If you don’t know anything about the algorithm of platforms, are in your 20s or younger, and consider content creation as a creative outlet, hobby, or something more, watching this video wouldn’t be a bad idea. If you’re outside places like the US or Canada, my ten years of experience might change your perspective.
The goal isn’t to stop you from doing anything but to help you have fewer regrets in your 30s. Still, you can ignore my words and stick to what you know ‘best.’
True Story
Since you are younger, you may not know about apps like ICQ and mIRC. While they still exist, they’re nothing like what they were in the 90s and early 2000s.
After ignoring it to play StarCraft, I gave mIRC a try, as all the hot girls were constantly on it. This made me fall in love with the Internet and quite literally changed my life.
mIRC broadened my horizons, giving me wings to transcend my immediate environment. It let me build unforgettable memories that my surroundings failed to offer.
Class, neighborhood, or even crew: they no longer determined who I dated or hung out with.
I felt complete as a young man, as for the first time, I had an actual private life based on intention, interests, and desire, not the local arbitrary communities the Universal entropy had put me into.
Beats, Barbells, and Becoming
Obsessed with turntablism and producing, my first presence on the Internet was with music. Due to the discontinuation of the local DMC battle, I couldn’t compete, which was a primary reason for quitting drugs and booze earlier.
The absence created a vacuum, which turned into a passion for Bodybuilding. Thanks to YouTube and people like Frank McGrath, Antoine Vaillant, and Scooby’s Workouts, I learned the basics of training before even knowing about legends like Zane, Draper, and Nubret.
Back then, a local fitness model became a global sensation like Ulises Jr and Simeon Panda and headed websites like the emerging Simply shredded. And this was beyond inspiring.
A Window to The World. Not an Algorithm
Meanwhile, the Internet has been my window to the world, letting me learn valuable skills and knowledge that school never provided.
Soon enough, I began rewiring my brain to use English as the default means for expressing my mind.
Not via TOEFL or Headway textbooks, but through absorbing the ethos and cultures I was genuinely passionate about.
From backpack Hip-Hop, graffiti, and turntablism to bodybuilding, biohacking, and later magick and mysticism.
Deep within, I yearned for liberation from geographical and social limitations. Connection through culture and crafts. To be like the people who inspired me, sharing ideas globally and, hopefully, one day, interplanetary.
That concept etched itself into me after watching Scratch, a documentary that reshaped how I saw creativity and connection.
No, not to go ‘viral,’ but to genuinely interact with the soul of the world based on interests and passions, as opposed to randomness and location.
To live as a member of the universal community of Alfred Adler and the Stoic notion of a cosmopolitan. Esoterically, to be a star in Nuit’s body.
The Harsh Reality
The problem was that I was shy, my English sucked (massively), and I had zero content creation skills. So, I looked for advice. Most of it boiled down to things like:
- Smile,
- Be yourself,
- Have a niche.
- Say ‘hey guys,’
- Stay disciplined,
- Consistency is key.
- Grind or Hustle Hard,
- Have a great personality.
- Be willing to eat shit for ten years, in the words of Gary Vee.
Eating the Dirt
My personality sucked. Nonetheless, I decided to give the niche thing a try, speaking about fasting and natural bodybuilding.
Yet, the more I stuck to a niche, the more difficult the consistency was.
They say you need a hundred crappy videos for the algorithm to even consider you. While my first ‘niche’ channel vastly outnumbered that, the quality improved with my main one, as I shared elsewhere.
Either way, my videos never seem to reach the right audience, even though every topic I cover is globally relevant. I’ve also never published or commented on anything in languages other than English.
Broken Dreams and the Algorithm
A big inspiration behind this piece is Tom Noske. In one video, Tom teaches that we should build not a fan but a customer audience, never stick to a niche, and now the best part:
“We shouldn’t serve the algorithm. It should find the right audience for what we create.“
A lot of shoulds and ideals to aspire to. While I genuinely wanted them to be true, living by them left a bitter taste.
I had some suspicions but ignored them to focus on quality and consistency.
So, yeah, I have 6 months of long-form on the same day, short almost every day, and regular community tab posts. Does this count for consistency?
I also have a consistent cross-cultural, cross-referential way of analyzing universal existential themes. Yet, what I found on Instagram kinda broke my heart.
Regardless of my efforts, my top reach was local. Deeply saddened, I decided to check with creator support on YouTube, the platform I deeply care about and still have high hopes for.
The conversation went somewhat confusing, although my question was plain and simple:
“Does the algorithm push my content to the local area?“
Reina, the customer support did her best to answer after checking with another person three times in fifteen minutes. Each check lasted about three minutes.
Eventually, she said that many factors play a role, like viewer history and behavior.
Push and Pull
Reina also insisted that the algorithm doesn’t ‘push’ content, but it specifically pulls it for viewers based on various criteria.
However, upon pressing further and somewhat ‘pulling’ words out of her mouth, Reina admitted that once it’s released, all content is preliminarily tested by the algorithm based on language, culture, and location. And this does include being pulled for local viewers.
- If the content proves engaging to the locals, it gets ‘pulled/suggested’ to a broader audience.
- If it doesn’t, it gets killed prematurely.
Algorithmic Absurdity
Depending on where you’re based, this doesn’t make much sense, or does it? Let’s consider two scenarios.
1. You make content based on global but niche topics, like Esoteric self-actualization, philosophy, creativity, existential reflections, holistic living, etc. You also produce and optimize everything in English.
The locals expect content in their local language on topics relevant to their local environment, high-school friends, co-workers, etc.
Your content is ‘suggested/pulled’ by the algorithm to them, but it doesn’t engage for obvious reasons. It wasn’t meant for them. So we’re not blaming them as it’s not their fault.
2. You create locally relevant content in a locally relevant language. The locals start engaging, and then what? The algorithm starts suggesting your videos to a global audience with zero resonance.
How does this make any sense?
Shorts and Surveillance
Speaking of that, I still have trouble understanding why it’s so important to upload and optimize shorts via phone. Is it because the algorithm wants my precise current location so it can suggest the content to my immediate surroundings?
The Hyperlocal Illusion
Like Killer Mike, who is an incredible artist, some gurus advocate going hyperlocal. In some cases, that’s perfectly reasonable. In others, it speaks of inadequacy.
If you resonate with your local environment and are truly a bona fide expression of its Egregore or community, that’s valid. On paper, your further reach will be limited only by the global relevance of that culture and its demographics.
Now. Killer Mike is from the ATL. As a multicultural phenomenon and a melting pot of creativity, the global impact of Atlanta is unreal. So unreal that, even in the mIRC days, I was bumping Outkast and Bone Crusher. At the same time, a homie obsessed over CunningLynguist, who, though not wholly from Atlanta, was affiliated with it.
By creating from a place like the A—like Creative Ryan or YC Imaging—you naturally become a vessel for a culture the world already cares about.
Ownership and Extra Miles
Gurus and experts like to throw Navy SEAL slogans like:
- Take ownership,
- Stay disciplined,
- Go the extra mile,
- Etc.
You can have all the discipline and consistency if the algorithm kills your content prematurely; you are not on equal footing with others from different places.
It’s like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Skills, personality, perspectives, and consistency all matter, but they’re higher needs. If the most basic one, reaching the right audience, isn’t met, it means nothing.
And for the record, people not based in the mentioned countries do go the extra mile with prices of gear, like Sony or Apple. They also took the time to absorb global cultures in which others were bred. It seems that gurus with a global reach are those not take ownership of their actual impact.
Should a person like that relocate? They took ownership and paid extra just to be able to create, understanding that discussing global topics implies being globally vulnerable.
The Gatekeepers
Now. I deeply respect the policies, rules, and regulations of these platforms, especially Google and YouTube.
As mega channels like ThinkMedia TV, which do have amazing information, like to rub in our faces, YouTube doesn’t owe us views. It provides an incredible platform. That’s all.
I also don’t expect anything from Facebook-owned platforms that keep pushing local content in my feed. Albeit I never searched for such posts, don’t follow even remotely local accounts, and didn’t buy a single product from those ads.
Ten years ago, when I registered on FB, its algorithm immediately started showing me people from my deep past, like different schools, etc. I don’t know about you, but to me, this fits the very definition of not allowing people to evolve.
As far as TikTok, I never messed with that. Upon serious research, I found that it pushes locally, even if you go the ‘extra mile’ of using a different SIM card. And this is rather scary, reminding me of things like discrimination, totalitarianism, and the Iron Curtain.
To be honest, I could abandon all my socials and keep just YouTube and my website. Outside of recycled tech aesthetics, I haven’t found anything meaningful there.
An Amazing Opportunity
The issue is that mega influencers and so-called creator insiders don’t address what, for many, might be the elephant in the room. After all, isn’t the Internet supposed to let people break boundaries?
Ever since I’ve started, I’m yet to see a year when Garry Vee or Shawn from Think Media TV have not thrown a statement that:
“This year on YouTube will be an amazing opportunity, if you do this or that one thing.“
In August 2016, my panic attacks were so severe that I could barely leave the house. I took Garry Vee’s advice of hustling in August while others were on vacation to get ahead of the curve. I couldn’t even get into the water, but I recorded some videos on the beach while having a panic attack.
- Did I get ahead of the curve? No.
- Do I regret not doing something else almost 10 years later? Yes.
I still respect Gary Vee, I just don’t trust him the way I did in my 20s. What seems to be the case is that while an opportunity does exist:
- Its ‘amazingness’ varies based on your location.
- It’s not exclusive in any shape, but present every year.
- It may get better the older you get, as, according to Shawn, 60 or 70-year-old YouTubers are the new sensation.
Provided that, what’s the urgency? What makes you think that you won’t be one of those sensations in your 60s?
The Casey Effect and My Bitter Pill
I never got deep into Casey’s videos, but he influenced top creators I’ll always admire, including:
- MKBHD,
- Matti Hapooja,
- Unbox Therapy,
- Peter McKinnon,
- and many others
Back in 2003, Casay and his brother Van exposed that changing the iPod’s ‘replaceable’ battery cost as much as buying a new one. They didn’t claim Apple isn’t the best. They simply revealed a critical detail.
In my favorite Casey video, he shares his struggles with the gatekeeping and elitism of the now-dying Hollywood and embracing YouTube, on which, according to his words:
“Everyone is welcomed.“
While I used to believe that was the case, my discussions with creator support left me with a bitter taste, perhaps similar to Casey’s after talking to Apple.
Like Casey, I don’t aim to say that our iPod, i.e., the platforms we love, are not great. They just may not be exactly what they seem based on where we are.
However, unlike an iPod, most people with the internet have no trouble replacing; there’s no replacement when you realize that your 20s are gone, while ‘amazing opportunities’ emerge left and right on paper.
How knows…Your next video might be the one the algorithm finally picks for the right reasons. Yet, suddenly, you are 35, feeling like doing things in nature, or simply offline, is the real ‘alternative’ or the actual ‘exclusive’ opportunity.
The Best of Both Worlds
Getting back to Tom, I do believe he has a point and takes better responsibility for his massive reach than many others.
Since algorithms are so fantastic at tracking exactly where we are, can’t we filter out those areas if our content isn’t meant for them in the first place?
In reality, you won’t make people who don’t eat fish or cheese eat them by serving them more. You also won’t make me finally click on one of those local videos by suggesting them here and there (low key), nor buy products from the local ads. Hence, I use a VPN.
BTW, my experience purely as a viewer, using DC, Washington, as a location, is infinitely better. Go figure.
Prove Yourself To The Algorithm
I think six months of relentless work and regular quality uploads should be enough for the mighty algorithm to figure out at least where your content doesn’t belong. Even if it doesn’t find its proper audience, it should allow it to have an equal start with others discussing similar topics.
Plus, if you think about it, most of us learned everything from people in countries like the US and Canada, which are nevertheless my top locations on YouTube.
So it’s clear that they are saturated with people with such interests. Doesn’t it make more sense to deliver our best value to them? If we can say something meaningful.
And if we can, shouldn’t we be allowed to say it to the people who’d likely resonate the most, giving back to the Egregores/communities that opened our eyes in the first place?
For some, this is strictly business. For others, it’s a deep spiritual journey of being an expression of the Universal Will. It is the meaning they find, regardless of the suffering it costs.
But that’s just my opinion. Thank you for your time!