Why I'm Starting YouTube

The how, why, and money behind talking on camera.

Author

Cade Invests
August 21, 2025

Quote

“The person with $10M who thinks they need $20M will always feel poorer than the person with $100k who thinks they need $50k.” - Nick Maggiulli

Why I’m Starting YouTube

Well well well, it has been a minute, but I promise it is for a good reason.

That reason? I finally sucked it up and decided it was time to get a YouTube channel set up.

If you’ve ever been interested in what it takes to run a YouTube channel, what equipment you need, or how monetization works, keep reading as I’m going to run you through the basics.

(hint hint, this isn’t my first channel)

Why I’m Starting

I touch on it in this video, but the reason I’m starting is that YouTube videos have a much longer life span than content created on X. Multiple times a week I have to sit down, look back at old content, and come up with new posts. Usually, I spend ~2 hours a week scheduling posts for X.

The sucky part. After one, sometimes two days, that content is pretty much dead and lost in the X algo. It’s not X’s fault, it’s always how the platform has been.

That said, I’m turning on the camera because YouTube videos have the ability to rank and can have a much longer life span than a post on X. I’ve experienced this first hand with an old fishing YouTube channel I use to have that still gets views today (I haven’t made a video on it in three years).

How To Make Videos

While you just saw me complaining about scheduling X content, creating YouTube videos is an entirely different beast. Over the last few months, I’ve picked up a Sony ZVE10 with a Sigma 16mm lens ($600), a camera mount for desk ($80), a key light and soft box ($120), along with Photoshop and Adobe Audio description ($20/month).

Yes, you don’t need all of this tech and can whip up videos with your phone. I figured though, that I’d give myself the best chance of success with a high-quality setup that produces good content, and most importantly makes the workflow simple.

Having a simple workflow is key (and the reason I stopped my old fishing channel).

Making a YouTube video looks something like this, usually: Come up with a topic, generate a title, make a thumbnail in Photoshop, set up your camera, film a video (stumble over your words 20 times), cut out bad takes, add graphics/images, fix the audio, and then finally upload to YouTube.

This isn’t to scare anyone into not doing it, I’m just being honest that it takes hours to put together a 10min video.

YouTube Money

So is the juice worth the squeeze financially when it comes to putting yourself on the internet?

A common RPM (revenue per thousand views) is about $8-$15 for finance YouTube channels. For example, if a video gets 8,000 views on a channel earning a $10 RPM, that video would make $80 (8 x $10=$100).

While this is okay, a common recommendation is to have additional monetization sources so one isn’t completely reliant on ad revenue. Personally, I plan to use affiliate links, offer paid calls, and eventually create some type of course or coaching program.

Brand deals is also another common income source for video creators, but lets be honest, your boy is long way from that right now.

Conclusion

That’s the high-level on why I’m starting YouTube, what it takes to make videos, and how YouTubers make money. Let me know if you’d like more “behind the scenes YouTube content.”

If you want to support the channel (or just criticize my first videos) search “Cade Invests” on YouTube and smack that subscribe button. One video a week is the goal.

Depending on when you are reading this, today’s video may already be posted (:

Thanks for reading, sincerely your favorite YouTube rookie ~ Cade.

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