First Videos of Popular YouTubers: How It All Began

Every YouTube creator had a distinct starting point. It was awkward, messy, somewhat cute and currently nostalgic. We’ve seen it all: the rise, the fall, and sometimes the resurrection. There’s a thing to remember, however: the first video rarely defines you, but it always leaves a distinct digital footprint. Let’s break down what the first videos of successful creators can teach us.

1. Were All First Videos Cringe?

The first video to get uploaded isn’t going to be your best one. It’s the one that you remember fondly, or cringe at the mention of. But it’s there to signify how far you’ve come and where your journey started. You’ve probably seen PewDiePie’s first uploads of Amnesia gameplay, or his funny montage videos. It had it all: bad mic quality, messy edits, voice cracking, random Swedish. 

His first ever video on the channel (that now has over 100 million subscribers) is a Minecraft alpha gameplay that lasts a bit over 2 minutes and is just that: two friends having fun and bullying a poor algorithm-made zombie while laughing and talking in a mixture of Swedish and English. You look at that first upload and wonder: how did that guy become one of the most well-known and popular YouTubers to ever exist? 

The answer would be this: he found his niche. Before PewDiePie, hardly anyone made letsplays, especially when it came to horror games. Nobody at the time thought it would be interesting to watch. Therefore, when he delved into Amnesia and uploaded consistently (including the funny montage parts cut from his videos) - his popularity soared almost overnight. 

Your production quality can be a mess, your editing can be clunky, but what needs to be taken into consideration is your personality and how you put yourself out there. Creators who broke through weren’t perfect from the start (and they still aren’t), but they gave the viewers the reason to stick around. If your content doesn’t leave the viewers waiting for a new video, no technical glow-up will save it.

2. They Didn’t Try to Be Everyone’s Favorite

Another thing that you might notice in the first ever uploads of famous YouTubers is that they don’t try to be all flashy, in-your-face, or emulate a fake sort of likeability. Take TheOdd1sOut as an example. He didn’t start out energetic, his first video was just that: telling a story with some visuals and rather loud music. 

The first Korean YouTube channel to hit 100 million subscribers Kim Pro had their channel start out with a random 20 second video that looks like random store footage. And look at them now! 

The matter of fact is: when they uploaded their first video, these channels didn’t aim to become popular, they aimed to share stories, to share something they enjoyed doing. And that’s why they gained popularity. If you don’t like your content and do whatever is viral at the moment, you will lose your interest very quickly and that’s what gets all the aspiring creators out of the game early. Find something you enjoy and share that passion with the world!

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3. They Were Versatile

If we look at the very first video of the man, the myth, the legend that is MrBeast, we can see how far he’d come. Similar to PewDiePie, he began his journey with Minecraft videos. Yes, a lot of creators started in one lane and ended up somewhere completely different. 

Markiplier uploaded random skits and voice impressions before finding his rhythm with horror games (and later moving on to try others). Tana Mongeau began with storytimes, but her channel moved through drama, vlogs, and even music. What does it mean for creators? 

Well, besides finding the niche you like and branching from there, don’t get sentimental over the content you started out with. Be versatile, don’t be afraid to change and adjust if something doesn’t work out for you. It’s your YouTube channel, after all. 

4. They Focused on Progression

Each upload was a special milestone. They weren’t aiming to go viral or blow up overnight. First videos weren’t optimized for perfection, but they were learning and growing as they went. They listened to feedback, studied retention graphs, read every comment, and adjusted accordingly. 

It’s easy to look at someone’s work and scoff that they’ve gotten lucky. While it’s true that luck is a variable in a YouTube career, it isn’t everything. Many of the top creators published dozens of videos before they ever hit 1,000 subscribers. Nevertheless, giving up is not an option!

If you’re already on YouTube and the growth is slow, look back at your last 10 uploads. Did you run an A/B test? Did you change your hook style? Did you test a new structure? Or did you hit upload and hope for the best? If you cannot find the issue that’s stalling your growth, drop us a message and we’ll be more than happy to help!

5. They Were Consistent

Believe it or not, but even back at the day when YouTube was only starting out, upload schedules were a thing. PewDiePie used to upload every single day, JaidenAnimations had a once-per-month video schedule despite her being in college, and Film Theorists used to pop out top notch videos once per two weeks. 

It’s very important to have a schedule and stick to it, however trivial it might sound. People appreciate predictability in uploads. 

It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been on YouTube, whether you’re just starting out or keeping at it for years: there’s always more to learn. The best creators learn from others' mistakes and successes and great news is, in that regard, that you don’t have to do it all alone. 

We help creators relaunch, reposition, and reignite channels every day. But the real shift starts with your mindset. And if you want someone reliable by your side for that next evolution, we’re ready to jump in with you.