Latest news with #DanClancy
Business Insider
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
I'm the CEO of Twitch. My day starts with a 5-mile run and often ends with playing country songs on a late-night livestream.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Dan Clancy, the 61-year-old CEO of Amazon-owned Twitch, who lives outside of Portland, Oregon. It's been edited for length and clarity. When I was an undergrad at Duke, I double-majored in computer science and theater — an unusual combination that often raised eyebrows. Most people couldn't see how the two fit together. Fast-forward a few decades, and my path led me deep into tech: earning a Ph.D. in AI and computer science and working at places like NASA, Google, YouTube, and Nextdoor. By the time I arrived at Twitch, I was seen primarily as a tech executive. But at my core, I've always been a creative. Being CEO of Twitch gives me the rare opportunity to bring both sides of myself — technologist and creative — into a single role. Here's what a typical day looks like for me. BI's Power Hours series gives readers an inside look at how powerful leaders in business structure their workday. See more stories from the series here, or reach out to the editor Lauryn Haas to share your daily routine. I wake up at 7 a.m. and run five miles I usually wake up naturally. I don't worry about an alarm clock. I try to exercise in the morning unless I have a super early meeting. If my meeting starts at 9 a.m., I'll wake up at 7 a.m. or so, and then I'll try to be out running by 7:30 a.m., and I'll run four or five miles. I will get back about 8:30 a.m. In 2017, I started running regularly. In the past, I'd run for three months and then I'd stop. This time I gamified it and it stuck. Then I started biking, I started swimming, and then I did two Ironmans. I did a number of half-Ironmans. I did a half-Ironman last year. I use a Garmin. I'm not training right now, but when I am training, I'll try to exercise twice a day. Aside from bike riding or swimming, I like to white-water kayak. Usually, I am at my home in Washington working remotely, so I don't need to worry about commuting. I try not to look at my phone. It's always tempting to start swiping in some random app, but in general, I very much try to avoid. If I'm swiping for five minutes, it's probably Instagram. I drink Coca-Cola, not coffee I'm not a coffee drinker and I'm not much of a breakfast eater. At one point, when I was trying to lose weight, I did intermittent fasting, and now I'm not intermittent fasting, but I still often don't eat in the morning. My bad habit is I drink Coca-Cola now. I try to keep it to one, and I don't need it in the morning, but I do get caffeine. I always go through these cycles of saying, "I need to stop drinking Coke." And then I stop for a while and I feel good about it, and then I start drinking it. Ever since I was young, I'll keep flopping back and forth, and the family is constantly encouraging me to give up the habit. My day is back-to-back meetings I spend most of the time meeting with people. It might be a product review or a go-to-market review. I have one-on-ones with various folks. Some days we have an off-site with our leadership team. Slack is the primary channel. I still check my email regularly, but to be honest, my email now is dominated by messages I don't need to pay attention to. I have a 30-minute meeting later to sync on a personnel project. Then I have a two-hour quarterly business review. This is Amazon culture for managing what's going on. Once a quarter, we'll have a QBR for all of our business units. This one is for community health, which is the team that works on our moderation tools. Lunch is usually some form of a sandwich. I'm not a fine-dining person. I just think, why should I spend 30 bucks on a lunch? I can afford 30 bucks on a lunch, but it seems like I don't need it. My generative hours are around midnight There's also times when I need to be generative. I find it hard to be generative in the same space and in the middle of a day. Often, my modus operandi is that I'll get going at 10 or 11 at night, and then I'll just write till one in the morning. This probably was conditioned in me when my kids were young. I was working at NASA at the time, and then Google for some of it. Google is a good example. Folks were staying late at Google in 2005, but I'd still try to get home at 6 or 6:30. I'd spend time with the kids, do dinner, run around outside. Half the time I'd fall asleep while putting them to bed. Then I'd wake up at 11:00 p.m., start catching up on email and writing stuff. People always joked that they would get these notes from me at 3:00 a.m. I hang out and sing on livestream Today my work day ends at 3 p.m. because I'm streaming tonight. I'm doing my first full charity stream with an organization GCX for St. Jude's. The beauty of streaming is very little goes into prepping it. I streamed Tuesday night and the prep work that went into the stream was: I showed up in the room where we have a piano, I turned on the computer, I made sure my OBS configuration was right, and I hit "Go live." On that stream, I talked with the community some, but then I played probably a handful of songs. Sometimes I like to drop in on other streamers and hang out with them. On that stream, I knocked on T Pain's stream and we hung out for like 45 minutes chatting. Then I did an hour more of songs and signed off. The other day I was mostly playing Tyler Childers' songs. I'm a big fan of Zach Bryan, so I do a lot of his songs. Sturgill Simpson, Gregory Alan Isakov, and this guy Jeffrey Martin, who I think is amazing. Everybody knows "Let It Be" or "Take Me Home, Country Road" or "Piano Man," but those aren't the ones I usually choose. I consider myself a mediocre piano player, but as I'm improvising, it sounds like I know what I'm doing. I read and spend time with my kids after work If I'm at home, I'll do something with the kids at night. My son's 23, my daughter's 27. My daughter has an 11-month-old now. We all live close to each other. I'm the one who often did the cooking, but that's just because I'm a functional cook. I pick some form of protein, a tri-tip, steak, salmon, chicken. I pick something to do with potatoes, and then they're like five vegetables that are my go-to. It's fairly repetitive. I mostly cook at home. I can't remember the last time I had a non-work dinner where we made a reservation. I'll watch TV shows, but I don't watch many movies anymore. I just watched "Paradise." I liked "Your Friends and Neighbors" and "The Penguin." A little bit of drama, but not a horror thing. When it's time to wind down around 10:30 to 11 p.m., I'll lie down and read. I just finished reading "Long Island" by Colm Tóibín. I like novels, but I'm not really a Tom Clancy novel reader. I'm much more of a literary novel reader, something that has emotional connection. One of my favorite authors is Cormac McCarthy and his book "The Road." I've read it a few times. I fall asleep fairly quickly once I've started reading. Ten minutes and I'm getting sleepy.
Express Tribune
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Twitch CEO criticised for promoting own channel in other streams during charity event
Twitch CEO Dan Clancy has faced criticism after promoting his own channel in other streams while preparing for a charity broadcast. Clancy streamed for four hours on July 18 during the GCX Marathon, an event raising funds for St Jude's Children's Research Hospital. Before his broadcast, Clancy posted in chats of several popular Twitch channels, requesting raids for his upcoming charity stream. 'I am shamelessly going into chat of streamers I know to ask for raids when they are done,' Clancy stated in a message shared across multiple channels. He added, 'I am doing my first charity stream for St Jude's as part of the GCX Marathon.' The same message appeared in at least five channels, including those of Gassymexican and Fanfan, reaching a collective audience of over a million followers. In one instance, a channel moderator timed out Clancy's account for ten minutes for perceived self-promotion. Clancy's stream raised approximately $4,000 USD for St Jude's, contributing to the GCX Marathon's collective total of over $350,000 USD at the time of reporting. While Twitch's Terms of Service do not directly prohibit self-promotion in other chatrooms, guidelines on spam and user disruption state that activities harming user experience are prohibited. The situation was highlighted on social media, with content creator Gothalion describing Clancy's actions as 'rude,' questioning why support had not been arranged in advance. While some users labelled the actions as 'disrespectful' despite the charitable intent.
Time of India
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Twitch CEO facing backlash for 'shamelessly' promoting his own stream in others' chats during charity event
(Image via @djclancy999/YouTube) Twitch CEO Dan Clancy is in the spotlight this week, and not for the reasons he'd probably hoped. The head of the world's largest streaming platform is drawing heat after being spotted dropping his own channel links and asking for 'raids' across multiple other Twitch streams. What started as a charity stream for a good cause has turned into a PR mess, with critics slamming the top boss for 'shamelessly' plugging his own channel in other creators' chats. Dan Clancy drops promo messages across popular Twitch channels On Thursday, July 18, Clancy went live for a four-hour charity stream as part of the GCX Marathon, a week-long event supporting St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. But just before the stream began, screenshots began circulating showing Clancy dropping nearly identical messages in several high-profile Twitch streams, essentially asking for raids. 'Shamelessly going into chat of streamers,' one of the messages read, as Clancy openly acknowledged what he was doing. Viewers spotted the same copy-paste pitch in chats hosted by big creators like Gassymexican and Fanfan, with a combined reach of over a million followers. In one instance, things escalated: A channel moderator actually timed out the CEO of Twitch for ten minutes for what they saw as blatant self-promotion. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Upgrade to Exclusive 3 BHKs ASBL Book Now Undo Charity or clout-chasing? The debate takes over X While Clancy's intentions may have been charitable, his delivery didn't sit right with a chunk of the Twitch community. Across X (formerly Twitter), users were quick to weigh in. 'So... since the CEO does it does it mean everyone else can do it now? XD,' one user posted. ' if it's for charity, that's still so disrespectful and shameful, especially as the CEO…, ' another user said. Twitch's own rules? Not broken, but definitely bent Technically, Clancy didn't violate any written Twitch Terms of Service. Self-promotion in chat isn't against platform policy, unless it becomes spam. But that's where things get murky. The company's Community Guidelines do warn against 'spam and other deceptive practices' that 'disrupt or interrupt the user experience.' And repeated promo messages, even from the CEO, toe that line. While Twitch leaves it up to each streamer to set chat rules, the platform's broader culture has long frowned upon unsolicited self-promo. Coming from the top, it hit harder. Silence from Twitch HQ as memes do the talking As of now, neither Clancy nor Twitch has made an official statement. But that hasn't stopped the memes and reaction clips from flooding Reddit, Discord, and creator streams. From 'CEO timed out by mod' jokes to side-by-sides of Clancy's messages, the moment has become internet lore in under 24 hours. Whether this ends as a learning moment or fades into the ever-growing pile of Twitch controversies remains to be seen. But one thing's clear: even charity can't save you from a chatroom backlash if the delivery feels off. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Campaign ME
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Campaign ME
Twitch connects Arabic-speaking communities with new feature
Twitch, the interactive live streaming service, has announced the global launch of its Arabic Right-to-Left (RTL) experience- introducing a fully localised interface for Arabic-speaking streamers and viewers across both web and mobile interfaces. This launch marks a significant step in Twitch's commitment to accessibility, inclusion, and community growth in one of the most vibrant and fastest-growing regions for live content. ''Launching Arabic RTL reflects our commitment to building a service where streamers from every background can thrive,'' said Dan Clancy, CEO of Twitch. 'By delivering Arabic RTL, we're enabling access, and supporting streamers to build vibrant communities in their own language. Our long-term vision is to localise with purpose and invest in the people behind the content. We've seen incredible growth across the Arabic-speaking world, and we're excited to continue investing in the tools that support community, creativity, and connection across the region.' Streamers across MENA are welcoming the update as a meaningful step toward recognition and inclusion. Saudi Arabia–based Twitch Partner Meshael MR said, 'This update makes Twitch feel more like home. It removes barriers for new streamers and shows that Twitch sees our community and is building with us.' The Arabic RTL interface enables full right-to-left navigation across Twitch's desktop and mobile services. Arabic language settings are now available to users globally and can be activated via account settings or by adjusting device language preferences. Further localisation – notifications and emails – is expected to roll out in Q3 and Q4 of this year. The update comes at a time of strong momentum for Twitch across the MENA region. In 2024 alone, viewers in MENA spent more than 209 million hours watching content on Twitch – a testament to its growing relevance among Arabic-speaking audiences. The top categories in the region include Just Chatting, Valorant, League of Legends, Counter-Strike, and Overwatch 2. As esports viewership continues to grow across the region, Twitch remains a key service for fans and players alike. The Arabic RTL experience also aligns with the region's rapidly expanding gaming economy, which is forecast to surpass $6 billion by 2027, driven by national digital strategies and youth-led innovation.
Broadcast Pro
14-07-2025
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Twitch launches Arabic RTL interface to expand accessibility
Dan Clancy, CEO of Twitch, said: 'Launching Arabic RTL reflects our commitment to building a service where streamers from every background can thrive. By delivering Arabic RTL, we're enabling access, and supporting streamers to build vibrant communities in their own language. Our long-term vision is to localize with purpose and invest in the people behind the content. We've seen incredible growth across the Arabic-speaking world, and we're excited to continue investing in the tools that support community, creativity, and connection across the region.' The newly launched Arabic RTL interface allows users to navigate the platform in full right-to-left orientation. Arabic can now be selected as a language setting globally, either through account preferences or device language configurations. Additional localised features, including notifications and email updates, are expected to launch in Q3 and Q4 2025. The update comes at a time of surging engagement across the MENA region. In 2024 alone, Twitch recorded over 209m hours of viewership from MENA audiences, signaling a dramatic rise in popularity. Top content categories in the region include Just Chatting, Valorant, League of Legends, Counter-Strike and Overwatch 2, reflecting a diverse mix of competitive gaming and casual, conversational content. Twitch also continues to dominate the global streaming space, with over 655m hours watched worldwide in 2024 and more than 60% of the global market share for live gaming content. The Arabic RTL interface aligns with broader trends in the region's digital landscape, where the gaming economy is projected to exceed $6bn by 2027, fueled by national innovation strategies and a growing youth demographic. The launch has been met with enthusiasm from regional creators. Saudi-based Twitch Partner Meshael MR welcomed the move, and stated: 'This update makes Twitch feel more like home. It removes barriers for new streamers and shows that Twitch sees our community and is building with us.' As Twitch continues to grow its global presence, the Arabic RTL interface serves as a reaffirmation of its mission to support creative communities and celebrate cultural diversity. By enhancing access and visibility for Arabic-speaking users, the platform reinforces its dedication to inclusive growth in one of the most dynamic markets for digital entertainment.
