Starting a YouTube channel is kinda like starting a diet. You’re pumped, motivated, and ready to change your life… until you tell people about it. Suddenly, everyone has an opinion. “Are you sure this is a good idea?” “You know, my cousin tried that and failed.” “Maybe you should just focus on your real job?”
And just like that, your excitement turns into self-doubt.
Now, I get it. When you start something new—especially something as personal as a YouTube channel—you want support. You want your friends and family to hype you up. Maybe even share your videos. But here’s the cold, hard truth: telling people too soon can sabotage your channel before it even gets off the ground.
I learned this the hard way. And because I don’t want you to go through the same unnecessary struggle, let me break it all down for you.
YouTube Needs to Find the Right Audience—Not Your Nosy Aunt
YouTube’s algorithm is an advanced matchmaking service. It tries to pair your content with people who want to watch it. But when you manually share your videos with family and friends, you’re throwing a wrench into the system.
Let’s say you make tech reviews (like I do). You send your new video to your mom, your cousin, and that one friend from high school who still thinks “Android vs. iPhone” is a personality trait. They click, watch for 10 seconds, and then bounce because… surprise! They don’t care about tech.
And guess what? YouTube notices.
It sees that people aren’t watching your video all the way through, which tells the algorithm, “Hmm, maybe this video isn’t that interesting. Let’s not recommend it to others.” And just like that, your chances of getting organic views drop.
Now, if you had just let YouTube do its thing, it would’ve shown your video to actual tech enthusiasts—people who would binge-watch your content and beg for more. But instead, you let your cousin Chad ruin your analytics. Tough break.
The Algorithm is Smarter Than You (And Me)
YouTube’s algorithm is like a clingy ex—it watches everything you do. How long do people watch your videos? How many times do they click on your thumbnails? Whether they smash the like button or ghost you entirely.
Based on that data, it decides whether your content deserves to be recommended to a wider audience.
Now, here’s the problem: when you force views from people who don’t genuinely care about your niche, you’re feeding YouTube bad data. And once YouTube gets the wrong idea about your content, it can take forever to course-correct.
I’ve been there. Early on, I made the rookie mistake of sending my videos to literally anyone with a WiFi connection. My engagement tanked, and I spent months fighting to get my content in front of the right viewers. Had I just trusted the algorithm from the start, my channel would’ve grown way faster.
Moral of the story? YouTube knows best. Let it do its thing.
Slow Growth is Normal (and Not a Sign That You Suck)
The biggest reason new YouTubers panic and start spamming their video links? Impatience.
Look, I get it. You pour your heart into a video, you hit upload, and then… crickets. Maybe a handful of views. Maybe even zero views. (Ouch.)
And that’s when the panic sets in. You start thinking, “Maybe if I just get a few more eyeballs on this, YouTube will take me seriously.” So, you start DM’ing your friends. You drop the link in random Facebook groups. You force your cat to watch it (we’ve all been there).
But here’s the thing—YouTube is a long game.
MrBeast, Marques Brownlee, Emma Chamberlain… all these big creators? They didn’t blow up overnight. They spent years grinding before they saw real traction. So if your first few videos are struggling, that’s normal. It doesn’t mean you’re bad at YouTube. It just means YouTube hasn’t figured you out yet.
Instead of forcing views, focus on what actually matters: making better videos. Improve your editing. Work on your delivery. Learn how to craft thumbnails that make people need to click.
You don’t need fake support. You need real fans. And real fans take time to find.
Friends and Family Might Be Your Biggest Haters
Alright, let’s talk about something no one likes to admit—your biggest doubters might be the people closest to you.
I’ve seen it happen (and experienced it myself). You tell your friends about your channel, expecting excitement, and instead, you get… weird energy. Some might act supportive on the surface but never actually watch your videos. Others might straight-up mock the idea.
And then there are the “advice-givers.”
“You should vlog more.”
“You should do funny videos instead.”
“Maybe try those pranks where people pretend to break up? Those go viral.”
Oh, and my personal favorite: “No offense, but why are you even doing YouTube?”
Now, I’m not saying all friends and family are like this. Some will genuinely support you. But many won’t. And if you’re not careful, their skepticism can wreck your confidence.
When you’re just starting out, you’re already dealing with enough self-doubt. You don’t need extra negativity from people who don’t understand what you’re trying to build.
This is why I always tell new creators: Keep your channel to yourself for a while. Let it grow naturally. Get a few wins under your belt before you start announcing it to the world. Because once people see success, their tune tends to change quickly.
The Right Support Will Find You
The best part about not relying on friends and family? You’ll eventually attract people who care about your content.
These are the people who will:
- Watch every video from start to finish.
- Comment things like “Bro, this is exactly what I needed!”
- Share your content with their friends (without you even asking).
And the crazy thing? You don’t need a million subscribers to start seeing this. Even just a small group of dedicated viewers is more valuable than 100 friends who only watch out of pity.
When I stopped worrying about getting my friends to support my channel and just focused on making great videos, things started to click. YouTube rewarded me. My real audience found me. And my confidence skyrocketed.
Learn From My Mistakes
I’ve learned all of this the hard way. I spent too much time trying to convince the wrong people to care about my channel instead of letting the right people find me.
If you’re just getting started, trust the process. Don’t force views. Don’t beg for validation. And most importantly, don’t let anyone (especially friends and family) make you feel stupid for chasing your dream.
YouTube is a marathon, not a sprint. Keep going, keep improving, and let success shut them up for you.
Now, go make some killer content. You got this.
