Two weeks down in the 90-day monetization challenge! After gaining 41 subscribers and 26 watch hours in week one, this week brought a significant shift in the content strategy. Let's explore the changes and the progress towards YouTube growth.

Week 2 Recap Video

Discover why the initial plan of three videos per week was adjusted, the influence behind the change, and how this impacts the approach to video creation and the overall challenge.

A Deliberate Change: From Three Videos to Two

Despite committing to three videos per week, only two were uploaded this week. This wasn't due to overwhelm, but an intentional decision driven by a key insight from MrBeast about focusing on quality over quantity, especially for smaller channels seeking significant YouTube growth. Average videos don't stand out; "epic" videos do.

MrBeast's advice highlighted the danger of a relentless schedule hindering improvement. Constant production leaves no time to refine the video creation process.

The Catalyst: Recognizing the Need to Improve

The realization crystallized with recent feedback about background microphone noise. Despite attempts to fix it, the tight schedule forced filming with suboptimal audio. This highlighted a critical flaw: the high-volume content strategy left no room for essential improvements, whether fixing audio, studying hooks, filming better b-roll, or learning new editing skills.

This lack of time prevents addressing known issues and discovering unknown ones through self-critique.

Refocusing on the Ultimate Goal: Monetization

Dropping a video felt like failing the initial commitment, causing guilt. However, the true goal isn't hitting an arbitrary upload number; it's achieving monetization within 90 days. The revised hypothesis: 24 videos of increasing quality have a better chance of driving substantial YouTube growth (views, watch hours, subs) than 36 videos of stagnant quality.

The Revised Schedule: Making Time for Improvement

Cutting one video frees up two days per week. One day is now dedicated to actively improving video creation skills and quality. The other is allocated for personal time – cooking, house stuff, time with partner – aspects neglected under the previous intense schedule, which are also vital for long-term sustainability.

The Downside: Increased Pressure Per Video

Focusing more effort on fewer videos means the stakes feel higher. A video performing poorly after investing twice the time cuts deeper. This is part of the creator journey, requiring emotional resilience alongside the technical content strategy.

Monetization Progress: Week 2 Update

Let's check the numbers:

• End of Week 1: 600 Subscribers / 355 Watch Hours
• End of Week 2: 671 Subscribers / 442 Watch Hours
• Gains this week: +71 Subscribers / +87 Watch Hours

This week shows better growth than week 1 (vs. +41 subs / +26 hours), suggesting the shift towards quality might be paying off already.

Performance Highlight: Browse Features Breakthrough

Interestingly, last week's update video drove much of this week's growth. It became the third video to break 1k views and the best performing in months. Crucially, over 84% of its traffic came from Browse Features, meaning YouTube was recommending it to new viewers – a massive win for YouTube growth compared to last week's external traffic dominance. Even showing up in search results is a positive sign.

Looking Forward with Renewed Focus

This week marked a significant strategic pivot. While the upload target changed, the commitment to the 90-day goal and continuous improvement in video creation and content strategy is stronger. Thanks for following along, especially the new viewers who found the channel this week!

P.S. The filming background got an upgrade with shelves, plants, and art!