Dear YouTube…

An open letter to YouTube.

Dear YouTube,

I hate Subway.

The sandwich shop chain.

Okay, I don’t actually hate them. Face it, their sandwiches are delicious. However, what I don’t always like about Subway is how ordering your lunch requires a lot of soul-searching and decision making.

Even though I’m almost guaranteeing you’ll find SOMETHING you’ll enjoy for lunch, you have to be ready to make some decisions before you can take a bite.

So, I end up ordering the same damn thing all the time because it’s easier.

YouTube is Subway to me.

A buffet of tasty burdensome choices.

YouTube has practically everything you’d want from video. From How-To’s to Vlogs to fully-produced series.

BUT…

You need to know what you want before you can enjoy that first bite.

Sure, there’s the “YouTube Rabbit Hole”. No argument there. However, you must start your rabbit hole journey looking for rabbits, or mice, or mushrooms… look, I don’t know what you do in the forest. That’s your business. The point is, you went to YouTube with something specific in mind to start with.

I know that’s not an absolute, but I do think YouTube is a destination.
It’s where you go to search for a video.

That makes things quite difficult for a content creator like myself. I either have to cross my fingers for a breakout viral hit that defies all odds, or I look at what other people are already searching for and then try to create some content that caters to that pre-existing trend (a common business tactic but not super awesome for creativity).

So, here’s my idea:

Create a separate YouTube Feed app platform.

Give each user a Feed.

If I’ve subscribed to someone, they’re in my Feed.

Let me follow other people.

When I post a new video, it can go in to the playlist I choose, on my channel’s home page AND it shows up in my Feed.

If I like a video by someone else, I can choose to post that video on MY Feed. Then the people who follow my Feed find stuff that I’m enjoying.

I know you’ve tried something similar with the YouTube Community… but it’s not the same. It felt awkward.

Let me start discovering cool new videos because people I like on YouTube liked and shared them.

Watch Time would skyrocket.

Also, if you do this more people might actually find my videos.

That all said, never forget that I love you, YouTube.
You’ve played a major role in my life since I joined in 2006 and I won’t quit you.

I’m now going to go order a 12" Tuna on white with lettuce, onion, green pepper, cucumber, mayo, salt and pepper… because that’s all I ever get from Subway.

###