Samir Chaudry

Yeah, I would say probably the biggest creators, most successful creators, largely have a 70% viewership base that's not subscribed to them. Really? Yeah, I would say that's pretty common amongst our friend group and amongst the people that we work with. And I think a lot of that has to do with the algorithm shift towards viewer satisfaction. And YouTube is a recommendations algorithm.

Yeah, I would say probably the biggest creators, most successful creators, largely have a 70% viewership base that's not subscribed to them. Really? Yeah, I would say that's pretty common amongst our friend group and amongst the people that we work with. And I think a lot of that has to do with the algorithm shift towards viewer satisfaction. And YouTube is a recommendations algorithm.

So first, when we first started making YouTube videos, if you could make a great thumbnail, people would click. That then inevitably got into clickbait, where you would click into a video, it was really short, it wasn't representative of what was in the thumbnail. So YouTube shifted their algorithm into what is called viewer satisfaction, which is essentially gauged off of...

So first, when we first started making YouTube videos, if you could make a great thumbnail, people would click. That then inevitably got into clickbait, where you would click into a video, it was really short, it wasn't representative of what was in the thumbnail. So YouTube shifted their algorithm into what is called viewer satisfaction, which is essentially gauged off of...

Click-through rate, did they click on the video? And then average view duration, how long did they watch? What percentage of this video did they watch? Then there's other engagement metrics. Did they like the video? Did they comment on the video? There's a lot of different ways to understand satisfaction.

Click-through rate, did they click on the video? And then average view duration, how long did they watch? What percentage of this video did they watch? Then there's other engagement metrics. Did they like the video? Did they comment on the video? There's a lot of different ways to understand satisfaction.

But essentially, as creators, every YouTube creator, what they're trying to do is go, what video are you watching before you watch my video? Because I want you to click on my video after you're done with that video or maybe in the middle of that video. So most traffic on YouTube comes from suggested. Does that make sense?

But essentially, as creators, every YouTube creator, what they're trying to do is go, what video are you watching before you watch my video? Because I want you to click on my video after you're done with that video or maybe in the middle of that video. So most traffic on YouTube comes from suggested. Does that make sense?

Yeah, I wouldn't say that timely because I think YouTube operates as a catalog. Some of our videos that are still picking up viewership today were made four years ago. So the best way to do it is to build a catalog that accrues viewership over time. So you're mainly looking at subject matters with high total addressable markets on YouTube. specific on YouTube.

Yeah, I wouldn't say that timely because I think YouTube operates as a catalog. Some of our videos that are still picking up viewership today were made four years ago. So the best way to do it is to build a catalog that accrues viewership over time. So you're mainly looking at subject matters with high total addressable markets on YouTube. specific on YouTube.

So that is why when the world of Mr. Beast really exploded on YouTube, you have a lot of people talking about Mr. Beast or reacting to Mr. Beast or going, there's 200 million people to tap into here who are probably watching a Mr. Beast video.

So that is why when the world of Mr. Beast really exploded on YouTube, you have a lot of people talking about Mr. Beast or reacting to Mr. Beast or going, there's 200 million people to tap into here who are probably watching a Mr. Beast video.

Look, there's tension between creativity and strategy on these platforms, right? Because these are businesses, and if you zoom out and go, how do media businesses work? This is how media businesses work. But I think what you have to think about is also choosing your platforms.

Look, there's tension between creativity and strategy on these platforms, right? Because these are businesses, and if you zoom out and go, how do media businesses work? This is how media businesses work. But I think what you have to think about is also choosing your platforms.

I think we struggle because we entered into the world of YouTube 15 years ago as creatives, as guys who were exploring wanting to get into Hollywood and saw this as a different route. And where we've come to as now entrepreneurs is we're in the media business.

I think we struggle because we entered into the world of YouTube 15 years ago as creatives, as guys who were exploring wanting to get into Hollywood and saw this as a different route. And where we've come to as now entrepreneurs is we're in the media business.

And there's still tension where we want to express our creativity, we want to do cool things that we think are cool, but they're very anti-media. you know, media. But what I think, what you're talking about, what's really interesting is you just need to pick the right environment. So we think about platforms in the context of like permission and interruption.

And there's still tension where we want to express our creativity, we want to do cool things that we think are cool, but they're very anti-media. you know, media. But what I think, what you're talking about, what's really interesting is you just need to pick the right environment. So we think about platforms in the context of like permission and interruption.

So YouTube is an interruptive platform. You have to stop someone in their tracks with a thumbnail to get them to click in, right? But Spotify, for example, is a permission-based platform. Like, RSS feeds are permission-based. Email, which we have an email newsletter. That's where we can have permission. People have given us permission to be in there.

So YouTube is an interruptive platform. You have to stop someone in their tracks with a thumbnail to get them to click in, right? But Spotify, for example, is a permission-based platform. Like, RSS feeds are permission-based. Email, which we have an email newsletter. That's where we can have permission. People have given us permission to be in there.