The success of the Dude With Sign project comes from its simplicity and focus: it’s all about telling small, sometimes uncomfortable truths in just a handful of words. In a way, it’s practical modern philosophy. With attention spans getting shorter, you have less time to get the message across.
New Yorker Seth describes what’s wrong with the world and offers a simple solution. Small steps towards a slightly brighter tomorrow.
Yes, every YouTube ad really should be skippable. It might not sound like a lot of time wasted on an individual, but consider all the people around the globe who have to view those pesky ads. (Or, I mean, there are plenty of browser extensions that simply block those ads, so, yeah, give those a try.)
Yes, you should definitely eat before going grocery shopping, otherwise, you’ll end up buying more food than you need and way too many unhealthy snacks. We’ve all been there. It’s all very relatable because they’re thoughts nearly all of us have had at one point or another. Relatable, bite-sized, witty content is bound to get noticed on the internet. And the Dude With Sign is living proof of this.
Seth spoke about the account’s success with Forbes back in January 2020. Though the fun little protests started out small, getting some giggles and laughs from passers-by, the reactions grew as time went on. Seth became a recognizable face in New York. A face who could draw a crowd.
“The corner usually fills up with people within minutes, and everyone has their phones out. When I'm finished, a lot of people will ask to take pictures with me or videos, which is still something to get used to. It's a very strange feeling, but it also kind of cracks me up that people are seeing me as a famous person for holding up cardboard signs,” Seth told Forbes’ Heather Leighton.
Seth is a content creator for Jerry Media, helping work on their Instagram meme account and the ‘What Do You Meme’ board game.
“So we work in a pretty funny and creative space so once the account kicked off, more ideas came in from the team. When creating the protests, we try to come up with something funny that is relatable that people don't particularly talk about. We try to have each of these elements while appealing to every type of person, which is a big part of why I think the account has accumulated as many followers as it has.”
Born in the tiny town of Hawley, Texas, Seth eventually graduated from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls. He then went on to travel all around Australia before moving to New York for work.
“I fell in love with the company, and with New York, so I made the move. New York was a bit of a shock, but it's such a trip and I'm having the best time,” he told Forbes.
At the time, Seth was still uncertain what the future of the Dude With Sign project held. “I’m still trying to figure [the future] out. Maybe continue making funny accounts? There are interesting opportunities that I would have never imagined coming my way with this all the time. Right now I’m kind of just riding the wave, dipping my toes in different things. I’m just learning, doing my best, and meeting awesome people and I’m confident something awesome will come my way.”
