My home feed is flooded with videos about how to grow on YouTube. And yeah, that's obviously because I've been watching them — the algorithm is nothing if not sharp. But I didn't know there were this many. And as for the actual advice, I haven't figured out how to apply any of it to my videos. That's probably on me more than on the videos — I still don't know what my channel is supposed to be, or how to get there. If there's one thing I'm close to sure about, it's that I want my channel to feel like spending time together. I'm not sure what that looks like yet.
Coming back to those videos — the titles felt like they followed a pattern. Some explain why you should never stop uploading. Some show how easy it is to make money with AI-generated content. Some break down which niche markets are still up for grabs. And some carry a subtle threat — if you don't watch this, the algorithm might leave you behind.
you need to watch this right now
There have always been countless videos that feel like they demand to be watched right now. The one that promises perfect skin without ever visiting a dermatologist. The one listing things you absolutely must know before traveling to Japan. This kind of framing isn't unique to the "how to grow on YouTube" genre. I always end up clicking — not knowing feels like falling behind.
The "how to grow on YouTube" videos use the same structure, but they hit differently when you're just starting out and everything still feels fragile. "The algorithm just changed and you need to know about it" means my channel could be losing reach right now while I'm not paying attention. So I click. Of course I click.
make money while you sleep
The pitch is always the same — there's a shortcut, and you're one step away from finding it. It used to be real estate seminars and infomercials. Now it's "AI-automated YouTube Shorts." A hundred years ago it was international mail coupons. The promise always sounds new, but I don't think the structure is. I was watching a Korean news segment the other day where someone said that the fear of falling behind on AI is what's keeping these businesses running. That sounds about right to me.
just be consistent
This is the one I mind the least. "Just keep uploading" sounds like decent advice. MrBeast said it too, so it must be true. But I've noticed something about myself — when I watch these videos, I feel like I've done something. I haven't, obviously. But there's something about spending thirty minutes thinking about how to grow a channel that tricks me into feeling like I've already started. I don't think that's the videos' fault. But it is something I try to keep in mind.
While I was writing this, I ended up thinking about something else — not really about "how to grow on YouTube" videos specifically, but it's been on my mind for a while. I like self-help books. Some of them have given me perspectives I wouldn't have arrived at on my own, or ways that actually changed how I approach my work. But I feel like there are people in that space whose only real success is talking about how to succeed. They sell books, courses, seminars — and then display the wealth they made from selling books, courses, and seminars as proof that their method works. The method is selling the method.
Anyway. I do want my channel to grow — that's why those videos ended up in my feed in the first place. But when I think about it long enough, it always loops back to two questions: what can my videos actually offer, and why am I doing this in the first place? I've talked about this so many times in my subtitles that I almost feel bad bringing it up again. Last time, I promise. (I've said that before.)
The first question — what my videos can offer — is one I still can't answer well. There are ambient channels out there with way better production, better visuals, better everything. If someone asked me "why should I watch yours?", honestly, I couldn't give them one. All I have is: life in Seoul while nearly broke, whatever game I'm playing at the moment (today it's Yakuza 0), thoughts on the strange phenomenon of loving books but somehow never reading enough of them, and an unreasonable amount of subtitle chatter. I don't know if any of that is interesting. But I hope it is.
The second question is easier. When I'm recording, I slack off less. I sit with things a little longer. Even when a day's work doesn't amount to much, at least one more video goes up — and that alone makes the day feel less wasted. That's the kind of support I need right now, I think.
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