How Creators Define Success

Until the end of April I'll be sharing what I want to do each week and what actually got done.
You can join this public accountability clan via LinkedIn or Threads

This week April 15-21 I wanted to
✅ Publish Podcast with Rick Bebbington
✅ Pre-Interview with a new Guest - actually it was two!
❌ Finish the next full length video - The core of the video is done but the intro needs work
✅ Go on a hike with the boys - Happening tomorrow

Next week April 15-21
⭕️ Set 3-6-9 month milestones for Orbit
⭕️ Interview 2 new guests
⭕️ Book a short getaway
⭕️ Publish the next full length video
What about you? What do you want to get done next week?

💛 Valentin

Why Views Don’t Matter

Jay Alto is not everyones cup of tea, with his straight-to-camera thought pieces but he undoubtedly knows what it means to be a creator like no other. To me he has become a weekly staple with videos that make you reflect and think about the direction of your creator journey and if what you’re chasing is really where you want to be.

His latest video underscores that point—questioning the conventional definition of success for YouTubers and challenging the obsession with views and subscribers. Many creators continue to create content that gets more views, to get more subscribers, to get more views and so on. Prioritizing quantity over quality, resulting in shallow content.

But instead of fixating on numbers, he suggests measuring success by the depth of connection with your audience. Emphasizing the importance of staying true to your creative vision and passions, rather than chasing trends for popularity's sake.

While it may seem that a large audience is necessary to earn income from your passion, Jay suggests alternative revenue streams such as Patreon, paid communities, digital products, coaching, or events. By focusing on building trust rather than simply attracting attention, creators can create sustainable income streams without perpetuating the YouTube rat race.

This shift empowers creators to prioritize their artistic integrity and produce content they truly believe in, rather than chasing scale for the sake of financial stability.

The Responsibility of Influence

MKBHD is probably the most well-known Tech Reviewer and his opinion might be what makes or breaks a product. For example his honest review of the Fisker Ocean plummeted the stock and now he's called the Humane AI Pin “the worst product ever”.

But does he and other tech reviewers have a responsibility to think twice about what they say about products? In a traditional media outlet with journalistic structures a review would go through stages of reviews that are unlikely to yield as opinionated reviews—softening the blow of a bad review. On the other hand “bad reviews don’t kill companies, bad products do” as Marques said. While he speaks to a large audience it is still a cumulative effect of many bad reviews that deter buyers from a product, and you don’t get that without a bad product.
Colin and Nathan of the Publish Press dive deeper into that question with Marques and he even released his own video on the topic.

But, what do you think? Should creators be as blunt as this?

The Adventure of being a YouTuber

Beau Miles is an Australian adventure-filmmaker and until recently, held a teaching position at a University in Melbourne. Without that steady job he has become a full-time creator and starts to feel the wheel of shoot, make, upload, repeat, grinding away at his creativity.

Despite having videos in various stages of editing, he still feels the need to keep creating new videos to fill the void on YouTube. Going as far as, bringing a camera on an otherwise relaxing fishing trip. While he still enjoys making videos for an audience, like many of us, he is looking for a way to balance creativity with the pressure to upload new content.

Maybe we should all spend a little bit more time by the water and just let the mind wander.

Fun stuff to click on

Watch

Boston Dynamics revealed the newest Version of Atlas

The Tim Traveler takes you on a rooftop racetrack in Italy

Never To Small shows you a DIY YouTubers apartment

Pottery to the People concludes her Throwdown series

Listen

MrAlexTech and Casery Faris talk about how they became full-time Youtuber

Rick Bebbington gives his perspective on sudden growth on YouTube

Read

TikTok wants to pay you to use their app

A professional YT Scriptwriter does a AMA on Reddit

Jobs

Nebula is looking for Sports creators

Hit reply and share your latest milestone to share it with the Orbit Community. Or tell me about a creator you love that is underappreciated.