The business of YouTube: What lies behind; the grunt work behind the glamour

Budding YouTuber Shubham Dubey discusses the challenges of his profession, the necessary skills, investment, and the algorithm game in an exclusive conversation with Prateek Shukla.

Q) What motivated you to become a YouTuber? Is this your full-time job?

A) I create geopolitical, cultural, and educational videos because firstly, I believe in this modern era, everyone prefers information in video format. Secondly, I grew tired of fake videos and decided to create my own content.

Q) What kind of skills and investment are required to start a professional YouTube channel?

A) Speaking of skills, I believe good communication, video editing, and, in my category, strong research skills are essential. As for investment, you can start with just a simple phone.

Q) What are the tricks to expand the reach of YouTube videos? Do you feel you're at the mercy of the YouTube algorithm?

A) If the videos are optimised, i.e., aligned with SEO, then YouTube will definitely promote them. However, the audience's preference also matters. I've noticed many non-optimised videos garnering views simply because the audience enjoys them.

Q) Do you receive any support from the YouTube community or fellow YouTubers?

A) I haven't reached out to any YouTubers yet, but if necessary in the future, I'll certainly seek help. Regarding the YouTube community, it's genuinely helpful, providing insights on improving my videos and optimizing them for better audience retention.

Q) What is your long-term vision?

A) As a beginner, I'm uncertain about what the future holds.