We’re reaching out to some popular creators to get their best tips and tricks for success and better understand the ups and downs of life as a trailblazer on the internet.
This week, we caught up with Miko, aka CodeMiko’s operator, over email. CodeMiko is a virtual avatar, self-described as a ‘failed video game character.’ She is operated by a human ‘technician’ known as Miko, who creates content and streams as her. She has amassed over 1,780,000 followers across Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram.
This month, Miko announced that she has joined Envy Gaming’s all-female creator house in Los Angeles alongside streamers JustaMinx and the Botez sisters.
The interview below has been condensed and edited.
What’s the first thing you do to start your day online?
The first thing I do usually is get ready for my stream. Which is basically running my Unreal project, getting into motion capture gear, and setting up my face cam.
What do you wish you knew when you were first starting out as a creator?
Have my YouTube channel, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok all posting consistently and regularly. Work at a steady pace to not burn out. Don’t get discouraged by numbers such as viewership or subcount.
When did you realize you’d broken through and become a successful creator?
When my interview show started to gain a lot of traction and the clips went viral, I gained a lot of followers at once and lots of viewership. It happened very fast and wasn’t a steady growth at all. It was quite fun though, everything was thrown at me at once.
If you hadn’t become a creator, what would you be doing right now?
I would have a 9-5 job working as a tech artist in VR. Probably continuing doing what I do now but more behind the scenes.
What’s one thing you do to manage your relationship with your fans?
I talk to them quite often on Discord! I also like to engage with them through Twitter. My main engagement happens on-stream. We do a lot of just-chatting streams. I talk about my life, and I hear about theirs.
What do you think of the idea of cancel culture?
I think cancel culture can be toxic for sure especially towards creators that don’t deserve it (i.e., Jenna Marbles). It’s hard because the internet tends to not like to pay attention to details, nuance, or context. Also, hate seems to be an easy bandwagon to go on to. Creators who are genuinely nice and honest people are attacked for saying something wrong out of context, and their careers are unfairly affected.
How much of your true self do you show online?
I show a lot of my silly side that I can’t show in real life. I feel like online I can play a character (sometimes literally as CodeMIko) and really exaggerate my silly side that I can’t show in my day-to-day life. It’s freeing in a way.
What’s one of the best interactions you’ve ever had with someone who follows you?
It really is amazing to hear when someone says I’ve inspired them to go into tech and become more self-driven. Or when someone tells me that I’ve made them laugh when they’ve been going through depression, or mental illness. All these things where I affect people positively make it worth it.
What is your most treasured tool?
My ADHD, it brings out my creativity.
What holds you accountable?
My values and my responsibilities hold me accountable. I also want my future self when I’m old to be happy and look back with no regrets.
Thank you, CodeMiko, for speaking with us!
We’ll be featuring a new Q&A with a creator every week, so shoot an email to grace.stanley@clarion1822.com for a chance to be included.
