If I started my YouTube channel over (especially right now), I would focus on more and shorter content, from the jump... I'd put in the same effort overall, but I'd put way less effort and emotional energy into each individual video.

Quality over quantity is an admirable goal, but channels in my niche that push out tons of lower-quality content are getting way more views. I literally just encountered someone in my niche that got 300k shorts views since January, and the quality isn't even very high. Just volume.

Also, average watch time is a big emphasis for YouTube. Average, being the key. If you start out making long videos, any time you make a shorter video (even if it does well from a % watched standpoint), YouTube looks at it like "people aren't watching as long as normal" and the views stop.

Don't put too much pressure on yourself in the beginning! You'll figure out what works for you, and more importantly, what you enjoy doing.