I've worked on videos with a combined 10 billion+ views on YouTube Here are 5 key lessons I've learned. This might be the most important YouTube thread you ever read: 1. The algorithm = the audience This saying has almost become cliche recently, but it's so true. Always look for the audience explanation for performance. 2. The idea sets the ceiling, the execution determines the result I love to apply the concept of TAM (Total addressable market) to YouTube. Take a look at this: Too many people think too small with their ideas. We can obsess over improving execution (which is good) but the idea/topic itself sets the TAM. 3. Don't under-allocate time on the click YouTube is basically a game of interest + delivery. Our job as creators is to create interest for the viewer, and then make sure we deliver upon it with our video. However, often creators spend 5% or less time on the interest (click) side of the equation. This is a huge misallocation. Spend more time on ideas, titles, thumbnails. 4. Data is a tool, not everything I define the last 5 years on YouTube as the ''data age'' - we've gone from creators making whatever they want and just looking at views... To people pouring over spreadsheets and obsessing over studio data. I love data, but the metrics in your studio are influenced by so many factors: - Views/impressions - Traffic source - Device type - Content format - Content length So don't take data at face value, a higher CTR doesn't necessarily indicate a better thumbnail, dig deeper. 5. YouTube is not a linear game ‘I just want to grow 10% every month forever… is that too much to ask?’ A creator friend said this to me recently. I think a lot of us creators expect our journey to have the stability of a 9-5 but the upside potential of a high growth start-up. Predicting what humans want to watch with 100% success rate is a near impossible game. Hollywood think tanks with millions of dollars and research teams still get it wrong. Embrace the unpredictability, expect growth to be up and down. Very few creators steadily grow month on month in perpetuity forever. Try to remember these lessons as you go through your journey as a creator (bookmark this!) If you enjoyed follow @PaddyG96 and join 16,000 creators reading my newsletter (link in bio). I'll also do a channel review (worth $1000s) to someone who likes and retweets.