I run production for youtube channels and build ai workflows for video | @intervalusa + @SevenDayApp
Raleigh, NC
Joined November 2014
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There are basically two ways I'd figure out what works on YouTube right now. One is looking at what's doing well in your niche (or the ones next to it) this month, and the other is taking a format that's worked for years and adapting the parts that fit what you make.
Which one wins is really case by case, because some niches right now need the concept to be way crazier than everyone else's just to get noticed, and in others a proven format done well still carries
Before I blame the YouTube algorithm for a flop, I check:
1. Do the title and thumbnail promise something people want
2. Do the first 30 seconds deliver on it
3. Does the middle drag
4. Is retention a slow leak, not one big drop
5. Was the idea good or just one I wanted to make
It's almost always one of these
I used to be really bad at responding to people, and over the past three to four months I’ve been working on it and I’d say I’m better now.
There’s a study where people listened to real conversations, and the researchers kept the words the same but edited how long each person paused before answering. When the pauses were shorter, listeners said the two people sounded more connected.
That study was about talking, not texts or messages, but I think it tracks with clients and teams too, because when I leave someone hanging it isn’t just slower, it kind of reads like I’m not locked in with them.
If you're curious about the study you can read the full thing here: pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pn…
The biggest thing I see local businesses doing on YouTube is treating it like a place to dump videos instead of using it to show who they are.
Most of the time, they don't need flashy edits, just clear videos with a point and a reason to watch the next one
People swap the thumbnail on a video that flopped and expect it to get a second launch, and it doesn't really work like that (YouTube has said this).
What actually helps is when the new packaging is a different idea, not the same thumbnail with different text or font.
If the first one didn't get clicked a slightly different version of it probably won't either.
Most of the YouTube advice everyone calls common knowledge became common because it works, and I didn't fully get that until I started testing on my own channels.
Advising other people's channels teaches you a lot, but trying it on something of your own is where you actually find out which parts hold up and which ones only sounded right
The AI tools that will end up big with creators won't be the most powerful ones, they'll be the ones you can open and use without having to learn the ins and outs first.
Most people making videos don't want to learn what an agent is, they care about videos, and just want the boring part done.
The part of Addy's article I'd point people to is the orchestration tax, the gap between what your agents make and what you'd actually put your name on.
I had an agent writing tweets for me this summer and I posted zero.
The job ran every single day but it never made anything I thought was good enough to post.
I trust agents a lot more on boring work where you can check the answer and on anything creative I'm still the one deciding if it goes out
Monthly accounting is a spot where agents will earn their keep, because it's boring, it repeats every month, and you can check if the answer is right (or have your accountant check)
I trust agents way more on jobs like that than on anything creative
At least, for now...
okay we definitely reached insane levels of speed...
at the end of each month i use Codex to do my accounting: download receipts, match payments with invoices
then i added agent-desktop & browser-use to the setup and ran it on GPT-6.1 Sol Medium Ultrafast
it finished the whole job in less than an hour... usually it takes 3hrs+
Since Opus 5.5 released I've seen more and more people talking about "AI EDITING", and it's gotten a lot more people making videos without a team, and for a vlog (usually your day in order) the edit is the easy part
But with more videos being posted, the hard part is having an idea worth watching and packaging that gets the click, which is where I'd put the time the edit used to take
i think we'll look back at claude opus 5.5 as the moment anyone who's ever wanted to become a vlogger, make internet videos, or build a video marketing machine could do it without a team or editing skills
millions of people who would've sat on the sidelines will now be making videos over the next 24 months
ChatGPT dropped their 5-hour limit for higher tier plans, so it was only a matter of time before Claude did too.
To me this is a way bigger deal than the rename, because the stuff people are actually building with Claude now runs as long sessions, not quick questions
Time to see how this affects my usage
We’re renaming our Max plans:
Max 5x → Max
Max 20x → Ultra
Max is still $100/month, and Ultra is still $200. If you’re a subscriber, there’s nothing you need to do.
We’re also removing the 5-hour limit for verified Ultra accounts, starting today with most existing subscribers. Newer accounts keep a temporary limit until they’re verified, which helps us prevent fraud and abuse. You'll get an email when it's removed.
Weekly limits remain unchanged. View our plans here: claude.com/pricing
AI has made posting volume practically free.
This is the same reason why clipping has been so successful in blowing up so many creators.
The world is shifting fast, and it's all about attention now.
Every post is another chance for the algorithm to put eyes on you and the more chances you give it, the better your odds of being seen. xitter.gq/garyvee/status/2115262…
The new YouTube Studio feels off.
I know it's the same information but it's a completely different feel.
And half my channels have the new look while the other half are still on the old one.
What do you guys think of the new design?
Every day I see people discussing which agent is best.
The agent is no longer the problem.
If you can't name the problem, no model is saving you.
Just got off the waitlist for Claude Duet.
Most agents I use sit there waiting for me to tell them what to do, and this one apparently comes to me first.
Has anyone used it yet and if so what are you using it for?
Tools like this are going to handle more and more of the boring stuff, so making content just keeps getting easier.
This is probably the best way for a solo creator to start building out a team.
So it's way more important to learn what's behind a good video than to keep doing all the busywork that doesn't change anything
