---
title: 'Here''s the easy way to decide what YouTube channel to start'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=pO_PK1Hqau8'
video_id: 'pO_PK1Hqau8'
date: 2026-07-31
duration_sec: 1189
---

# Here's the easy way to decide what YouTube channel to start

> Source: [Here's the easy way to decide what YouTube channel to start](https://youtube.com/watch?v=pO_PK1Hqau8)

## Summary

This video offers a practical framework for aspiring YouTube creators who are stuck on choosing a channel topic. Instead of a single formula, it presents four decision-making methods tailored to different personality types, from passion-driven creators to strategic thinkers and business-focused entrepreneurs.

### Key Points

- **Four methods, not one** [00:28] — The video looks at four different methods for choosing a YouTube channel, because different personalities think differently and one approach won't fit everyone.
- **Intersection method: Venn diagram** [01:08] — Use a Venn diagram to find the overlap between your interests, your skills, and what's popular on YouTube.
- **Keyword research in the intersection method** [02:30] — Use TubeBuddy, VidIQ, Google AdWords, or YouTube search to see how many searches keywords get; list at least 10 related topics per idea.
- **Check search results and pick contenders** [03:10] — Look up each keyword, check views of top videos, and verify results directly match the keyword; select 2-3 top contenders.
- **Strategy-first method** [04:21] — For logical/strategic thinkers: research niches that are popular (high views/searches) but not very competitive; start with videos you already watch.
- **Diagnose the audience** [07:05] — Read comments on niche videos, note what viewers ask, and use unanswered questions as video ideas.
- **Backwards-engineered business method** [08:24] — If your goal is an online business, first decide what product you want to sell, then plan content that attracts those buyers, then shape the channel around it.
- **Lab method: learn by doing** [12:33] — Make videos about whatever you want, but stay consistent (e.g., one per week) for 2-3 months, then pick a topic 'for now.'
- **Choose the method that fits your personality** [17:29] — Passion-driven? Use intersection. Strategic? Strategy-first. Business-focused? BEB. Free spirit? Lab.

### Conclusion

Pick a method that matches your personality, do the research or experiments, and start your channel now — you can always pivot later.

## Transcript

the first video you've ever watched about how to decide what YouTube channel to start. It's something that a lot of people get hung up on that prevents them from starting a YouTube channel for a long time. So, we're going to do
something a little bit different in today's video to make sure that we get you the answer to this question so that you can finally make that decision about forward. You can actually get the channel started and get it to start
growing. So, what we're going to do is look not just at one way of figuring out what channel to start, but instead look at four different methods you can use to going to look at four methods is because we've all got different personalities
personalities come different ways of thinking about things and kind of different thinking processes that we use to figure things out. So, the process that works for one person to figure out what channel to start might not work for
you. So, today we're going to make sure that we finally get this question answered for you by looking at four different methods so that you can choose the one that makes the most sense to you. Okay, starting out we're going to
look at the intersection method. The intersection method is basically where you use a Venn diagram to look at the intersection between your interests and your skills. And you can layer in a third category here and look at the
intersection of all three. You can also look at what's popular on YouTube. So, for example, with your passion, the things you love and are excited about, you're interested in gardening, maybe you're interested in cooking, maybe
building things, maybe you're interested in business strategy, whatever those category and these are the things that you are good at. Okay, things that you actually have knowledge about um and
the least important category because you could have a channel about something that you know nothing about and you could just position yourself as a exploring this topic. But I think it's worth considering. You know, do you have
the table? And then this third category, these are the things that are popular. So, you are going to not consider every topic on YouTube. You are just going to consider these options that you already listed
over here, these different ideas that you have that you're interested in. And if there was something that you thought, you know, I am both interested in that ones you want to study the very most. And you're going to do keyword research
so you can use a tool like TubeBuddy or VidIQ or even Google AdWords, something like that, to see how many searches these different keywords, keywords that interests, are getting each month. However, my very favorite way, honestly,
to do keyword research for this sort of thing is to just go to YouTube itself and just type in related keywords. So, for each of the different items on your list over here, I want you to make a list of a bunch of related topics, okay?
Topics you might cover on a channel like that, okay? And I would recommend at least 10 for each of the topics you're considering. Then look up those considering. Then look up those individual topics and see how many views
the top videos for those keywords get and also make sure that you pay attention to are the top results when you look up, you know, how to plant an bread or whatever it is, do they directly match the keyword?
directly match the keyword, it doesn't matter if it got millions of views, it's not really relevant to this. And so, what you're looking for is of these what you're looking for is of these ideas, and preferably of these ideas
right here in this middle section, which ones are the most popular? And whatever be two or three, but those are going to be your top contenders and they're ideas that you know are popular so you can choose whichever one of them you're most
on to the next strategy here, but before we do, one last tiny thing is that the person who this method is going to be best for is somebody who has some most focused on with deciding what YouTube channel to start, not exactly
how much money it can make or anything like that, but they want to make a sure something that they are excited about that they'll be able to talk about for years. Okay, this next one is called the
strategy first method. And as you might imagine, this is best for people who are strategic thinkers, who like to do things really logically. They don't just like doing, they want to go after the right answer. So, basically, for this
right answer. So, basically, for this method, you are going to first of all research on YouTube. And what you're going to be looking for is categories or niches on YouTube that are popular, meaning the videos get a lot of views,
meaning the videos get a lot of views, but are not very competitive, meaning these topics. Now, this could be very overwhelming. of videos on YouTube. So, where would you start with this? Well, I would
recommend starting with videos that you watch. So, maybe you noticed that videos about and you can never get enough of it. There are never enough videos to satisfy your interest in that topic. Uh probably not something like
tons of people making videos about chess. But you might have something that you are really interested in that again is underserved. So, you're looking for recommend that you try to find at least three such underserved categories so
from. Now, another way you can do this research is with a keyword research tool. So, you can use something like VidIQ or TubeBuddy or I actually prefer using a non-YouTube tool, so something like Ubersuggest or SEMrush or Google
AdWords or something like that. And what you're looking for is again topics that are popular, meaning there's a lot of searches for them per month, but are not very competitive. And most of these tools, they can show you that data. They
can show you how many searches per month a keyword gets and score them on how competitive they are, meaning how many different people or websites or articles are trying to rank for those keywords. And again, there is a gazillion keywords
Don't try to sort through them all. Start with what you're interested in. So, go back to the method we were just talking about, the intersection method, and for this strategy first method, um
you're going to focus mainly on kind of this quadrant here, but still this is kind of your pool of initial ideas that you're going to research. You're just the research part of this. So, again, you're looking for categories that are
popular, meaning lots of views or lots of monthly searches, but are less here, once you've done this initial research, you're going to continue with your strategy first method with step two, which is where you are really going
to diagnose the audience. And so, when I say diagnose the audience, I mean you are going to do some research again into who is watching these videos. So, some of this you can do logically. You can think, you know, who would be interested
that you get into the comments of these videos and you see what kind of comments these people are leaving, what they're saying about the videos, um what are they well commenting on, but you know, are they saying this is so helpful or
are they saying it's interesting or are they saying that's a really unique What kind of comments are these people making and what do they reveal about who they are? And further, what questions are they asking? This is huge because
what questions they're asking gives you lots of ideas for good videos that you could create, especially if you discover that some of those questions aren't being answered by videos right now. So, the strategy first method, it's really
just like a research-focused method and I think something that you will notice as we look at these different methods is that there's overlap between most of them. Most of them involve, you know, first brainstorming different ideas,
then doing some sort of research, and then there might be other steps, too. It's more that like the focus for each one is different and what you ultimately different. Okay, so next we've got the
backwards engineered business method or the BEB method. So, this is the method that I would choose if you are less interested actually in YouTube itself
and really what you're interested in is online business. You just want to use YouTube as a tool to get visibility for your business. Now, maybe you've already started your business or maybe not. I'm kind of guessing that in this case the
answer is more likely not because if you have already started your business, then it will probably be somewhat evident, somewhat self-evident, what channel you probably want to start a channel around the topic that you help your customers
with, right? So, assuming you haven't yet started your business, what you'll want to do first is decide what you want to sell. So, like what is the product? why we're backwards engineering the business. So, you're going to think
about what type of product you want to sell, like is it going to be an digital product that you create, is it going to be a physical product? And also the topic, choosing the niche for your business or the industry for your
business. Then from there, you're going to think, "Okay, what sort of content would attract?" Okay, so content. Not really thinking so much about the exact channel yet, but we want to attract people who want help with this thing.
So, what are some like different specific video ideas that would be interesting to them if they would want to buy that product. And then from there, the final step will be kind of planning the channel itself. Okay, so on
YouTube, what is this going to look like? And you might go Wow, that was a terrible rectangle. You might go and look at channels that cover some of these topics. So, look up these topics on YouTube, find channels that made
videos about that, and look at what is their channel about as a whole? What kind of niche does it fit in? What formats and styles of videos do those channels make? And by seeing like real-life examples of channels that are
talking about this thing that ultimately relates to this product you want to sell, I think you'll get kind of a a visceral reaction to which of these a channel that's like, you know, which one seems like videos that you would
enjoy making, that you would want to keep making on into the future, and which one is the most popular, you know? Are there some different kind of concepts of channels that are doing really well, others that are struggling,
even if they are talking about the same general topic? I think a great example wellness or fitness space. There are channels that mostly make videos about their personal experience, where it's like, I tried creatine for 30 days or
something like that, or I tried weightlifting for 30 days. Then there science-based, where they make videos where they explain science concepts. Um versus fit channels that focus on fitness. So, there's so many different
um just varieties of channels in that one niche or vertical on YouTube. And when you watch these different ones, you might notice that some of these videos might be a lot easier for you to make than others. Some of them would work
with your personality or not. So again, we're kind of looking at the same steps of what are you interested in, what are you passionate about, what would you like doing. We're also being a bit strategic about it. We're doing some
research. But by doing these steps in a different order, it's going to work for people with a certain personality or thinking about things in a certain way. And particularly with this one, with the backwards-engineered business method, it
is about kind of what your value is or what your focus is, you know? If what you really want at the end of the day is to make money with your channel and to fuel a business, then we really want to start there, not start with all our
separately have lots of ideas for YouTube channels you could start. But you have to ask yourself, which one is really going to serve your end goal? Okay, now let's look at the last of these methods, and this is the lab
method, okay? So, basically, what the lab method is, big picture, not talking about the steps exactly, is it's experimenting with different video ideas um in kind of a real-life way, and then from there deciding what you actually
want to create. So, while the other methods were about pre-planning, this method is about learning by doing. And I will say that this is actually the method that worked for me. So, like you
may have, I tried some different variations that are like some of the methods we talked about earlier. I tried focusing on the research, you know, thinking about what topics I was interested in, and trying to choose one
to make a channel about, and I ended up just really frustrated. I started and stopped several different like blogs and YouTube channels trying to find the one and trying to stick with it and be consistent, and I just couldn't seem to
manage to be consistent, and also it was really, really difficult to choose one idea to focus on in the first place at all. But so for the lab method, what I all. But so for the lab method, what I did was I just gave myself freedom to
And that might sound like that's not even a method, but there are some rules here. Okay, so first rule, again, is freedom, okay? So, that you're not going to limit yourself. At first, you are just going to make videos about whatever
this one is, I would say, equally important, is that you are going to be consistent, okay? And what you are going to be consistent about is your posting schedule, okay? Because if you give yourself total freedom over when you
post and what you post about, most likely, you are not going to post enough going to just feel kind of like overwhelmed and purposeless and directionless, okay? So, we need to give ourselves some sort of confinement,
box here, which is I am going to post a video every single week. I can make it now, but every single week I'm posting a video, no matter what. And the best way to do this that I found is to give yourself a schedule. So, not just like
post a video, but then the week goes by and you didn't post a video, and you're where did the week go? You make a schedule. So, you're like, on Mondays, I will plan videos. On Tuesdays, I will film the videos. And then on Wednesdays
and Thursdays, I will edit the videos. And then every Friday, I will post the like that. And it could be this schedule, but it totally doesn't have to be. Although, if you do want a schedule, I did make a video several months ago
about how to build a successful YouTube channel in just a few hours a month, and I will put a link to that down below, and I break down a schedule you can follow if you want a schedule. But anyway, so we got a rule here. We
are consistent. And what this does is it forces you to test, you know, you need ideas and to figure out what you actually like talking about, what you're actually the most interested in, and what you like making videos about, which
isn't always the same thing as what you are just interested in. And then from here, the third step, if you will, is to choose an idea, okay? that the obvious last step of any of these? But I feel that in this
particular method, it's an especially kind of big part of the process. Because here, we are going to decide like how long we're going to do these first steps. And by the way, I would recommend that you do set a time limit on that,
somewhere around two or three months if you're posting a video each week. And that when you get to the end of that time, then you decide, what topic do I want to focus on for now? And especially if you are really struggling with the
decision, let it be that. Let it be I'm going to stick with this topic for now. idea in the future. And of course, that goes for all the methods, but this is you know, having a hard time nailing it down, and the other methods haven't
worked for them, so they need to experiment a bit. And so, this is especially important here that you know that it's just for now decision. You can pivot. You can start a new channel. You've got lots of options, but you will
you will not regret starting your channel now so you can start making progress. And that's two different things. One part is starting growing time, right? So, we need to get that ball rolling. But the other part, which
part, is starting the process of figuring out the channel, okay? So, even to start, even if you're really struggling, well, just start posting decision, even if you don't know if you want it to be forever, because this is
going to help you get closer to the truth, closer to the solution that you're looking for. All right, well, there you have it, the four different methods you can use to decide what YouTube channel to start. I hope that
one of these stood out to you as a method that would work well with your personality, depending on if you are more of like a free spirit and you have trouble narrowing things down, or if you are more focused on the money and the
business side of things, or if you are a very like strategic, logical thinker, you'll want to use the strategy-first method, or if you are more like passion-driven, and you want to focus on what you really like doing,
and then kind of as secondary considerations, consider what you're actually good at and what's actually popular on YouTube. So, yeah, I hope one Now, once you choose which YouTube
channel to start, then you will need a strategy for getting this channel off the ground and growing, right? And so, if you haven't already, make sure you check out my YouTube masterclass. It is all about YouTube strategy. I teach you
in the masterclass how the YouTube algorithm works, and how you can work with it to grow your channel as quickly as possible. The masterclass is called Three Secrets to Reach 1,000 subscribers in just 3 months. There's going to be a
link in the description below for you to sign up for that. It's an instant access workshop, so you can sign up and then just immediately watch it. Obviously, it's pre-recorded, so you can watch it any time zone, anything like that. And
it's about 1 hour long, but I know it's going to save you so much time and so much frustration as you get started on YouTube, because if you don't have a good strategy going into it, doesn't matter how good of an idea you choose
it can take you years to get any traction, and most people give up if they don't see traction within that first year. So, I want to show you how you can start getting your channel to
see some serious growth within just the first 3 months, cuz I know that's going to help you stick with it long term, and it's also going to get your channel way All right, well, that's all for this video. Thanks so much for joining me for
make sure you do that now, because I post new videos every single month all about online business and online things like that, and I would love to have you join me for the next one. And
well. All right, that's it. See you guys next time.