Mistakes
Everything I Wasted Time On Growing YouTube
This list is here so you can skip the slow parts I didn’t need to repeat. These are the tasks that felt productive but didn’t move the channel.
Obsessing over gear
I spent too much time researching cameras and lenses. Viewers didn’t care. They cared about clarity and pacing. Gear helps, but it’s not the bottleneck most of the time.
Perfecting intros
I edited intros for hours. The audience skipped them. Shorter hooks worked better. If your retention drops in the first 30 seconds, the intro is the problem.
Chasing trends outside my niche
Trend videos spiked views but brought the wrong audience. The next upload always underperformed. If you want consistent growth, keep the topic lane tight.
Uploading without a strategy
I posted consistently without clear positioning. The schedule made me feel productive, but the channel didn’t grow. That’s why I wrote Why “Consistency” Is Overrated and Strategy Isn’t.
Waiting too long to change titles and thumbnails
I let underperforming videos sit for months. Now I test titles and thumbnails early. If CTR is weak, I change it. Read Why Your Click-Through Rate Is Killing Your Channel for the full breakdown.
Wasted time isn’t a failure if you learn from it. It’s only wasted if you repeat it.