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The ETCs: Issa Rae

Last Updated: April 26, 2023

Listen to the full episode by clicking here.

The final season of Insecure is underway on HBO, and Issa Rae is already focused on what’s next, which she discussed on the season premiere of Boardroom’s “The ETCs” podcast.

In Issa Rae’s mind, there was always an endpoint to her YouTube-series-turned-HBO-sensation, Insecure.

She just had to get there. 

“I like to know the writers had an ending in sight, and you’re building towards something,” she said on the Season 2 premiere of Boardroom’s “The ETCs” podcast this week. “Five seasons felt like a good capping point.” 

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So ends one of the most impressive journeys in the internet era of television. The legendary tale is well-known by now: Rae created a YouTube series, The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl, which relied on crowdfunding to finish its first season. It caught the eye of Pharrell for its second season.

From there, the concept gradually developed into an HBO pilot.

In making her way from YouTube obscurity to a premium television network, Rae blazed a new trail, establishing a template for ambitious creatives who dare to dream big. 

But now, with her flagship series wrapping up the way she always envisioned, she’s on to the next phase of her career. And at the moment, most of it appears to be behind the camera.