Sometimes, yes, sometimes I regret having started a YouTube channel in 2019. Even though that channel now has gained almost 4 million views. Here’s why.
First love
YouTube has never been my first love. I wasn’t interested in filming, editing, and creating visual content. Other than design work, web design as well as icon design, I hadn’t done any visual creative work before 2019.
I started YouTube because I thought it was a good way to earn some money next two my 9-to-5. I was right about that. To date, I earned around $4000 with little effort. I learned how to create a faceless YouTube channel. This has multiple upsides:
- Less time to create videos
- No or minimal editing, no skills required
- Not being in front of the camera, obviously
In addition, some of the most successful YouTube channels of all time are faceless channels. There’s a lot of money to be made without being a “traditional” YouTuber.
Regrets
My first love, however, has always been writing. Instead of doing YouTube, I could have been advancing my writing career substantially over the past 3 years. I’m catching up on that right now.
What I regret the most is that I could have started Medium in 2019 instead of YouTube. Medium was flying back then, the most successful Medium writers grew immensely three years ago, Zulie Rane, for example. The platform was growing like crazy.
I’m doing fine on Medium right now. I can’t complain at all. But there will always be the What ifs.
What if I had started in 2019? Where would I be now?
The bright side
It’s not too bad, though. YouTube has been going well for me over the 3 years I’ve done it. I’ve gotten close to 4 million views on my first channel and developed a second faceless channel.
Medium, as I said, has also been nothing but positive for me over the 1 year I’ve written here. I’ve grown to over 8K followers and crossed 230K monthly views. Medium is a major reason for my semi-voluntary decision to go full-time content creator in 2022.
I shouldn’t complain. And I’m not.
I just sometimes hear the What ifs in my head.
