I filmed a video yesterday. Today my editor showed me an AI edit of it... Honestly? Better than what we’re currently making. Roughly what we did: 1. Filmed the script as normal 2. Pulled a Descript export of the recording 3. ChatGPT built the first cut, timeline, slides, animations, text pop-ups 4. That first pass took about 42–45 minutes (before B-roll) 5. Then we spent a couple hours tightening taste / redesigning a few slides 6. B-roll from Pexels for now (copyright-free only) 7. We’re also wiring presets into DaVinci so the boring clicks happen automatically More detail coming soon on exactly how we’re running this. Just wanted to share that we’re actually doing it, not just talking about it. If you’re messing with AI edits too, drop what you’re trying below.

Once I figured this out, I was able to get way more views, and it's annoyingly obvious once you realise it. I've achieved millions of views on YouTube, this is an incredibly important idea to get your head around, if you want to do well on the platform. So, what's the big groundbreaking revelation? Assume the viewer does not know who you are. This is incredibly important. A video that does well for you inherently has to reach new audiences. Not just the ones who already get your inside jokes and know you. That’s why inside references on a YouTube thumbnail is risky. Take this All-In Summit thumbnail with JD Vance. The title is topic first: AI, fraud, Iran. Clear for a stranger scrolling past, I'm okay with this title, that's not to say there's no room for improvement BUT The biggest words on the thumb are “THE BESTIES.” If you already watch All-In, you know that means the hosts. If you don’t, it’s a nickname with no meaning. You’ve used the biggest text on the pack for people who already know you. These are also the easiest people to get to click on your video. You probably could have written anything there, and they would have clicked with such a big guest. But new new audiences won’t understand it. And if the thumbnail packaging only makes sense for existing fans, it’s less accessible to strangers. That usually means it’s less likely to get pushed as far, so your video won't get as many views. Don’t spend the biggest thumbnail words on an inside reference. Make the packaging accessible for someone who has never heard of you, this will help you get more views.

This is the most under-appreciated aspect of social media. As an individual or a business, social media is one of the highest-leverage plays you can make. A single piece of content can reach a huge amount of people. You can share with them your mission, thoughts or business. “Who" it is on the other end of the screen might just surprise you, they could end up being a very important partner or viewer for you moving forward. X is particularly amazing for this, but this occurs on all platforms. Elon followed me on X after I made some content supporting him during his political era for Farzad. He’s also been an amazing supporter of the Farzad project. For that we are thankful, but he only supported because of the value that we've given to the marketplace. There is no free lunch. Every so often I/we get a really cool interaction like this recent repost. Previously, Elon also pinned one of Farzad's videos that we made for him to the top of his X profile, which also had my name tagged in it. That was pretty cool, you can see it pinned on my profile. Hopefully this little nugget inspires you to make some cool content today!