed me off. The thing is it probably wouldn't have pissed me as much if I didn't pay my own way last year. But it's like, you're not even paying for a second ticket. Cause you didn't pay for my ticket the last time, you know? I don't know. That just kind of pissed me off.
--break about how it would be different if Paul Daniels asked him to come, and couldn't afford certain aspects about it--
You have at least a fucking thousand people last year that all paid out the ass to get there. Yeah I mean if you want me to show up you're paying for my +1 and if you don't wanna do that then get the fuck out of here. I have a business to run, that's the thing, it's weird, I have a business to run. I'm not... I do this AMA because a lot of people recommended it and they thought it would be fun, but for the most part you know, I spend my day, I get here 10/11 o'clock I start shipping stuff. 12 o'clock I deal with customers. From you know maybe like 2-5 during the lull in the day I'll fix boards, 5-8 deal with customers. 8-11, 8-12, 8-2 as you often see, I'll be here fixing boards and streaming fixing boards but... I am not a content creator. I am a business owner and technician that just so happens to stream his job. So if I am leaving my job there as to be a good reason that I am leaving my business. And, uh, I don't know. Somebody says we would like you to leave your business, we would like you to leave the money you would make at your business, so you can come be at our event which we're making good amounts of money and charging people to show up at. And we know you would have spent that weekend with your girlfriend, but you're not going to spend that weekend with your girlfriend cause we're only going to pay the ticket for you to show up, and we're not even going to pay you to show up at the event. Get the fuck out of here. Get the fuck out of here. Like, what is this shit. This reminds me of all those bars that say we are in it for the exposure.
--break about his friend Jake who has a song, where he says "can I bring it to the deli and cash it in for a sandwich"--
And I like Linus. Linus is a nice guy. Any time that I have spoken to him in person he's been a nice guy. Any time that I have met him, nice guy. But business is business and I'm not...like...yeah.
_________________________________________
Opinions/Observations
Conjecture again surrounds the profitability of LTX. He fails to mention to his audience that LMG offered to cover his travel last year and he declined. He also fails to mention that LMG/Yvonne turned around and offered to cover his +1 after he explained in full detail.
He has an overall negative tone surrounding LTX. He implies LMG is the only one to benefit in this transaction. He leaves the audience with the message (paraphrasing): "Fuck LTX – Look at how I paid my way last year. If I show up, it’s a significant value to them where they can advertise that I'm coming and make even more money. Look how much money they're probably making given ticket prices + VIP dinners with Linus, and they can't even cover travel for my +1? Get the fuck out of here."
Rossmann could have simply said something like "Unfortunately, it wasn't in their budget to compensate me in a way that I felt was worth my time and energy. I'm not in a position to step away from the business right now given recent layoffs. LMG implied covering +1s would not fit in their budget, and I don't want to spend time away from my girlfriend."
July 29th-30th 2019
Linus reaches out by email (paraphrasing)
"Hey man, what the hell? This is super not-cool. You're out here spinning lies and not telling the whole story to your audience. Your story misses key parts about Yvonne offering to cover your +1 after some back and forth. You're painting LTX to be hugely profitable where the reality is we have lost money on the event in 2017 and 2018. We are set to lose money again on the event in 2019. You were not able to attend for one reason or another, don't put the blame on us for not covering your +1.
The issue is how you've spun the story. You covered your own travel in 2018 because you were already going on vacation and you missed the fact that we offered to cover it, and you declined. Usually people don't offer to pay and then use it as a bargaining chip. You had first assumed we would cover your +1, we said no it's not in the budget. You then explained your side in detail and expressed your frustration, and we immediately turned around and said we would cover it. I don't agree with your overall tone. You're acting like this relationship is all give and no take. If you're going to start implying that we are penny-pinching assholes to your stream audience, then why don't we recall the fact that when you were up here, you roughly handled the iMac motherboard, broke it, and we had to go and get it repaired and didn't say a single thing to you about it?
You can think what you want, but I still expect public clarification on the real reason you didn't attend so I can clean up the damages.
Rossmann later posts in his YouTube Community
https://i.imgur.com/uS9CB0k.jpeg
Essentially, he explains to his community that after being denied travel for a +1 twice, he politely declined and went on to make business decisions that would have him completely booked for the next month. He reiterates that after being denied +1 travel coverage twice, he kindly declined and wished LTX the best of luck.
Note: There seems to be some missing communication after this, where I assume Rossmann denied damaging any motherboard, given the way Linus asserts, "You damaged the motherboard, I have the receipts invoice."
Linus responds (paraphrasing)
Your post left out important nuance and seems to paint me as a cheapskate for no apparent reason. No one was coming to LTX to meet your girlfriend, and our budget was very limited for the event. LTX was not profitable last year. Our goal is to bring together creators and the community for collaboration.
You damaged the motherboard. You laughed it off in the moment, saying “I’m a laptop tech,” but even so, you were clearly being careless. Regardless, I let it go. The motherboard was acquired at significant time and expense. Other than the damage you caused, it still works to this day. We had it deployed for years to a graphic designer and later raffled it at our company Christmas party.
Rossmann responds (paraphrasing)
Linus, I respect you as a businessman but this doesn't change the impact of the emails I received, my decision, or my experience. I considered attending LTX based on whether it would involve out-of-pocket expenses. After being denied twice +1 travel coverage I made staffing changes, letting go of two employees and hiring new staff. When Yvonne later mentioned covering a +1, I had already committed to these decisions.
Meeting people isn't my preference as an introvert, my main concern is the cost of attending another company's event. LTX is a for-profit event run by Linus Media Group Inc., which charges the public and attracts sponsors. While there may be opportunities for creators, the benefits for featured creators are limited compared to the company's significant gains. I see no reason to pay out of pocket to attend.
This is a business decision, not a personal issue. I don't fault you for not covering expenses. Attending would impact my business's well-being and delay staffing decision, and lose me thousands of dollars. It's unreasonable to treat LTX as a charitable event. I have participated in events for the greater good, like recording a Senate hearing for Jessa Jones, but LTX is not that.
I'm focused on my company, employees, and the right to repair community. Both of our positions make sense. I answered my fans, told them what I thought, and why I wouldn't be attending. I don't see how that affects you. Don't make a big deal out of it. I made a business decision not to go. I explained to my fans that I denied +1 travel compensation twice to an event I was attending for free at the expense of my business. This isn't about pointing fingers; people wanted an answer.
Final Communication
Note: There may be some missing communication here—there seems to be a bit of a gap before Linus says "we're all good".
Linus says they're all good. He lets Rossmann know LMG is set to make big changes in 2020 that should help with the profitability of LTX quite a bit and would afford them more room to compensate creators for their time. Linus hopes Rossmann changes his mind and comes next year.
Opinions/Observations
Rossmann uses his live stream to say whatever he wants, however he wants. He baits Linus with his emotional rant over the LTX interaction and when Linus emotionally follows up via email, Rossmann steps back and say "Whoa man, not cool. This was just a business decision and now you're bringing up a motherboard?".
Rossmann completely downplays how he misrepresented LMG/LTX in his stream, how he left out details, and how he had an aggressively negative tone. He implies he made a measured response describing to his audience that this was strictly a business decision and due to being denied +1 travel compensation but completely forgets to mention his condescending attitude in his stream where he says (paraphrasing) - "Fuck that, get the fuck out of here, they're charging significant money for the event, making huge profits, and can't even throw me a bone for my +1. Fuck LTX"
Rossmann's tone in writing is completely divorced from how he speaks about things on stream. He flips back and forth between not going to LTX as a business decision, and because they didn't cover his +1. The real reason appears to be he was frustrated a for-profit event put on by an organization that stands to profit significantly more than he will by attending for free, refused to pay for his +1. This is then further cemented by staffing changes in his business. Rossmann implies that LMG remains the only entity in this transaction that would benefit, is significantly profitable, and that he would be doing them a favour by showing up. Assuming anything around the profitability of LTX with no numbers to back it up is conjecture.
The community post from Rossmann misses in a number of ways. It's contradictory to his point about how Linus should have made a big main channel video announcement about Honey versus a forum post because (paraphrasing) "who the hell checks LTT forums?" Here we have Rossmann making false claims and misrepresentations surrounding the LTX situation and then proceeding to rectifying it in a passing community post. Who the hell checks his community posts?
He shares that Yvonne did in fact reach out and offer to cover his +1, but that it was much too late for this as he had already made irreversible business decisions that would have him booked for a month. The timeline shows this all happened within a 12-hour period over the weekend.
It's clear that Rossmann being a business owner/technician, he places himself in a totally different bucket than most content creators, and it's clear that changes how he looks at these types of events, interactions, and how leaving to go to LTX for a couple days would affect him financially.
Final Thoughts
The way he talked about this entire email correspondence was misleading. I find it ironic that he talked at length about how Steve providing the full context of Linus' comments surrounding Honey would have been even worse for Linus, but yet here we are with Rossmann providing all the details and receipts of this interaction and doing himself no favours.
Rossmann appears to think he has a measured, business-focused demeanour. His writing reflects that at times, but his on-camera presence is the complete opposite. It's full of anger, misrepresentations, and conjecture.
Rossmann repeatedly says not to accept the premise of assholes, yet all I am getting here is Rossmann being an asshole.
He seemingly hides behind this guise of being a straight shooter who cuts through all the bullshit, which is just another way of saying he is lacking the social skills to communicate effectively and in a way that isn't off-putting (especially on camera). I get the impression he thinks this is a boon, but to me, it screams laziness. People like this tend to fail to see the significant effort people put into their communication and messaging in order to live alongside these types of individuals. He's comes off as crass.
EDIT: Will try to reword the above, as someone mentioned it's coming off as condescending or patronizing which is not the intent.
People who speak brazenly and don't consider their tone and words carefully tend to hurt others. Rossmann, in his stream, speaks this way. It takes considerable work to be polite, tactful, and empathetic. It takes consistent effort. I don't think people should treat being bold and blunt as a superpower. I think we should give the act of thoughtfulness the respect it deserves.
Linus stooped down to his level in some of the correspondence and responded emotionally, but I don't see this as uncalled for given the full context.