My YouTube channel has 17 subscribers. I started it about a year and a half ago, and honestly I would have to check to know the exact date. Ten of those subscribers came this year. That is the starting line, and for the next 30 days I am going to show you exactly what happens from here, real numbers and all.
This is the first entry in my 30-day YouTube challenge. The idea is simple: post more, polish less, and share my channel analytics openly so you can see what it actually looks like to be a small, struggling creator. Not the highlight reel. The dashboard.
Why I'm Doing a 30-Day YouTube Challenge
A while ago I watched a video from a creator with around 100,000 subscribers. His advice was blunt. If you are only putting out two videos a month, you are not going to grow. Two a week, maybe. But the real move is to post as often as you can, four or five times a week, and stop over-designing every video. Keep them simpler, shorter, one take.
He also said YouTube does not punish you for posting more. It does the opposite. Every upload gives the algorithm another chance to understand who you are and find the people who might actually want to follow along.
I think he has a point, mostly because of repetition. You get better at what you do by doing it a lot. And I am not good at this yet.
Knowing Video Is Not the Same as Being on Camera
That might sound strange, because I work in design. I have worked in motion design and with video for years. But talking to a camera for YouTube is a completely different game. Knowing the gear and the software does not make you a good YouTuber. Being able to put your thoughts into words, out loud, in real time, does.
I am Icelandic, and English is not my first language. I always felt I had a decent vocabulary and could hold my own in conversation. Then I pointed a camera at myself and found out that speaking on camera is its own challenge entirely.
Knowing the tech behind video will not make you a good YouTuber. Showing up and getting your thoughts out, again and again, might.
So if you have been holding back because you think you need to understand cameras, lighting and editing first, you don't. I know all of that, and I am still starting from 17.
What I've Tried So Far
I have gone all over the place with this channel. First it was talking head videos. Then I decided I wanted more scripted, narrated, cinematic videos. I liked that idea, but I also knew it meant far more work per video, which meant fewer videos, which meant slower growth.
My most recent video was a test of that approach: B-roll shot on my phone mixed with talking head and narration. It took a long time to make, and so far it has not done much of anything.
Over the summer I was very active with YouTube Shorts. They got some attention, but I could not see anything compounding or growing from it. I now think of Shorts as a backup, something that supports long-form videos rather than replaces them. I am not ruling them out, but for this challenge the focus is long-form videos of roughly 5 to 10 minutes.
My Real Numbers on Day 1
In the video I walk through my YouTube Studio dashboard and analytics. YouTube recently changed the analytics layout, so I am still finding my way around it again. Here is where things stand:
- 17 subscribers in total, 10 of them gained in 2026.
- Not enough recent data for YouTube to even show audience demographics.
- A summer of Shorts that brought some views but no real momentum.
- A carefully produced long-form test video that has not taken off yet.
There is very little happening, and there is not enough data to draw conclusions. The only way to fix that is to post more.
The Goal: 50 Subscribers in 30 Days
My goal for this challenge is to reach 50 subscribers. I am not even thinking about monetization. The watch hour requirements are far away, and that is not why I am doing this. I enjoy making videos, and I think I can inspire a few people along the way.
The plan is roughly four uploads a week instead of two. Short, simple, one-take videos where I share my screen and my analytics, so we can track the results together and come back to this starting point in 30 days.
Why This Fits Post 40 Project
Post 40 Project is meant for people who are curious about the second chapter of their life. Reinvention, changing course, seeing things differently as you get older. This challenge is a small version of exactly that: trying something you are not good at yet, in public, and sticking with it long enough to find out what happens.
If you want to see whether I actually pull it off, follow along on the Post 40 Project YouTube channel. And if there is something you would like to see me try on Day 2, tell me in the comments of the video.