One question to rule them all

Hi Friend 👋

This week showed me how powerful a change of scenery can be and how much your environment influences your behavior. Spending my time in a house with 6 other creatives created the perfect atmosphere to put the final touches on the Creator Orbit Community.

Until the end of the week I’ll be adding the first members of the inner circle to battle test it and poke holes in it. So that before the end of the month we can invite you to the best solo creator co-working experience.

💛 Valentin

What are you optimizing for?

Living with other creatives, right now, is a daily reminder that the best ideas come from conversation, not just thinking alone. One of those moments was on a walk with Aidan where we talked about what it feels like when a video unexpectedly reaches a huge audience.

Aside from the emotional roller coaster it puts you on it forces you to choose a path forward. Do you chase that success and double down? Do you ignore it and stick to your original vision? Do you take it as an opportunity to open new doors?

To answer this infinitely complex situation I remind myself of a phrase I first heard from Nathan Barry, founder of (Convert) Kit.

What are you optimizing for?

This question cuts through the noise and gives you clarity.

• Are you using this moment to accelerate growth by making more of that content?

• Is this just one station on your journey, not really changing your trajectory?

• Or is it pushing you in a new direction?

The answer becoming much clearer if you know what your long term goal is. So this question becomes a powerful filter for decision-making that can help you focus on what truly matters, rather than getting pulled along by what seems trendy, urgent or expected.

It’s deceptively simple but the more you sit with it, the more you realize how much clarity it offers. Giving you an important tool to choose between growth, revenue, freedom, fulfillment or anything else. Making it clear what really matters right now.

With right now being the key because your focus can shift over time.

How Nathan Explains It:

He often gives examples from his own journey:

• Early on, he optimized for learning and skill-building. In that phase he wrote books, launched courses, and built an audience, even though they weren’t the most profitable choices.

• Later, he optimized for revenue growth. When ConvertKit was struggling, he focused entirely on scaling it into a successful SaaS business.

• Now, he optimizes for impact and freedom. With now Kit thriving, he prioritizes projects that align with his vision of helping creators earn a living. Including his podcast where he coaches creators on their business.

It’s not about choosing one forever—it’s about knowing what matters at each stage.

And it’s not just Nathan. You can see this shift happening in creators on your level.

Aprilynne Alter optimized for earning validation in the creator educator space and is now pivoting to long term stability

Elsa Scola optimized for searchability to build an audience. Now, she’s shifted gears, treating her channel as a space for pure creative expression. Proving that success looks different at different stages.

Lauro Dominici was quite unfazed by the sudden popularity of his first video and continued documenting his journey to becoming an interior designer.

Rick Bebbington optimized for consistency before blowing up and is now aligning his videos with attracting a dedicated niche community rather than a large broad audience.

Applying it to your stage

When you’re confronted with a big decisions about content strategy, monetization, or workflow ask yourself:

Am I optimizing for creative fulfillment, audience growth, revenue, or something else right now?Does this decision align with that priority?

For example:

• If you’re optimizing for audience growth, focus on consistency and making content that reaches a broad audience.

• If you’re optimizing for income, prioritize building a product and creating content that supports it.

• If you’re optimizing for sustainability, focus on building systems and workflows that prevent burnout.

• If you’re optimizing for creative expression, prioritize experiences over output—gathering inspiration before turning it into content.

This framework keeps you intentional, prevents distractions, and ensures every decision moves you toward your version of success.

So What are you optimizing for?

Let me know in a reply.

My favorite things this week

Eric Striffler’s secret to surviving 20 years on YouTube

Cheat Code I discovered this week

I finally found a decent solution to collecting inspiring short form content in one place. Instead of saving it in each app or collecting links in a spreadsheet I figured why not just send i to a dedicated discord channel in the moment I watch it. Creating one idea bank I can scroll through distraction free.

In case you missed it:

⬅️ Last week I wrote about the 3 rules making me a better creator.
➡️ Next week is YouTube 20th birthday 🎉

Thank you for reading 💛
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