My First YouTube Video Got Zero Views—And AI Called Me Out for What I Did Next
My first video flopped. Completely.
Twenty views in 23 hours. Zero views for the first 18 hours. A 1.3% click-through rate. An average view duration of 5.4 minutes that told me people weren’t even finishing it.
And what did I do?
I immediately started building a website, planning my content strategy, and asking Claude AI what topics I should cover next.
That’s when it told me off.
(If you haven’t read how I got started, check out my first post: At 41, I Finally Understood Why I’ve Been Stuck for Six Years)
The Harsh Truth I Needed to Hear
I’d been using Claude with all of Joe Hudson’s coaching transcripts loaded in—creating what I call my “Joe Hudson-style therapy.” And when I complained about my zero views, here’s what it said:
“Stop right there. You’re doing exactly what we talked about. You uploaded 18 hours ago, and you’re already deciding the algorithm has rejected you, that your title and thumbnail aren’t good enough, and that you failed.”
Ouch.
But it wasn’t done:
“What did you expect to happen in 18 hours with zero subscribers, no existing audience, and a brand new channel? You’re not disappointed about zero views. You’re disappointed because you expected external validation to make you feel okay about what you created.”
Double ouch.
The Pattern I Keep Repeating
Here’s the truth: I’ve been posting on YouTube within these six years, but about things I wasn’t really interested in.
I created a channel about Etsy and selling on Redbubble because I had e-commerce experience. But I wasn’t actually selling on those platforms anymore. I was just helping other people do it better.
It pigeon-holed me into a topic I hated talking about. The content felt uninspired. Eventually, I abandoned it.
And now? With this new channel where I’m finally talking about what I actually want to discuss?
I’m doing the exact same avoidance pattern—just in a different form.
What I Was Really Avoiding
After getting zero views, I didn’t make video two. Instead, I started:
- Building a website
- Creating an “About” section
- Strategizing topics
- Optimizing thumbnails
- Seeking approval for what to create next
And Claude called me out again:
“Can you see the pattern? You’re doing everything except the one thing that actually matters: making more videos. This is classic avoidance. You felt disappointed about zero views. Instead of feeling that disappointment and making another video anyway, you’re trying to think your way to success.”
It continued:
“You don’t need topics right now. You don’t need a website about section. You need to make video two while feeling the disappointment of zero views on video one. That’s the work. Stop building infrastructure and go create.”
The Real Problem: I’m Addicted to Validation
This Joe Hudson-style therapy is absolutely bang on.
I’m constantly trying to get validation. I hate negative judgment. I avoid it at all costs. And I think this is part of the problem with creating this YouTube channel.
There’s this thinking side of me that says: “You shouldn’t be talking about what you want to talk about because no one’s going to be interested. You’re not going to get any views. So what’s the point?”
But the therapy keeps pointing out that this is all part of thinking instead of feeling.
If I want to feel like I have a purpose, then creating things that feel right to me is the way forward.
And I’m starting to really agree with that philosophy.
What I’m Learning to Do Differently
Since starting this, I’ve been catching myself going down negative thought spirals.
When I notice it, I do what I’ve seen Joe Hudson do in his videos: I simply say “I see you” to the negative self-talk.
Instead of battling it, I let it be. I accept it’s there.
It’s a much smarter way of not combating it, but accepting it instead.
Why I’m Sharing This Mess
Someone out there has recorded their first YouTube video and it flopped—just like mine.
I’m recording about that because I want you to know it’s not just you.
There are probably loads of people who got thousands or hundreds of thousands of views on their first video. But I don’t think it’s healthy to compare yourself to them.
You’re on your own journey.
As long as you’re passionate about doing this and you’re enjoying it, that’s all that really matters. Because this is giving you a purpose.
For me right now, this is giving me a purpose. And I need that purpose right now.
The Pattern That Kept Me Stuck for Six Years
Here’s what happened in sequence:
- I made my first video after six years of thinking about it ✓
- I got 20 views and felt disappointed
- I immediately started building a website and planning topics instead of making video two
- I realized I was using overwhelm and busy work to avoid feeling the disappointment
- I recognized this is the same pattern that kept me stuck for six years
When I say “I realized,” it was really the Joe Hudson-style therapy pointing it out. But I’m starting to see it now.
What Actually Matters
Claude asked me the real questions:
“How did it feel to actually post the video after six years? Not the views—how did it feel?”
Did I feel liberated making it?
Am I going to let 18 hours of zero views stop me from making video two?
The algorithm doesn’t owe me anything. My first video doesn’t owe me views.
Making other people’s responses determine whether I continue—that’s the exact pattern that kept me stuck.
Why I’m Documenting the Genuine Journey
I think documenting the genuine journey is a lot more valuable than pretending everything’s going smoothly.
I don’t want to act like I know everything when in reality, I know nothing. I’m learning constantly.
It’s part of the process.
And if you’re currently starting a YouTube channel and you’re also finding it difficult, I want you to know you’re not alone.
The Truth About Starting Over at 40+
This is my second video. I’m 41 years old. I’m starting a YouTube channel where I talk about:
- Negative self-talk
- Overwhelm
- Roadblocks for 40+ people building things online
I literally discovered these topics from my own experience. From my own struggles.
And that’s what I need to keep coming back to whenever I start to wander off track with website building, strategy planning, and approval seeking.
I need to come back to this harsh truth: Stop building infrastructure and go create.
If you’re starting a YouTube channel and finding it difficult, drop a comment below. I’d love to connect with you. I think we can help each other out and support each other moving forward—share tips and tricks on what we’re doing right or wrong.
Let’s create a community of beginners who are documenting the real journey, not the highlight reel.
What did YOU do after your first video flopped? Or what’s stopping you from posting video one?
