Why You Still Shouldn’t Pursue YouTube as a Career (100K+ Subs Update)
21m | Sep 21, 2026Nick follows up on a past video after growing from about 1,200 to 115,000 subscribers, launching tours, a Substack, and merch, and learning more about YouTube’s business potential and community-building. Despite the channel’s growth, he still argues YouTube doesn’t make sense as a standalone career because shorts-driven algorithms often produce large followings with low revenue, the odds of earning a sustainable income remain extremely small (roughly 0.25% reach 100K+ subs/$10K per month), and creator income is volatile due to cycles in audience interest, burnout, and platform dynamics. He compares success odds and career longevity to professional sports and shows similarly low earning rates across Instagram, TikTok, X, Patreon, and Substack.
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Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
02:19 Shorts Change the Game
03:37 Success Odds and Income
07:27 Comparison Across Social Media Platforms
09:39 Staying Relevant Is Hard
12:17 Burnout and Creator Lifespan
14:46 Community Building via YouTube
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