Why I Regret Having Started a YouTube Channel With 5.6 Million Views
What if
5 years ago, I thought “f*ck it, I am going to try this YouTube thing now”.
People are making thousands on this platform. Why not me?
So, I started in February 2019. With two faceless YouTube channels.
If you don't know what faceless YouTube channels are, it's exactly what it sounds like. You don't show your face. I never appear on camera. In fact, I don't even film anything myself. I don't talk, either.
I create animated videos, complications, and other content that doesn't require “real” filming.
Since then, my main channel has grown to over 5.6 million views and almost 10,000 subscribers.
The second one is growing way slower with a little over 1200 subs and 60K views in total.
Not bad. But still, I somewhat regret having started on YouTube back then.
Here's why.
First Passion
YouTube was never my first love, you know?
I wasn’t super jazzed about filming, editing, and making videos in general.
Other than some design work and web stuff, I hadn’t done any visual creative work before 2019.
I started a YouTube channel because I thought it could make me some extra dough on the side of my 9-to-5 grind.
And I was right about that!
To date, I’ve earned around $10,000 with minimal effort. I learned how to make a faceless YouTube channel, which has some major upsides:
Less time needed to create videos (that's cool!)
Little to no editing required, no crazy skills needed (thank goodness!)
Not being on camera is a bonus, for sure!
Some of the most successful YouTube channels ever are faceless ones.
There's definitely still money to be made without being a stereotypical YouTuber. Still is in 2024.
Regrets
But writing has always been my first love.
Writing.
Instead of YouTube, I could've been seriously leveling up my writing career over the last 5 years.
I'm hustling to catch up on that now.
What I regret most is not starting on Medium in 2019 instead of YouTube.
Medium was freaking going great back then — the top Medium writers exploded in 2019 The platform was growing like crazy. And writers were making some serious money there. I am talking about 5 figures per month in some unique cases, and 4 figures in many other instances.
I'm doing just fine on Medium nowadays, no complaints here!
But those What Ifs still sneak into my mind sometimes.
What if I had started in 2019? Where would I be now?
Bright Side
It's not all bad, though.
YouTube has been going well for me over the 5 years I've done it.
I've gotten over 5 million views on my first channel and 60K on the second one.
Medium has also been nothing but positive for me the past 3 years of writing on it.
I've grown to over 13K followers and got 300K monthly views at my highest point.
Medium is a big reason I voluntarily went full-time content creating in 2023.
I really shouldn't complain. And I'm not, truly.
I just sometimes hear those What Ifs rattling around in my brain.
But the past is the past, and I'm focused on creating awesome stuff for you all today!
Moving Forward
I may not have started on YouTube or Medium as early as I could have. But I'm here now, and I plan to make the most of it!
YouTube has taught me valuable skills like video editing, thumbnail creation, and understanding the algorithm.
I can take those skills to make my Medium content stand out with images and videos.
And the writing skills I've developed on Medium can absolutely help me improve my YouTube video scripts. Writing and video creation can work together to amplify my work.
Sure, I may sometimes wonder “what if?” But dwelling on the past won't help me. I need to take what I've learned and use it to succeed today.
YouTube and Medium both have so much potential for 2024 and beyond.
Tips for 2024
For anyone looking to start a YouTube channel or Medium gig in 2024, here are some hot tips:
Don't compare yourself to others. Focus on your own path and growth.
Be consistent. Post regularly to build your audience.
Build your own audience. Ideally with an email list.
Promote your work. Share your content on social media and with your network.
Keep learning and improving. Take feedback and keep leveling up your skills.
Have fun! Creating content should be enjoyable for you, too.
The platforms are different now than in 2019, but success is still possible.
Opportunities Ahead
YouTube, Medium, and the whole content creation space will continue evolving rapidly in 2024 and beyond.
But here are some exciting opportunities I see ahead:
Short-form vertical video blowing up even more on YouTube and beyond. Especially with the radical AI development in the video space.
Social platforms like Instagram and TikTok challenging YouTube with longer format video as well.
More creators collaborating and cross-promoting across platforms.
The entire growth and popularity of email newsletters and the platforms that came with it like Substack, ConvertKit, Beehiiv, etc.
New creative tools and technologies empowering solopreneurs.
Content models shifting from ads to paid subscriptions, or to better selected ads through partnerships tools like SparkLoop
The rise of the passion economy and online courses.
There are so many ways to create value and build an audience in 2024.
I'm stoked for it.