In this post, I strongly discourage anyone who's thinking of starting a YouTube channel due to the immense amount of commitment and work it requires, in return for almost nothing. Despite my own success as a YouTuber, I argue that it's not at all as fun and glamorous as it seems; with the harsh reality being hours spent on editing videos, trying to appeal to the YouTube algorithm, and the discouraging attention your videos receive. Yet I also share the little joys and proud moments I experience from my channel, and how it has helped me grow and connect with...
I've built a successful YouTube channel in the 'maker' niche, with over 100 videos and 27,000 subscribers since I started in 2020. Despite loving the journey of generating and executing ideas and building a community, I've felt the constraints of sticking to the narrow content scope that my subscribers expect and the platform's algorithm reinforces. Though the ideal solution seems to be creating multiple channels for each interest, the realities of channel management and monetization rules make this a challenging prospect.
Wow, one of my videos hit 1.8 million views! Mind-blowing, right? But is it really a 'successful' YouTube video? To answer that, I compared my stats with mega channels like MrBeast and niche channels like GreatScott and The Guy with the Swiss Accent. Shockingly, in comparison to these giants, my 1.8 million views on a single video do seem quite a success, considering my average views often max out at 28K! The comments have been both hilarious and strange, and the video did lead to a substantial boost in my subscribers count. But did it pay off? Well, the video...