When I first started YouTube in 2021, I thought I was going to get rich from Adsense, sponsors and affiliates.

The plan was to get 100,000s of views, partner with brands like Skillshare and make bank through Amazon's affiliate scheme by talking about books.

And within a few years, I’d be walking down to the yacht shop in Monaco and eyeing up a $2m boat.

First of all, yes I am that jacked in real life. Don't laugh.

Secondly, I didn't actually start YouTube just for the money.

I was motivated by having a greater impact than in my consulting job, and being part of a wider online education movement.

But I did want to see if I could make a living from it.

And it took me a long time to realise a key truth, which I can share with you now to save you many months, if not years, of your YouTube journey.

Do not rely on Adsense, sponsors or affiliates.

That doesn't mean you can't make lots of money with them.

It means always treat them as 100% surplus income. Bonus money.

They are like the weather. One day the sun is shining and you forget about why you ever stressed about anything.

The next day it’s chucking it down with rain and you find yourself living off a $400 payment from Google.

Of course, there are many people who’ve done very well from getting tonnes of views.

And lots of them make a healthy living of more than $5k/month from Adsense, sponsors and affiliates.

But it’s a shakey foundation.

Research from Binus university suggest 96% of those trying to become YouTubers won’t make enough money from advertising (they mean Adsense) to clear the US poverty line.

What you need instead is one epic product.

One that actually changes your audiences' lives.

You can’t just whip up a course in 30 seconds with AI and expect to make a consistent living from it.

Sure we’ve all seen the “I made and launched a digital product in 48 hours” videos on YouTube, and they make $2k with it.

Which is amazing for learning, data, and skill development, but it’s still not going to be a true foundation long term.

What I’m talking about here is building a strong, sustainable business that can whether any storm, and grow year on year.

One where everything you do compounds.

Like my lovely client Justin says here:

This is 6 weeks after he made $42k with the first launch of this course.

The compounding of products and services is SO much more fun.

It’s a game you actually want to play, because you're in control.

You're not reliant on some YouTube overlord or brand sponsor who can change the rules at any moment.

You're building a real business, that can endure for years to come, even if YouTube does implode.

Your outcomes improve over time, without consistently working harder.

But how does one actually build that kind of business?

Tomorrow, I'll share the core concept that changes everything.

Tintin 🫡

P.s.

If you like a podcast, I talk about a lot of the biggest mistakes YouTubers make with monetisation in this episode here.​

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