
YouTube channels for entrepreneurs - hackathonguy
https://blog.yalabot.com/i-got-sick-of-commoditized-content-for-entrepreneurs-heres-what-i-started-watching-instead-cdf9a5b28652#.50ev0pbn0
======
ploggingdev
All of the pep talk type Youtube channels that OP mentions (Gary Vee, Mark
Cuban etc), they push (IMO) a wrong idea of startups : they all say you should
work 16 hours a day, bare minimum sleep, hustle and grind (god, those words
make me cringe). That advice completely ignores health and general well being,
which is essential if you're in it for the long haul.

Anyway, this list seems interesting. Thanks OP for compiling this.

~~~
callmeed
I don't think that's true. Gary Vee has said things like that in the past but
more recently said he devotes weekends to family, sleeps more, and vacations
more[0]. Tim Ferris literally got famous from a book titled _" The 4 Hour
Work-week"_. Mark Cuban is frankly on a different level (the 3 comma club
really is different IMO).

Hustle and grind are traits not mutually exclusive from being healthy.

I'll go so far as to posit that most highly successful entrepreneurs (I'm
talking big, high-growth companies here) end up sacrificing at least one of
the following: sleep, free time, relationships, starting a family, or general
health.

The real question is–between the success and the sacrifice–which one causes
the other?

[0]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw2ShSnO72w](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw2ShSnO72w)

~~~
kristianc
Everything I've seen from GaryVee recently has been along the lines of "you're
not doing enough work."

Last week he told someone who took a weekend off that that was more time than
he had taken off for his entire twenties.

[1]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRj144Gd7EA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRj144Gd7EA)

~~~
petercooper
_Everything I 've seen from GaryVee recently has been along the lines of
"you're not doing enough work."_

More specifically he says you're probably not working enough _if_ you're
running some sort of personal narrative that you're _all that_ business-wise
or ever going to be a multi-millionaire/whatever.

He frequently says that sort of life is _not_ for everyone and people who are
happy doing a dayjob and devoting their time to personal pursuits should be
envied. But if you want to be chasing the beasts of big money and big business
and be all about being the big-I-am, you better be working long and hard.

------
rubicon33
I don't understand why people watch these pep talk style commentators. If you
need someone else to motivate you, I'd seriously question whether or not you
have the gusto to make it for the long haul.

Going further... I can't help but wonder if watching this releases some sort
of endorphin for the want-to-be entrepreneur. These guys prey on hope, mainly,
and by giving these pep talks, I think a lot of of people get temporary hope
that if they just dig in, they'll be a millionaire too.

You really need to ask yourself if you're attracted to these motivational
speakers: why do you need motivating? The real secret to success, I believe,
is digging in to an endeavor you love.

~~~
iamacynic
my business does millions in revenues and i watch him and others. mainly
because i find a lot of what they say is true, and i'm looking for information
on how to get to the next order of magnitude in revenues.

their audience isn't just wannabes, it's also successful people looking for
guidance/validation/vindication/whatever. it's not just "motivation", it's
also "information".

talking shit on the internet to successful people isn't new. you're not doing
anything new. it's actually really tired. so very, very tired. yawn. zzz.

~~~
rubicon33
Yea, me too bud. I make 500 million a year, drive a brand new ferrari, and I'm
6'5 280 lbs with 8% body fat.

Making stuff up on the internet isn't new. You're not doing anything new. It's
actually very tired, so very tired. Yawn. zzz

~~~
mythrwy
Maybe he's so very tired from working 16 hours a day and only taking one
weekend a decade off? :)

Personally I'd skip the motivational videos and get some sleep as I feel that
produces better returns.

------
agounaris
Maybe the title should be "YouTube channels for wanna-be entrepreneurs".

youtube channels and bullshit, if you wanna do it, just do it.

~~~
almostarockstar
Entrepreneurs are allowed to have downtime and watch videos too.

~~~
tertius
If entrepreneurs consider videos on entrepreneurship downtime then they're
wasting their time.

If you're watching something to learn to be a better entrepreneur you better
be making notes. This is not (or should not be...) entertainment.

------
EnFinlay
Seems like a solid list of youtube channels that won't just give you what you
already know. A little bit of feedback:

> It’s this kind of entrepreneur — the disobedient kind — that we’d like to
> converse with over the pages of this blog. The kind that appreciates weird
> and feels talked down to by typical “10 habits that changed my life”
> articles. The kind that prefers sophistication to ease and discovery to the
> comfort zone.

Strikes me in a negative way. It just feels like those ad campaigns that are
trying to be rebellious, or people boasting how smart they are.

------
laktek
Thanks for compiling this list:

Here are some of my favorites:

1) The School of Life -
[https://www.youtube.com/user/schooloflifechannel](https://www.youtube.com/user/schooloflifechannel)

2) ComputerHistory -
[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHDr4RtxwA1KqKGwxgdK4Vg](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHDr4RtxwA1KqKGwxgdK4Vg)

3) CreativeMornings - [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-
ZA3QN2nDmqOSujn8zvNjw](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-
ZA3QN2nDmqOSujn8zvNjw)

4) Winners & Losers in a Digital Age (some of it are edgy, but not bad for a
lunch time viewing) -
[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL67plOPT3Am0JbnL_LjU2...](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL67plOPT3Am0JbnL_LjU2X1DfraHvVsWd)

~~~
almostarockstar
Something about The School of Life gives me bad vibes. I feel like there is
too much of an undertone to their videos.

~~~
ikurei
I'm not a great fan of The School of Life, but I like the mind behind it,
Alain de Botton. Care to elaborate on what kind of undertone you see in their
videos?

~~~
almostarockstar
I watched a few videos a while back - on the topic of love I think - and it
felt like there was a hidden agenda. At the time I felt it was a little too
opinionated, pompous, and possibly content marketing for a religious group.
None of this is fact, of course, just what I felt when I watched it.

------
almostarockstar
I'm working on my own channel at the moment if anybody is interested. Still
trying to build content, but I'd appreciate feedback.
[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzvhjBHSW6wLNnyAOEj9u2w](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzvhjBHSW6wLNnyAOEj9u2w)

~~~
jameskegel
Hey there, I just subbed your channel. I'm not saying my channel is of any
quality, or that I'm in a position of authority to offer advice, but you're
asking, so I figure I can answer, from the perspective of someone with ~80k
subs currently:

First thing I did was say "cool look!" then I clicked 'about' link to learn
more about your channel and ways that I could follow your twitter, etc, and
there was not anything beyond a succinct description. I'm not complaining, and
I doubt it will cost you much, but people don't want to have to work hard to
follow your content stream, and it's like a set-it-and-forget-it way to wring
out every last potential subscriber.

Your video production during your two book reviews was good, and your review
was entertaining, personal, and seemed like an honest unscripted opinion. You
have a great quality that you speak clearly and with intention; I appreciated
that.

Your third video 'Designing Success' was in my opinion the best, design-wise
:) (get it? design--... wise?) I liked the intro with the hip hop music and
the artistic approach to conveying your surroundings and setting for the
video.

The audio- I didn't mind the audio in the 3rd video when it got messy during
the windy part, and I could see that you somewhat realized you were in choppy
waters when the wind started blowing. You spoke clearly, and even as an
American, accustomed to primarily listening to American dialect, I could still
understand you- but one thing lacking that would have made it better was a
proper Closed Caption track so that you could still be understood. That's just
me nit-picking though, as someone who is hard of hearing.

An unsolicited tip: One thing I realized early on, making videos, is that you
can't ever have too many audio sources recording. Audio recorders are cheap,
and the mics you can attach to them are endless, so it's no issue to run
several mics: one source could be the camera's audio, which I typically use
for reference. Another option could be a portable audio recorder. Currently I
use the Zoom H1, which was about 89 USD brand new. It allows me to pop in my
headphones and monitor the audio as it is produced, in stereo, and if need be
to connect something like a shirt mic, there is a port for that as well. One
thing that I've been experimenting with recently, is if I'm recording outside,
I'll also mic the ambient noise about 12 feet away and use that audio track to
train an Audacity plugin to filter out errant jarring noises in incidences
where loud vehicles or sirens drive past.

Great channel, I subbed, and look forward to new content. Take care! Good
luck!

Also, if you haven't seen it already, check out the YouTube Creator Academy
(formerly, the YouTube Playbook) which is pretty much a guide entitled "this
is how to make money properly on our platform"

edit: corrected Zoom H2 to Zoom H1

~~~
almostarockstar
Thanks for writing up such an in-depth response. I really appreciate your
feedback!

I'm working on the audio sources - the two book reviews were recorded with a
Blue Yeti, which is awesome, but involved syncing up the audio later which was
awkward. I've just taken delivery of a Lav mic (or shirt mic) so I'll see how
that works. Early results seem middling - better than onboard mic, not as good
as Yeti, but it'll be much better for videos like 'Designing Success'.

Thanks again!

------
waderyan
One additional one I have liked is Harvard Innovation Labs[1]. There is a
Startup Secrets series that has some solid insights. Taught by entrepreneurs
and VCs in the Boston area.

1 -
[https://www.youtube.com/user/Harvardilab](https://www.youtube.com/user/Harvardilab)

------
karimdag
I've got a question for you guys! What do you think of Gary Vaynerchuck ?

~~~
gcav
I recall one interview (will look for link) where Gary was asked if he would
have followed someone like himself when he was getting started. I remember his
answer to be a definite "no". He explained that he was and remains too busy
with his business to follow other business gurus. Of course, after hearing
this I realized my folly. For me he remains inspiring and charismatic even if
his content is (self-admitted) unnecessary for business success.

~~~
bkmartin
^This - It is totally true. Lately he has talked a lot about people asking him
for permission. They are basically looking for someone to come along and kick
them in the arse and tell them to get to work. I used to consume almost
everything he put out, but any more I've heard most of what I need from him.
I'm in "do" mode now, so not much time for it. Most content is just background
noise while I work these days.

------
brokenmasonjars
I sometimes watch Harvard Innovation Lab's channel. A few lectures that I
found pretty good;

1\. Fake It Till You Make It with Dan Sullivan of Crowdly:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_tKYvPKN7U](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_tKYvPKN7U)

2\. Turning Products into Companies:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=092JQrye9IM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=092JQrye9IM)

3\. You Have a Great Idea and Nobody Cares:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_oYcUrojhg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_oYcUrojhg)

There was a fourth one that I really liked but I can't remember it at the
moment. I'll post it if I remember.

Edit: here we go: 4. Funding Strategies to Go the Distance:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuTdS29M1o4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuTdS29M1o4)

------
michaelbuckbee
I would also suggest:
[https://www.youtube.com/user/techomic](https://www.youtube.com/user/techomic)
\- which is Justin Jackson's YouTube channel.

It's very weighted to actionable things you can do day to day that
continuously improve your marketing.

------
no1youknowz
Valuetainment is a pretty gond one:
[https://www.youtube.com/user/patrickbetdavid](https://www.youtube.com/user/patrickbetdavid)

------
israrkhan
Stop watching, and start doing.

Well, you may continue to watch, but no amount of watching will teach you what
you can attain by actually doing stuff.

------
johnnydoe9
Eh I was with you until the Nerdwriter1 channel thing, yes the production
value is great and they are well made but if you watch other better ones like
Every Frame A Painting, Lessons From A Screenplay, Channel Criswell,
KaptainKristian, etc you'll notice how his commentary is less than meaningful
when it comes to his movie/tv related videos.

~~~
almostarockstar
Nerdwriter covers a vast range of topics, which means a larger market, but
clearly his knowledge of any specific area will be weaker.

I particularly enjoyed his videos on poetry. Definitely gave me a new
perspective on an art-form I have never really indulged in.

------
cameronha
"Entrepreneurship in Everything" is light-hearted and not as hardcore as some
of these others. 3 minute videos that teach entrepreneurship by looking at
music/books/films.

Chance the Rapper episode:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REXasTsQi_8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REXasTsQi_8)

------
rhlala
[https://www.youtube.com/user/Startupfood](https://www.youtube.com/user/Startupfood)
TheFamilly chanel, Oussama ammar!

------
fwn
I'd love to make a project to sum up every TED talk in 140 charaters. This way
one could consume their whole set of ideas worth spreading in under an hour.

~~~
Ghostium
Maybe they don't cover all talks, I haven't look into that, but I used the
book summary feature quite alot.

[https://www.getabstract.com/en/summaries/video-talks-
lib/](https://www.getabstract.com/en/summaries/video-talks-lib/)

------
pymai
time spent watching entrepreneur videos is time you could have spent being an
entrepreneur. its time you can never get back.

if you have to watch something then just limit yourself to watching this one
until you get the idea:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOksW_NabEk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOksW_NabEk)

------
ajsharp
[Googles: "how to entrepreneu"]

NO RESULTS

[gives up]

------
georgiecasey
130 points upvoted in 2 hours, is the voting patterns on this weird or am i
looking for conspiracies

------
djabatt
Gary Vee cheerleading is entrepreneur pollution.

------
ronilan
Not a channel just a video: [https://youtu.be/L_-
k_1WQ5As](https://youtu.be/L_-k_1WQ5As)

 _" Now in this world of ups and downs... So nice to know there are jackalopes
around."_

~~~
ChildOfChaos
Haha!! :P Great! My favorite Pixar short! Nice to see this in the list of
"dry" videos!

------
philfrasty
The amount of „business coaches“ on YouTube outshines Moore's law by factor
10.

~~~
serg_chernata
I share the same attitude and tend to push people into a mentality of just
getting sh*t done. No amount of videos, podcasts and articles will make you
successful. They definitely have their place. I am not saying this is all bad,
but some people mistake procrastination for "learning". Myself included.

~~~
pymai
definitely agree, although i would say that podcasts are a lesser evil that
youtube videos or articles.

\- some channels or website tend to favour quantity over quality since they
can get more ad revenue that way

\- podcasts are generally more professional. not like youtube where its common
to find 10 minutes of some person rambling to make a point that should have
only taken 2

\- you can fit in podcasts/audiobooks while you do other things, driving,
doing chores etc.

~~~
serg_chernata
Agreed, I podcast exclusively during daily commute.

------
danm07
Good to know I'm not the only one who finds Tim Ferriss cringeworthy.

~~~
thomk
He produces some interesting content, but, I agree: there is something about
his style of delivery that is irritating. I tried to quantify it while
listening to his podcast but I can't quite put my finger on it.

~~~
danm07
The phrase shameless self-promoter comes to mind.

~~~
sverige
Four hour work weeks are a lot more common in East Hampton, where Ferriss is
from. Reminds me of that old phrase from the 70s, "He's a T to T man: Ten to
two, Tuesday through Thursday."

------
montymetzger
Introducing our Global Startup Contest - open for all Entrepreneurs, no
regional limitations.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOLAw4nR6IQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOLAw4nR6IQ)

