Yes Theory’s YouTube channel has over six million followers worldwide. Their mission is to “seek discomfort.” The channel produces daring videos of the team pursuing activities outside of their comfort zones. They encourage and challenge their fan base to actively find situations that could cause unease as a means of personal growth. Their global impact has been powerful, and the group itself is globally mobile and culturally fluid.

Even though Yes Theory has many talented minds working behind the scenes, the three men who often take to the stage front and center are Ammar Kandil, Thomas Brag and Matt Dajer. They hail from three different countries and, as Dajer put it,  “pretty much travel the world making content.” 

Meet the members 

Kandil, a Third Culture Kid (TCK) through and through, was born just outside Cairo, Egypt. According to Forbes Magazine, he showed a remarkable ability for leadership at a young age. Kandil headed to South Africa at age fifteen to be a part of the African Leadership Academy. From there, he traveled to San Francisco, Calif. Unfortunately, he was unable to return home to Egypt due to a dangerous revolution in 2011. He found himself in Montreal, Quebec, Canada where he met his co-founders Brag and Daher. His role on the Yes Theory team is the ever-cheerful hype man who’s always down for an adventure. 

According to Famous Birthdays, Thomas Brag was born in Paris, France to Swedish parents. He has always had an affinity for creating and learning more about the world around him. His sense of adventure ultimately led him to McGill University in Montreal. Brag and Dajer are two vital characters in much of Yes Theory’s content. 

Matt Dajer was born in the United States and raised in Paris. He also found himself in Montreal at McGill University. There, through a “series of serendipitous encounters,” he met Brag and then Kandil.

The roots of creativity

In 2015, according to Yes Theory’s official website, the three dreamers began to create their first content. They had no idea the impact they would eventually have as they filmed themselves doing 30 things they had never done before. This included piercing their ears and trying stand-up comedy.

“If you want to be an entrepreneur or if you want to be creative, you have to take yourself out of your element,” Brag said in an interview with The Hustle magazine. “Expose yourself to art you’ve never seen before, to ideas you’ve never been exposed to, so that you can come back into your daily life with a new perspective. Eventually, those ideas might combine with old ones and produce a truly creative outcome.”

If you want to be an entrepreneur or if you want to be creative, you have to take yourself out of your element.

Thomas Brag

Achievements and Impacts 

Yes Theory has seen tremendous success since their initial YouTube kick start of a mere 1500 followers. Their media presence spans across platforms in addition to YouTube, including Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Tiktok, Facebook and Spotify. 

In terms of cultural fluidity, Yes Theory has made it a clear mission to understand and explore environments they’ve never known. Part of their success stems from the fact that they are aware of what it’s like to ricochet from place to place with very little warning. Similar to many TCKs, they see the world as a malleable place. The world is merely a place full of opportunities to grow and learn. Their cultural fluidity has granted them a sort of artistic inertia that allows them to be propelled into the unknown.

Yes Theory’s “seek discomfort” motto has taken them far and wide. In the spirit of embracing the unknown, the trio will often spin a globe and fly to the random destination their finger lands on. Brag has spent 96 hours in Afghanistan, and explored hidden islands in Dubai. Dajer has physically challenged himself by completing an arduous race called an Iron Man. Kumil has gone “polar bear plunging” in Alaska.

Through each challenge, Yes Theory has met and impacted people of all different cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds. They have united them through the power of human connection.  The YouTube Fandom says, “Their content has been praised as experiencing foreign cultures in ‘a fresh and authentic way’; and ‘consistently radiating positivity and promote living life with an open mind.’”

The Yes Theory’s global impact

The willingness to step far beyond their comfort zones has inspired millions across the globe. They have a diverse fan base across Europe, India, the United States, Australia and the Middle East. Their mission transcends borders and globally unites people through positive ideologies. Katherine Johnson, a faithful follower of Yes Theory, said:

These guys are doing these things to grow as human beings — they know it matters and want to impact people’s lives. They are a constant reminder for me to choose love over fear. 

The impact of Yes Theory cannot be overlooked

Ultimately, through their social media presence, authenticity, and poignant plea to seek discomfort, Yes Theory spreads a message of hope. Above all, they cultivate a deeper understanding of one another. Affinity Magazine states, “In our world today, people are having more and more trouble understanding each other. We have become so accustomed to what we are familiar with and we refuse to live new experiences. To the men of Yes Theory, ‘Life can be as exciting and fulfilling as you wish. As long as you’re willing to seek discomfort.’”

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