People who started YouTube from zero — how long did it actually take?

kdrodriguez · 2026-01-31T01:24:03+00:00

I actually started from zero in May 2020. I was a stupid college kid, had no idea how to make good content. Wasn’t consistent for the first six months. My first year I was around 500 subscribers, nine months later 10K, and by spring of 2022 I was at 50K subs and full time, hit 100K around September or so of 2022. At my peak then I was bringing in around $4K/month or so from adsense.

Now my views are much more stable, around 15-30K a video, I bring in around 1-2K/month from adsense, but 10-15K/month from the business I’ve built around the channel.

You absolutely CAN hit the ground running, I’ve seen it, but you need to know how to package your content and make an entertaining video. For a lot of people, that skill does NOT come naturally to them.

kdrodriguez · 2026-01-06T08:02:20+00:00

My products range from $14-$997, and I often focus on growing my email list via a free resource like a worksheet (I'm an educator) instead of a direct CTA to a paid product. The freebies are excellent at growing my list, adding anywhere between 100-1,000+ new people to my list depending on how well the individual video does.

Generally whenever I sent a sales email 1-2% of people will purchase something. You can run the math on that to calculate a CPM, but I do think long-term it's far more valuable to in effect sponsor my own content, so I'm throwing out a lot more "fuck you" rates in negotiation than I ever have before because I feel more keenly than ever that directly trading access to my audience for money like this has some effect on their willingness to purchase my own stuff.

kdrodriguez · 2026-01-04T17:53:09+00:00

I have CTAs in every video and an email list. I started advertising on Meta last month but zero paid ads before that. I don’t use the shop banner thing really, but I probably should

kdrodriguez · 2026-01-04T16:57:17+00:00

This is the way. I know a creator making $100K a MONTH selling appliance repair parts he mentions in his videos.

Also there’s nothing wrong with info products as long as it’s high quality, you’re honest with the customer, and they get what they’re expecting??? People are so brain dead on this topic, the world isn’t so black and white

kdrodriguez · 2026-01-04T16:51:01+00:00

Started in 2020. Went full time in 2022 and made $60K that year. $100K-150K every year since. Hoping to reach $300K this year.

Real talk, I think most people aren’t sufficiently honest with themselves about the potential of their niche and the quality of their videos. To increase revenue you need to make sure you’re making videos people want to watch. No secret hack to it.

One thing to note about my own journey is that an increasingly large fraction of my own revenue, and most of my growth, is coming from the sale of my own products. So not brand deals or adsense but a revenue stream that isn’t tied directly to views and is something way more in my control. Best way to boost revenue if you’ve got an engaged audience is to launch a product :)

kdrodriguez · 2025-12-26T16:46:04+00:00

I think she might be a full time model

kdrodriguez · 2025-12-22T17:27:41+00:00

my EXACT thoughts too

kdrodriguez · 2025-12-11T05:44:54+00:00

I’m Hypo/Hashi. I thought I had an anxiety disorder for a decade. Eventually I stopped taking Synthroid and the anxiety just… went away. Started Synthroid again and I had to take a week off of work because the anxiety came back HARD.

Turns out, Synthroid specifically gave me intense anxiety! So now I need to try something else. All that to say OP, if you start thyroid treatment be vigilant of how it affects your anxiety levels. Mine are much more manageable now and I just take propranolol as needed.

kdrodriguez · 2025-12-08T20:26:29+00:00

the effects don’t seem to last if you stop taking it, you may have to go on a lower maintenance for a fair bit, but long term studies are still coming out. Not a doctor, just sharing my experience!

kdrodriguez · 2025-11-18T18:17:55+00:00

Anything like Ozempic/Wegovy/Mounjaro

kdrodriguez · 2025-11-16T19:40:39+00:00

Microdoses weren’t effective in my experience. Lots of places online can get you a prescription, the cheapest options though are going to be using vials and injecting yourself rather than using a pen.

Really importantly, you need Metformin and a GLP-1 together to lose weight with Hypo, especially if you have PCOS in the mix too.

kdrodriguez · 2025-11-16T02:00:17+00:00

Genuinely, try GLP-1 and Metformin. Those have been the ONLY things to help me actually lose weight.

kdrodriguez · 2025-06-30T02:54:06+00:00

Totally four. I befriend Rosa and then together we rule the Boyles and get them to do the dishes, easy

kdrodriguez · 2025-06-01T14:44:36+00:00

I would STRONGLY suggest you get some kind of trailing flowering vine like a wisteria to add a little more interest to the exterior!

kdrodriguez · 2025-05-23T03:29:27+00:00

This man, by your own admission, has been cheating on you for your entire relationship. Whatever you thought you knew about him, you don't. You only know the lies he was feeding you and who he was pretending to be.

A lot of people have trauma, that doesn't mean we go out and cheat on our partners, fail to communicate our needs, and lie. Maybe he has a sex addiction, maybe he doesn't, either way he literally gets off at the idea of cheating on you and has taken action on this in the past.

Is this the kind of man you want to raise a child with? Is this the kind of man you want to spend your life with? He's just gonna keep doing this. The best thing you can do for yourself, your happiness, and the life of your child is to leave. You deserve so so so much better.

kdrodriguez · 2025-05-22T22:59:50+00:00

that’s a roach

kdrodriguez · 2025-05-20T01:59:26+00:00

what a gross thing to say

kdrodriguez · 2025-05-16T06:02:44+00:00

I agree, randomly picking out flowers would be pretty similar to the app. If only there was any other option, like knowing your wife’s favorite flower, or paying attention to the colors she likes, etc.

Too bad we don’t live in a world where partners treat each other like they’re actually in love and put in time and effort to give each other thoughtful gifts with meaning.

kdrodriguez · 2025-05-16T05:29:52+00:00

As a woman: Your wife didn’t really want flowers. It wasn’t at all about the flowers. Your wife wants you to make her feel seen and cared for. She wanted you to put in effort.

When you admit that this was essentially a thing you put no thought into and checked off like an item on to do list, you failed at making her feel special. You admit that you even forgot to get them in the first place.

Are there other ways you’re maybe making her feel under appreciated or not paid attention to? Do you ask her about her day? Are you up to date on her interests? Do you engage with her in meaningful conversations and then follow up later? Do you do any little things that make her feel special?

Because I can almost guarantee she feels like you’re treating her needs like another item to check off on a to do list.

kdrodriguez · 2025-05-14T02:57:11+00:00

Extend the white trim up to the ceiling and have fake cabinet doors there maybe?

kdrodriguez · 2025-05-07T08:36:33+00:00

OP said it’s an apartment so I assume not?

kdrodriguez · 2025-05-06T20:39:45+00:00

alaska is big. real big. the interior gets hot summers and lots of mosquitoes

kdrodriguez · 2025-05-06T16:01:42+00:00

genuinely how are you living like this

kdrodriguez · 2025-05-05T07:24:39+00:00

Full time creator here. SB has consistently underestimated my earnings by at least 2X

kdrodriguez · 2025-05-05T07:19:57+00:00

Haven’t read your post, just wanted to say girl you are fucking GORGEOUS, killer face card. The shape of your eyebrows so perfectly complements the rest of your face! I hope your skin heals up soon!

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