Had the honor of chatting with Luke Barousse and Alex The Analyst at the same time this week at the #brightdatahouse! It was fascinating to hear about how they create content differently with different constraints on their time. It was also great to hear about the specific things they learned from being around so many other creators!
Transcription:
[00:00:00] Alex: I like, I just have such a limited amount of time. Like I get one hour once a week to do my stuff. I don't have time to do anything fancy. I don't have to like, I can somewhat prepare beforehand, but I don't have time to do all the extra stuff. So like my style is a certain way because of certain factors.
[00:00:23] Ken: This episode of Ken's Nearest Neighbors is powered by Z by HP. HP's high compute, workstation-grade line of products and solutions. I also wanna give a special shout out to Bright Data. They are sponsoring the Bright Data House this week, allowing all of us creators to come together and have quite a bit of fun.
Today, I am interviewing two of my favorite data analysts, data analytics, data analytics manager, among other...
[00:00:49] Luke: Who's your favorite data analyst YouTuber.
[00:00:51] Ken: I would like to think that it's ... But he's a data engineer though. You guys are all my favorites in different ways.
[00:01:08] Luke: Aww that's something like a mom would say. Thank you. I appreciate it.
[00:01:11] Ken: Well, Alex is incredibly fun to banter with. Luke, you're unbelievably fun to create content with. And we have so much fun planning and working on video designs and all those types of things.
So, you both bring very unique value to my life in different ways.
[00:01:25] Luke: Thanks, mom.
[00:01:25] Alex: That's super sweet.
[00:01:26] Ken: So I wanna start things off. Obviously we're here with a bunch of different people, a bunch of different backgrounds, data engineers, ML Ops engineers, data scientists, data analysts, managers, whatever you might.
What has your experience been like, just talking with these different people? Is it something that is fundamentally different from what you see in work? Or are you just feeling like you have the same conversations about the same issues over and over again? Just with different people?
[00:01:56] Alex: You know, I work with a lot of different developers, data engineers, data scientists at work. So like I have a pretty good idea of what kind of work conversations go on. Being here, it's more like we're talking about being content, creators, being you know, entrepreneurs or, you know, audiences and how to interact with them. How to use our data. You know, it's just different conversations that you'd ever have in like the workplace.
We have had some where we're like talking about actual workplace issues or like issues with data in the workplace. But how we've interacted like with everyone here is very much like, I don't know. It's just very, very unique because we're all creating content and trying to help people learn this field and learn this area.
So, yeah, it's, I think it's quite different than how I interact or talk with people like at work.
[00:02:48] Ken: What do you think, Luke?
[00:02:49] Luke: Exact same. Next question.
[00:02:53] Alex: Nailed it.
[00:02:53] Luke: Yeah, no, and I guess sort of like going along that line, it feels like but from a work aspect, it's always, we're talking about problem. And how to, yeah.
And just the, like the problems having as we're here, we're talking about more, which I like it a lot. Cuz we're talking more about how do you solve those problems for different problems that you may have, whether it's data analytics, YouTube data science, whatever it may be. So it's a different frame in how we're I guess, going about our conversations are when I think it's completely different than what I have normally day to day.
[00:03:26] Ken: Awesome. Yeah. I think in work we can sort of get into echo chambers. everyone is facing the same problems. And it's nice to have this outside perspective. Like, Oh, this is how it is in my company or, Oh, we do it a completely different way, even in our content too. Right. We see, Oh, like, Alex does it this way. Luke does it this way. I do it this really strange way. Why was I doing it that way for so long? Right?
[00:03:50] Alex: I didn't wanna say it.
[00:03:51] Ken: Yeah. Well, I mean, even, even with like the audio video, I mean, you know, like Alex, we were talking about different tools and you're like, Oh, oh my goodness. Like, this is...
[00:03:58] Alex: I have learned so much in the ... Like I've learned an enormous amount in the past two days from everybody, cuz they're like, I use this tool to do editing. I use this, this type of equipment and I'm like, Guys, I'm like on a shoestring budget over here. Like I'm using like the worst equipment out of everyone. So I'm learning like, Hey, you know, I need to upgrade in certain areas. So in that aspect, I yeah, huge learning opportunity from everybody here.
[00:04:19] Ken: Well, we're pretty early in, but what's the most interesting thing that you've learned or observed so far.
[00:04:25] Alex: Go ahead.
[00:04:25] Luke: Oh, did you go ahead?
[00:04:27] Alex: I thought, I thought, yeah, I thought, I thought you were, I thought you were like ready.
[00:04:30] Ken: I'm just coming out the woodwork.
[00:04:33] Alex: I would say I'm learning a lot about how people create their content. So like, I, we, I was just talking with Luke this morning about his process and how he makes his content. Which is like, just completely... Like we're just talking about hard differences in our styles, which I've talked to a lot of other people about like, mine is I, like, I just have such a limited amount of time.
Like I get one hour once a week to do my stuff. I don't have time to do anything fancy. I don't have to like, I can somewhat prepare beforehand him, but I don't have time to do all that extra stuff. So like, my style is a certain way because of certain factors. Whereas like, you know, Lucas. He can, he has, so he has a lot of time to like really make it good.
Like all the nice edits learn, all these things, constantly making improvements. And so I've just learned a lot of different people's style and how they create their content, which has opened up. I mean, genuinely, I was just texting my wife about this, this morning or last night and this morning about how I was like, I was like, you know, I'm learning so much about how people do things, which is really broadening.
My perception of how I should be doing my own stuff. Like I'm like, man, I, you know what, that's way better than what I'm doing. I need to do that. Like, I just need to incorporate that aspect to make my stuff better.
[00:05:46] Ken: Amazing. What do you think, Luke?
[00:05:48] Luke: Yeah, I, well, I just showed up yesterday, so.
[00:05:50] Ken: Yeah, you you're early, but you've also got one of these under your ... Right?
[00:05:53] Luke: Exactly. And I think the, I guess the biggest thing that I take away is, you know, sometimes I'll be working in my silo and just going through struggles like mentally or the problems I encounter. It's like, you know, sometimes you just feel like you're, you're attacking this on your own and nobody else has these similar problems to you, but it's very, like we had this conversation this morning talking about how you were trying to balance family with work and also YouTube. And it's just like comforting to hear that you go out through pain, but it's like, it's...
[00:06:22] Alex: I love it.
[00:06:23] Luke: It is. It's like, Yes, ... is suffering. Yes.
[00:06:27] Alex: It really invigorated you. I could tell you were like, kind of amped afterwards.
[00:06:31] Luke: But it, yeah, it's sort of like, Oh, Okay. Like everybody, like everybody's human.
They're going through struggles. And encountering their own problems. It's interesting to hear what, what problems are people are, are facing in their own personal lives and that they have these struggles as well. And so it's like, sort of like motivating to me after I leave here. I'm sure. And then last time was motivating as well to have that in mind that it is not just my feeling of this.
[00:06:55] Alex: Yeah. I had the exact same thoughts as well.
[00:06:57] Ken: I really love that so much. I mean, outside looking in, I think one of the biggest problems with content creation with social media, any of these platforms is you see the work people. You don't necessarily see what goes on behind the scenes. And now here we strip it all back, but it's like, Oh, you know, I've got like kids, I have this two hour period where I can record.
[00:07:15] Alex: That's it.
[00:07:16] Ken: You know, like I have all this other stuff going on. I have work, I have whatever it is. And it's like, you know, I know now that everyone else is struggling with the same things that I am you just don't see that part until it's actually out there, like the creative block or any of these things.
It's like, man, I haven't scripted something in this long, but it's like fucking Ken over here hasn't hasn't done that either.
[00:07:36] Alex: Oh, I don't feel so bad.
[00:07:37] Ken: Yeah. It's like, Oh, you know, Ken started like eight scripts and didn't finish any of them because I love the planning and like the starting the script and I start writing and I'm like, Oh, this I don't like this.
[00:07:49] Alex: Delete.
[00:07:49] Ken: Yeah. Oh exactly. and I think that that's something that's pretty unique to this scenario in content, because at work you see other, your coworkers working. And that to me is intimidating too, because like, Wow, they're working four hours straight and I can't sit still for more than 25 minutes.
How do I reconcile this in my mind? But here, I mean, it's hard, it's creative, it's self-driven and you don't necessarily get that exposure into other people as often. Something I'm interested in, especially between the two of you. So Alex, you have a very systemized. Right. And it works really well.
In terms of serving your audience and those types of things. And obviously you do as well, but there is always this battle between getting content out there and innovation. Luke, I know you like are constantly trying to push the boundaries of what you can make within, you know, largely from a phone perspective, right?
Like how, how do I shoot this in this different angle? How do I like add this other flare? How do you balance those things? I know we've, we both struggle with this. It's like, you know, you want to do all these things and it's like, I only, this is a 10-minute video. I can't do all these things or I can't get it out there.
How do each of you navigate that? Because it seems like you're kind of coming from very different places in that frame. Like, you know, tried and ... works. You're like, I know this works, but I want to explore, I wanna expand on this.
[00:09:12] Luke: Yeah. Oh, I guess I'll start. So I actually, it is really interesting with that aspect of how I sort of go about tackling. It's very similar to like what I would do with like a data project, because I find the way I do it, I try to overcomplicate things in life, just in general. So a data project I'm going after it and like, Okay, I only need to just do this web scraper, LinkedIn. And I'm like, Oh, but it would be nice if I just add like a, you know, this extra feature, maybe I can build out a gooey for, maybe I can do this for it.
And then it's just, Okay, what is the main goal in mind. And so that's what happens with me with YouTube. I always find myself, Okay. I wanna make this video on how I use Excel and I start out real basic, and then I start just adding, adding more stuff. And then eventually every single time it happens, I just overcomplicate it completely, I usually have like some sort of like breakdown and I'm like, whatever, I'm just, I'm done. I'm gonna go mountain biking, go jump some jumps. I'm like, have a big glass of wine. Anyway, I usually at that point reflect, I'm like, Okay, what do I need for my core goals? And I sort of just scale back from there and then just aim for the finish line to finish it. So yeah, I think it has a lot of synergies actually with data projects. I'm just not ever complicating it and scaling back to what, to get to...
[00:10:25] Ken: That's awesome.
[00:10:26] Alex: So you said you start with like the basics and you add on from there.
[00:10:29] Luke: Yeah.
[00:10:29] Alex: That's where I stop. Like, I do like, I, we were just talking about that this, this morning is like I, because of my schedule and my lifestyle, I have no time. Like, I have extremely limited time to do YouTube. Like I can maybe dedicate like five, six hours a week. Maybe like, if I'm really lucky. And so depending on the week, I that's all I could get is two hours. So I don't have, I don't have the bandwidth to do anything fancy. I wish I could cuz I really respect how Luke does things because it's really good and it's captivating and he has all these cuts and all these things like if I could do that, I probably would.
I just a don't have the time to like learn it. And two, like trying to also do that for every video sounds. So intimidating. So with like my style, it really is. I just try to get to the core of it. And that's kind of as far as I go, but I try to make it, you know, I try to speak in like layman's terms as I, like, I'm talking with Forrest this morning. I'm like, we try to speak in layman terms. I can't get...
[00:11:36] Ken: What's a layman. No, I'm just kidding.
[00:11:37] Alex: I can't, I can't get fancy with it because I don't have the bandwidth. Hopefully one day I will have the bandwidth to go a little bit more in depth, but I also feel like you know, we have within this small niche, we have our niche.
Like he has his niche, I have my niche and they're both successful. So like, I don't really feel an urge to go out there and really like target his audience or like his, the people who really like his stuff. Cuz I'm like, look, they really like him. He's doing a great. I don't need to cause I have my niche, right?
My niche within a niche, like my simplicity is like what people like about me so that if I tried to go target his audience, they people, the people who liked my content before are like, dude, you're trying to be Luke and I don't want that. Let Luke be Luke. So that's what I'm trying to do. I'm letting Luke be Luke, Alex be Alex.
and it, I think a lot of it has been driven by just, you know, I just that's my life. Like I can't change that right now. So I can't, I don't really have that opportunity to do it. So I'm gonna keep it tried and true stick with what I know. Yeah.
[00:12:39] Luke: That's interesting that we have like that dynamic too. It's like me, like, cuz that causes barriers on both sides. You have very limited time for it.
[00:12:47] Alex: Yeah.
[00:12:47] Luke: Me, I have a little bit more time, but then because I have that more time. I like I got a couple weeks I couldn't do this and then like three months later I have video. I'm like so it's yeah, I can have a it's negatives and it's positive.
[00:13:01] Ken: Yeah. Well, luke, you brought up a really cool parallel to sort of the data process before. And I think whenever we're approaching a problem in data, like problem in life, we have to look very specifically at our own constraints. And like, one of your constraints is time, right? And one of your constraints is like, Oh, like there are these things that I want to integrate to a video.
There's this like, level of like, not that, like, you guys both have incredibly high standards of quality, but there's just something that I want to hit. And that shapes the way that you do your process. Right. And, you know, building on that's the way that, you know, your channels have evolved the style that you've evolved, the thing that makes your videos yours.
And I think that that's, that's like a pretty exciting thing for both of you, is that, you know, you don't have to worry about, Oh, how do I like become, like, how do I make my own style in some sense on a lot of things, your style comes to you based on your your unique situations.
[00:14:01] Alex: Yeah. And it's kinda like you develop like a habits, like it's like a process and procedures, right. You just like, I know here's my process. Like I turn on these lights. I have my script, I have my video. I record, I edit, I have, like, I know everything I'm gonna do ahead ahead of time. Like, nothing is really like, I don't have Luke's problem of like, I have all these ideas I can't implement. So like, I, my process is so simple.
And so I can, I could do it blindfolded now. Like It's very, very straightforward, simple. I've got it. Like I got it. Unlock. So, yeah, it's nice that it's nice to have that because like, in any aspect of your life, when you build those habits, it becomes easier and it becomes you know, more fluid, you know?
[00:14:48] Ken: Yeah. I think let's all actually talk about our process. I think that that's something that's really interesting. Something I've ask a lot of you about, I mean, so when you approach, I think that there's good corollaries to data problems as well. I approach a video almost the same way I approach a data problem.
I am like I script everything. I then have more recently been scripting out all the B roll shoot. I wanna shoot the part that it breaks down for me is I don't have a consistent place that I shoot. Right. I was shooting in my bedroom for a while. And there's just like limited space. I've been trying other places.
And so that's like one wrinkle that like, it doesn't cause me stress, but it causes some. Like some friction in my creation process. Because I know both of you guys, it's like, I flip on all my lights at the same time I sit down and the shot's perfect. Yeah. I've established it exactly. And that for me is something I would really like to get better at, but I also am like, I wanna be in new locations. I wanted to be like funky and fun.
[00:15:47] Alex: Yeah. Well, you, again, your style is. Like we, he has a place, a dedicated room at his desk with his monitors. Like, I mean, that's his style, that's his thing. But with you, it's your style and thing is like different shots and being more eclectic and like having your, that is your style. Right?
[00:16:04] Ken: My style is just like having weird shitter.
[00:16:06] Alex: But if you tried to go and set up something exactly like either of us. It would, you'd be like, that's not your style. People would be like, why stop being an Alex like stop being you are you've you have your own brand, you have your own kind of identity in what you've built, you know?
[00:16:20] Ken: Yeah. I'm gonna make a video in your theme and then in one of your themes and...
[00:16:24] Alex: Yeah, do it, man. That'd that'd be great.
[00:16:26] Ken: I'm Alex The Analyst, welcome back.
[00:16:29] Alex: What's going on, everybody. That's literally how every single, like I have people will put tight that in the comments like, like, because I do it the exact same thing every single time. Cause again, it's like consistency.
[00:16:39] Luke: Oh yeah.
[00:16:40] Alex: I do it the same way every time.
[00:16:43] Ken: Well, you know...
[00:16:43] Alex: And you have your data to nerds thing, right? It's like every time.
[00:16:46] Ken: So I used to do that and I stopped for some reason. I don't know why I used to be like...
[00:16:51] Alex: That's literally what I do.
[00:16:53] Ken: I do it the same end. Like good luck on your data science journey. But we all know how many people actually watch till the end, so.
[00:16:59] Luke: I watch to the end.
[00:17:01] Ken: Why not? You're one of the, one of the yeah, like I've got the gist but I always put Easter eggs at the end of my video.
[00:17:06] Alex: That's what I do too.
[00:17:08] Ken: Yeah.
This episode is brought to you by Z by HP. HP's high compute, workstation-grade line of products and solutions. Z is specifically made for high performance data science solutions. And I personally use the ZBook Studio and the Z4 Workstation. I really love that Z workstations can come standard with Linux, and they can be configured with the data science software stack. With the software stack, you can get right to work doing data science on day 1 without the overhead of having me completely reconfigure your new machine. Now back to our show.
[00:17:38] Alex: Have you, have you guys ever watched like one of my long form content
[00:17:42] Luke: You do the vegetables?
[00:17:43] Alex: Absolutely. Cause at the very end of every single one of my long form content, I say, Hey, if you watch to the end, put in the chat, a vegetable, like, and I tell them a vegetable to put in there. I don't know why. I know how it started. It was completely like off. But now it's become like, it's on things like in all those videos, you'll see a bunch of people like onions. We love you man, onions.
[00:18:02] Ken: Well, how do you define a vegetable?
[00:18:04] Alex: If I Google vegetable list and it's on that list, that's literally what I do to choose the vegetable beforehand.
[00:18:12] Ken: So vegetable is not scientific, dude. You gotta go fruits instead. That's one of the reason...
[00:18:17] Alex: I'm actually running out of vegetables. Like I, cause I've done. I've done like 30.
[00:18:21] Ken: Oh, so you're like, so you say like.
[00:18:23] Alex: I might have to switch.
[00:18:24] Ken: So you say the specific vegetable comment.
[00:18:25] Alex: Yes. I say, Hey comment below ... or comment below beets, or like, that's why. And so that's like my ending Easter egg.
[00:18:34] Ken: I obviously have never watched all the way to the end of one of your video.
[00:18:37] Alex: Come on. This is the...
[00:18:39] Ken: Dude, I don't watch the end of my videos. Okay. That's a lie. Gotta pump my own watch time hard yeah.
[00:18:46] Alex: Yeah. My videos are like, can get long, like yours. Like I can do like 45 minutes an hour sometimes, which is a long time to keep people's attention, especially, it's just talking by yourself.
[00:18:56] Ken: That's why I switched to the podcast format on a different channel and those types of things. I've found that the longer ones were hurting my metrics did, is that something you've thought of at all or is it just like I have all this one place that works really well, like...
[00:19:10] Alex: Yeah, I saw that you had done that. I considered it for like two seconds and I was like, that sounds like a lot of work. I don't have the time for that. So then I didn't and I kept it on my channel and I think there's a healthy balance cuz some of my long form content does very well. Like one of my, I have one that has like 300,000 views.
That's like one of my long form content and some that have like 50, 60, 8000. And I'm like, Okay, it's not like they're flopping. They're not getting like a thousand views. Whereas all my other videos are like 20, 50, a hundred. that would've been like, I would've felt bad, but you know, it there's a healthy balance.
And I feel like my short content is more geared toward learning. Here's what you learn. My long form content is geared towards people. Wanna learn something more in depth and just hear my thoughts on it. And then at the end, get to know me more personally, that those are more like. like, if you want to kind of, if you like, for whatever reason, like you actually like Alex and you're like, I want to learn Alex's thoughts on the subject.
That's why I do it. It's not, it's not it's not, I don't recommend it for everyone. Like most of my other videos, I'm like, if you're in a data analytics, you need to watch these. These are great, but those longform ones I'm like, ah, they're not as important. like, they're just for fun. If you wanna hang out, talk with Alex, you know, drink some coffee and like, hang out. It's more like a hangout video.
[00:20:27] Ken: Interesting. Have you thought of just doing more live streams? I feel like that's even less effort.
[00:20:30] Alex: I don't know, I'm so bad at live streams. Have you ever seen one?
[00:20:34] Ken: Yeah, I have joined.
[00:20:35] Alex: They're the lowest quality I am not good at them. I enjoy, I do them for like, when I hit like milestones, like 250, I just did one like a couple weeks ago. That's the only...
[00:20:44] Ken: That's exactly what I do. I do every 50 K.
[00:20:46] Alex: Exactly.
[00:20:46] Ken: And then they the people leave after they like, it's like, Oh, I hit two 50 K. Now I'm a 2 49. K cuz I did this live streamer.
[00:20:55] Alex: All right. Let's do another 250 K live stream.
[00:20:58] Ken: Oops. Yeah. So you just wait like a couple weeks after and you're like all we got some patting. We'll be alright.
[00:21:06] Alex: Basically.
[00:21:08] Ken: That's something In terms of live streaming, I only like the live stream if there's a group it's intimidating for me to hold attention for that long. I also don't like responding to like chat versus people like the forms we do here. I could do that every day. It's just like, Oh, we're we're all talking.
We can ask questions. I can moderate. It's so easy. Although I was getting roasted for being on my phone the whole time. And I was just reading the questions from the chat . So today I'm gonna let people know that that was...
[00:21:38] Alex: Actually, that was actually me. I was on my phone roasting you on your phone.
[00:21:42] Ken: Yeah, Alex was just like, Ken, why are you talk so funny? You got a big zit on your nose, dude?
[00:21:49] Alex: Yeah, no, that was me for sure.
[00:21:51] Ken: Nice. What about you? You ever gonna livestream, Luke? You enjoyed it when we were...
[00:21:55] Luke: I mean, it's exhilarating, but livestream, cuz like the study with Latina, like going on there and like people react, respond all time. You like, feel like a star.
[00:22:05] Alex: It's pretty cool.
[00:22:06] Luke: Just like a dopamine. But I just no for no probably not.
[00:22:14] Ken: Never.
[00:22:15] Alex: What's your reason for not doing it cuz I mean like you. You get a lot of engagement, you get a lot of like, what, what's your reason for not doing it's just the time invested in it or you don't wanna come up with the content for it.
[00:22:25] Luke: I'm just, yeah. I don't wanna come up with the content for it. I'm afraid it's gonna be detracting. I wanna stick to, we talked about time lengths and I wanna stick to eight to 15 minute videos in that range. And I want to put as much information and quality to like provide somebody information in the least amount of time as possible.
And that's like my ultimate goal. Cause I've been wasted so much of my time, just like watching stuff that wasn't important. And so I think that's also why I'm sort of apprehensive about live streams. I'm afraid I'm gonna like, not provide...
[00:22:59] Alex: Waste an hour someone's life.
[00:23:00] Luke: Yeah. Waste an hour of somebody's life, you know? And it's like, I don't wanna, I don't wanna do that.
[00:23:06] Ken: In terms of wasting someone's life, I find that's one of the biggest challenges I have of YouTube is you want to incentivize for watch time, right? Because the more people watch your videos, the more gets recommended. But the problem with that is that means you make a more convoluted message than necessarily could have been.
Like I could make every single one of my videos, like a minute and a half, I'd say like, these are what you need to know. This is what's important or whatever. I mean, that wouldn't be fun for me, but I could get all that information. I guess that's what like TikTok and these types of things are for.
But at the same time, it's like, I don't think that incentive structure is good for information processing. It's not good for conveying information in the most effective way. And I struggle with that literally every day. I'm like, could I have said this shorter? Yes. But I also like telling stories.
I obviously like talking for hours at a time, so maybe that's okay.
[00:24:00] Luke: Yeah. Like my how to become a data analyst video this year, somebody like probably one of the most hurtful comments I got was somebody was like this video, you could have said this in like a minute. And I was like, I was like, ow. I was like, cuz it was like a 12 minute video or something. And I'm like, Oh, Okay.
[00:24:17] Alex: Yeah. But like you, like you said, if you only do a minute and a half. People are going to listen to it and forget it within a minute and a half. Usually if you go a little bit more in depth, you talk about the logic and the reasoning and the behind the scenes. Like here's why you need to learn it.
Like you do a lot of that where it's like, I've learned Excel on my job. Here are the exact reasons why I learned Excel of how I've used Excel. Those videos do really well because people want to know the reason and that gives them motivation to actually learn it.
[00:24:44] Luke: Also include the story and then the story helps build it in and learn it that much easier.
[00:24:48] Alex: Exactly.
[00:24:49] Ken: No, I think that makes a lot of sense. And there's generally I mean, obviously content is flowing more that direction. You see reels on Instagram, you see shorts, you see a lot of these things for me, it's actually intimidating to make those because I do want to go in depth.
That's fun for me. What do you guys see in terms of that. Are you ever gonna start these reels or are you gonna start these TikToks? Like what's the future view on that front?
[00:25:15] Luke: Warming on my dance, maybe still. Oh...
[00:25:20] Ken: Ian, Ian one of the masterminds behind learn media is shipping out.
[00:25:27] Luke: Oh, getting the camera, get some down some, Oh, right there. Oh yeah. You're in, you're in.
[00:25:35] Alex: You have ... right now.
[00:25:36] Ian: Yeah. Since I don't produce a whole lot of content. It was mostly about, you know, meeting all these wonderful people, and...
[00:25:43] Alex: It was super nice to meet you.
[00:25:44] Ian: Getting to know everyone a little better...
[00:25:45] Luke: ...keeps in mind.
[00:25:46] Ian: So then when I, when I send out the payments, you're like, Oh, that's who sent me my mind.
[00:25:51] Ken: Yeah, exactly. Thank you...
[00:25:53] Ian: And also better to get home to the family and, you know, stay married than continue to hang out and not produce content.
[00:25:59] Alex: There you go.
[00:26:00] Ken: You got a break. Never hurts. I know it's gonna rain in poor when you get packed, but yeah, that it is what it is.
[00:26:05] Ian: Yeah, cool.
[00:26:06] Ken: All right. Well thank you for everything in. I wish I could take you to the airport. I feel like I planned better for that. Amazing. Cool. Well, alright. We will...
[00:26:14] Ian: Sorry, I can't cook more for you guys, but...
[00:26:16] Ken: It's okay.
[00:26:18] Ian: See you everybody.
[00:26:19] Ken: Have a good one. Oh..., we're talking about short form content short you to do...
[00:26:24] Luke: 30-second to one minute. I experimented it.
[00:26:30] Alex: You tried TikTok?
[00:26:31] Luke: So I actually, before my YouTube back when I was only around a hundred or so subscribers on YouTube, I was like, man, this YouTube's not working out. Went to TikTok posted some TikToks, or whatever. The kids do they post TikToks and I went like mini viral with one of my thing, one of my posts or a couple of my videos.
And it was like pretty exhilarating, but anyway, it sort of motivated me to get back to TikTok. So where am I going with that story? I don't know. Yes, I would like to, but I want to make sure that it matches my content on YouTube. So that way they're getting a similar experience. And it is just I've I've tried to do in the past and it sort of gets as a detractors to my main YouTube videos. So I would love to do it. But I probably, I need help. I need like an editor, yeah.
[00:27:17] Alex: Yeah. I'm not hip with that, that Gen Z stuff. Like, I can't, It doesn't make sense to me. I understand it. I understand it. I've done a lot of research on like how...
[00:27:27] Ken: You're practically gen Z.
[00:27:31] Alex: I'm like on that cusp, but like the, I understand how it all works and I get it. I totally understand it, but I don't, I could not, I can't bring myself to do it. Like, I'm just like, that's just for like the younger kids, like, that's just where I'm at. Like, I'm just, I feel like I'm, I don't know. That's just not the one, that's not the kind of style that I want. Like, I don't like the short form here and gone kind of content.
I like something that's more engaging. You get to know them personally. Like, I don't know that to me is much more exciting. Like I've always said, like, if I, my channel stayed small, I would still be doing this because I love connecting with just a few people. Now I get connected with a lot of people. I just feel like I wouldn't connect with people as much on TikTok or any other short form content.
I would say that's the biggest that, and. I just think it's for the younger kids that those are like the two biggest reasons. I'm not going to do it besides ... like putting us on TikTok the other day. That was my first time ever on TikTok.
[00:28:32] Ken: Check that out... That would be a great TikTok of actually quite a few of us.
[00:28:35] Alex: Yeah.
[00:28:36] Ken: You know, something that I struggle with related to the shorter form content is scale. Like you have to produce so much constant. It's very consistent. It's like bang, bang, bang, get it out there. And as I've taken on more things, probably more things than I should. I've realized I need to make all the things that I do more scalable and, you know, a video I can produce in a reasonable amount of time while doing other things.
The short form content. It's just a grind for me. And that's something I recognized in my life that I can't do and maintain everything else going. So I would ask you guys, I would actually like some advice from two of my, I don't know how you say like peers, like, I also look at you guys as mentors in some way and like...
[00:29:21] Alex: Fellow creators.
[00:29:22] Ken: Yeah. But you know, I am constantly taking on new things. Like I am geared towards novelty and innovation, and that really hurts a lot of the areas of my life because I'm like, Ah, I did that already. I don't need to keep doing that. How would you reconcile the desire to do something new and experiment with the actual need to like build something and continue to grow and continue to like cultivate what you currently have.
[00:29:54] Alex: We were kind of topping talking about this this morning with ..., He was, we were basically saying, do you want try a newsletter? Do you wanna try a Discord? Do you wanna go it on Twitter?
[00:30:02] Ken: I got all of them, that's like the problem.
[00:30:04] Alex: You can, you can go on and try it. But in the end, you what we were kind of just discussing. You need to find something that works for you. Like you can't do everything.
[00:30:19] Ken: Yeah.
[00:30:20] Alex: And if you try to do everything, you won't do anything well. So like, if you want a good product, a good brand, a good to grow and connect with your audience, you know, find what you do really well.
Be very good at that. And then once you feel comfortable doing like that, you know, try something new and experiment with it. But don't take on everything at once and try to do it. Cuz again, we we've all been like doing that and trying it it's like it it's overwhelming. It's like I can't maintain all these things.
Like it's impossible. And or I need like help. Like I need to hire somebody to help. It's like, I don't wanna do that. So yeah. I mean that's like my only advice would be you already have YouTube, like you're doing great on YouTube. Like YouTube is a great thing. You do LinkedIn, you do a few other stuff, right. Once just hone in on that and then do like one thing at a time, like don't shake on three, four things at a time.
[00:31:09] Ken: See, that's the challenge. So like for basically a year, my job was pretty slow. So I was all I was focusing on was YouTube and I grew an amazing amount. It was like a great, incredible creative time.
My mental health was really good because I was like, Oh, I have this singular pursuit. And then I was like, Oh, I've gotten YouTube to this point. Or I can start doing other things. And then just like floodgates. I'm like, I'm gonna do everything. Cuz I have this one really consistent thing that I've done well.
And now I'm in this process of trying to dial it back like, how do you say no to really good opportunities? How do you say no to like fun and experience and those types of things. And I am, as I'm sure you guys know by now, I'm like, if there's something remotely cool, like, Hey, Ken, come out here for like a couple days, we'll try this new thing, whatever it is, I'll be like, yeah.
If I don't have anything, sure. Let's do this. And that's probably one of my greatest characteristics, but also the one that like bites me in the ass and I also kind of think that it works that way for almost everyone. The things that make you really good at something, the things that make you, who you are are also like the double edged sword of what get you back. Do you guys have any double edged sword?
[00:32:20] Luke: Double, I don't don't have any swords , you know.
[00:32:25] Ken: Well, metaphorically we're, you know?
[00:32:27] Luke: Well, I guess going along with that, yeah, the double edged sword and with the topic we're talking about yeah, like we I think we want to learn something, right. We're always, we're trying to grow and expand and trying these new different topics like Discord or whatever. It may be newsletter and. Yeah, so it just sort of like, it detracts us from our overall goal, I guess, to answer your, your first question or whatever of what I try to do and try to focus on is:
Okay. I wanna focus just on YouTube, but we want to grow and you want to get better. And we talked about editing and stuff like that earlier. But I was like, Okay. I like, I need to not focus on all these different things. I try to just focus. Let's focus just on the YouTube videos, but within the YouTube videos, let's see how I can learn and grow with that.
Whether that be editing techniques, whether that's learning something new skill that I can implement in the videos. So that's, I guess sort of get into that double edged sword. It's like we wanna learn and grow, but can you learn and grow in a certain hyperfocused area? And it's hard. Like I mean, maintain and focus, like yeah. I'm sure I have some form of like ADHD of not being able to maintain that. And I think we all strugglе with that.
[00:33:40] Ken: Well, we've talked offline a lot about how, you know, your attention to detail is so good, but that also makes it hard to produce, right? Yeah. Because you want it to be perfect and then once you get it, like before you get it out there, it's really difficult.
So I think that that's a that's something that, I mean, I don't necessarily face because I am like, it just has to be good enough because I'm trying like less, less now I'm more focused on quality. I've released one video and like last one, but like with the podcast, it's like, Oh, I make these improvements over the body of work over each episode, we're like over a hundred episodes. I would hope this episode is better. Like the second to third one. What about you, Alex?
[00:34:20] Alex: So I was trying to think of like double edged swords, you know, I think like really the biggest thing for me is I've always talked about it is just time. Like I just don't have enough time. That's the double-edged sword.
Like, it's been a saving grace in the fact that I can't do too much. So I've had to really hone in on like one thing and like do it well. But you know, I's a double edge sword than the fact that I wish I had a lot more time to do a lot more things. So I think it's got, it's taken me a long way, but I would love to have more time on my hands to do more things.
[00:34:52] Ken: What would you do if what's the first thing you do, if you had more time, like say when your kids are in college. Like you're gonna, you're gonna have a lot of time be like, Oh no.
[00:34:59] Alex: I mean, what, that's a long way in the future. That's like 16 years.
[00:35:04] Ken: They're really smart though. I hear, you never know.
[00:35:06] Luke: Yeah.
[00:35:06] Alex: Okay. Let's say, I don't know, like 10 years, what, what would I do with like my channel? Or like what, what do...
[00:35:11] Ken: Just in general, like, what's the first thing you would do if you had more time.
[00:35:14] Alex: If I had more time...
[00:35:15] Ken: If you had an extra three hours in the day, what would you do with that?
[00:35:18] Alex: Oh, just extra three hours. Okay. That's more specific. Extra three hours...
[00:35:21] Ken: Every single day.
[00:35:26] Alex: I feel like I would produce more like an extra video a week.
[00:35:31] Ken: Interesting.
[00:35:32] Alex: Yeah, because I love, I really do love making the videos. Like I get a thrill outta making them editing 'em so if I could do like another one or two per week, which I tried to do one time and couldn't maintain. I would actually really love that.
[00:35:48] Ken: What's your favorite part of that video making process? Just like the recording, the scripting, all of it. I know, like Luke and I talk, your favorite part is kind of editing, right? My favorite part is the filming.
[00:35:58] Alex: Yeah. So like, so like you were saying, you were saying you script, I hardly script anything.
[00:36:03] Ken: You're like Tina, she doesn't script at all.
[00:36:05] Alex: Yeah. I am like, I'm like, Okay, here are the bullet points, like three or four bullet points of what I want to cover in this time. And I just wing it. But I know, like in my head, I kind of know what I'm gonna say, but I hate scripting. So like I can't sit down and write like a full script because then I'm like, wait, I should have said that.
So my favorite part is usually like the actual recording. I like the recording process because. I'm like, Oh, this is gonna be good. I can tell by how I'm recording or how it's like filming. Like I, cause I can see myself. I'm like, this is gonna be a good one.
[00:36:38] Ken: Well, I look good today...
[00:36:40] Alex: Well that too, but I mean the editing process to me is, again, I'm not good at it. So it's more like all, let me edit this real quick, but I'm not excited to post it. So like, I, again, it's more like, that's just not my skill. That's not where I'm really talented. And so that's not what I look forward to the most.
[00:37:03] Ken: Interesting. I always find it fascinating, just, I mean, we had the conversation last time with Tina where it's like, we all have very different parts of each process we enjoy. And I also think like out of left field apply, like relating this to data. Like under the data umbrella, a lot of us have different enjoyments. Like whether it's visualization, whether it's like...
[00:37:24] Alex: I love data cleaning. Most people don't. Like data cleaning sucks.
[00:37:29] Luke: I love data collection.
[00:37:31] Ken: There you go. And I just like telling people how all the data works. I guess my favorite part, I love like in my actual work, the client interactions where I have to take these complex models that we've built and explain it to someone who doesn't know what a linear regression is.
[00:37:48] Alex: Like a doctor or something and they like only know medicine.
[00:37:51] Ken: It's mostly athletes, but...
[00:37:53] Alex: Oh, you're right. Yeah. Okay. Somebody who golfs. No, there's like very a hand, like one golfer in the world who knows what a linear regression is.
[00:38:00] Ken: Yeah, exactly. And so that's like, it's so cool that we all have these different challenges that make, that make it exciting for us. I always do think like, if we all just combined into one person, we'd be the sickest content creator. Because we'd be motivated in every step of that process.
[00:38:18] Alex: Yeah, that's true. That's true.
[00:38:24] Ken: Yeah, so that's really all I had. I have, I do have one last question who has been the most interesting person for you to meet in the house this week?
[00:38:35] Luke: Oh, really? Wow.
[00:38:37] Ken: You're just calling you out. You're playing favorites. You made me do it in the beginning. I completely politic my way out of it.
[00:38:43] Luke: Well actually, sorry, Alex, Alex, obviously. But for is no, I was, I'm a fan of his channel and and so I was like, always like amazed by his way of just like talking to the camera and like, you're just like, you just like get sucked in and it's just like so simple. And so I was like really looking forward to. And he came up and introduced himself and then I'm like, I called him Hunter for some reason.
And I'm like, because the Hunter was standing right next to him and I'm like...
[00:39:07] Alex: How awkward.
[00:39:08] Luke: ... I ruined my first interaction.
[00:39:12] Alex: Oh, he hates me. Oh, geez.
[00:39:14] Ken: Of course you want to come in the camera real quick, just so we actually know who he's talking about.
[00:39:20] Alex: Yeah. And you won't recognize him cuz he, he doesn't his have long hair.
[00:39:24] Ken: Just luscious lock. I mean, they're still pretty luscious locks, but I cut it all off.
[00:39:28] Speaker: It'll grow back.
[00:39:31] Ken: Yeah. We also do have Hunter in the house who has very similar beard structure right now.
[00:39:37] Speaker: Yeah. Short little scruff going on. And what's hilarious is that. I get that a lot with people, not knowing hunter and not knowing my older brother who is also named hunter, which is hilarious. I don't know. I guess ... name is just so close to Hunter as well.
[00:39:55] Luke: Well, also he was standing right next to you and I'm like, OMG. Did your, your family like, have like a thing with the outdoors and wilderness Hunter forest?
[00:40:03] Speaker: My dad's name is Barry. So yeah, maybe so.
[00:40:06] Luke: Oh my God.
[00:40:07] Speaker: Although my other brother's name is Kale.
[00:40:10] Alex: Dude...
[00:40:10] Ken: Kick him out. Kick him out of the family.
[00:40:12] Speaker: He's the middle child though. So it makes sense.
[00:40:14] Luke: Okay. Yeah.
[00:40:15] Speaker: They always get the short of stick.
[00:40:17] Alex: Poor guy.
[00:40:18] Ken: Short end of the stick nature analogy as well. I like that. Just always thinking in the Bush.
[00:40:23] Speaker: Oh, I like that.
[00:40:25] Alex: Too soon.
[00:40:27] Ken: What about you, Alex?
[00:40:29] Alex: So honestly it's been this, this whole, this is my first one. So you guys have been on, you guys were the first one. I missed that one. This is my first one. And this has been like I don't know. It's really, really been inspiring just because I've been such in my own silo. Like, because of like my lifestyle. I like, I just, I don't have time to connect with people.
So getting out of that and like being able to connect with people, one has just been incredible. It's been phenomenal. Two, like who, who specifically? I would say two people. One was Mark. So like Mark and I were just chatting, chatting the other day.
[00:41:04] Ken: Mark Freeman, episode 69.
[00:41:06] Alex: Yeah. Check like.
[00:41:07] Luke: Oh, you memorized the number.
[00:41:08] Ken: So I did. I mentioned him. So he for the anonymous Q&A, I did a couple weeks ago. He recommended that to me, so I chatted him out then. Yeah. And so it's like very fresh.
[00:41:18] Alex: Yeah. So Mark and I have one other, but Mark, Mark, I really connected with, because I feel like we had a lot of similar struggles. Just like not just content creation, but like familial and that side of things.
So I just felt like I really connected with him on that side. And then I don't wanna steal Luke's, but I, like, I had, I knew he works. I've watched some of your videos, but you was just like a person that had been really great to get to know. And so we were talking last night for like, probably like two, three hours.
And there was so much overlap with like, where we want to go, what we're trying to do with our channels, like the type of content we wanna create. And I was like, Dude, this is amazing. Like, this is so similar, like it's such a similar path. And so I would say Mark and Forrest probably are the two that have been like I've been like really happy that I met them.
Cause I didn't really know them that well before, of course to you guys, but I already, I kinda feel like I know you, so it's not as exciting. But those are the people I would say.
[00:42:20] Ken: Yeah. You know, I think that's something that's really cool is that we all, everyone here, we have something in common already. We have two things in common. We have some in some sense data and in some sense, content creation, right. And so there's already a jumping off point. It's not like this completely awkward interaction where nobody has anything to talk about. And I'm a believer one of my friends, Jeff Lee, we've had this conversation a couple times about like the types of friends you have.
So they're like the first layer is proximity. It's like, Oh, I went to school with this guy like, Oh, is my friend from college, from grad school, whatever it is. Right. And that's like sort of a loose friendship. You're there out of situation. The next is you share an interest with someone. So it's like, Oh, we both love surfing together.
Great. And we do jujitsu together and that's maybe a little bit stronger because you have this like shared activity. And then the next layer is like multiple shared interests. And if you have multiple shared interests, there's like it, there, it's a likely scenario that you have some shared values and shared values are the thing that really like brings people together that allows you to be part of other people's life and contribute a lot more to each other than just like doing something together.
And I think that this scenario where we're all together and we already know, we have some shared interests, ignites a lot of those conversations around values, and it's really easy to like connect with people more and also provide value to each other in really unique ways, whether it's like sharing your experience or sharing where you want to.
Those conversations lead to like you guys actually actualizing that in a more effective way because you, there, there's some shared view of the world and there's some shared direction. And I just think that that's such a fascinating thing. One of the reasons why I get so excited about these is because like, Wow, I gotta go be around these people that also want to create similar things.
I can help them. They can help me what an awesome thing. And anyone listening, I would encourage you to try to. Those scenarios where you are meeting people with shared values so that you can create that sort of magical like force that pushes you towards doing bigger and better things.
[00:44:30] Luke: Wow. Okay. Run a marathon now.
[00:44:33] Ken: Let's go!
[00:44:33] Alex: And that's like, that's super true, because like everyone I've met, you know, like you said, everyone thought the content. So like the content already kind of like the content and the data brings us together. But I feel like when we, when you're in person, you actually meeting, it's like, I can talk about my life and they can resonate with that.
Cuz they're like, cuz like when, if they, somebody else has kids, I'm like you get it. Like you get the struggle of, of like having a kid, having a family, having a full-time job and then doing YouTube. Like there are very few people out there who are in this space who understand that. And so like I've talked about it on a few of my own shows where I'm like, it's really tough and people are.
Like, how do you do that? But you guys get how it's done. Like you guys understand it, which again, it's like, I can tell people how it's done, but when you experience it's just, they get you guys get it, you know, it's just different.
[00:45:22] Ken: Yeah. The other interesting thing about something like this is time, right? I've had Zoom meetings with all you guys, like, you know, like catch up every, every couple months, every couple weeks, but you have an hour, right? This we're around each other for three, four days. And you naturally talk. When you have that Zoom, it's like, Oh, we have to get a lot of stuff in. We have to focus on just the important things.
I think the like less front and center things, the like ancillary things like, Oh, that's funny. Like the actual conversation is what really builds strong connections and what really makes you connect or sprout really good ideas. Cause if you're trying to force ideas, if you're trying to be like, Oh, we need a brainstorm.
We need to be smart in these 30 minutes. It's kind of hard. But when you're around people, the secret sauce gets going and things just come outta the woodwork in a really unique way. Yeah. So make friends. Yeah. Well with the internet, it's a lot easier now, right? I mean, it's, it can be hard to meet in proximity and do whatever.
But I was watching one of those Mr. Beast interviews and, you know, every day he was meeting with this group of people. To talk about content creation or to talk about the things that we're working on. And in some sense, you're fab, you're fabricating. What we're doing is that, Oh, you're talking every day.
You're gonna talk about weird, weird stuff. Right. You're not, it's not all gonna be business every day. And to me, like finding ways to meet with groups of people to get together is this is one of the best things I've ever been a part. That's maybe arrogant because I put them together.
[00:46:55] Luke: I've never seen and thanks Bright Data for sponsoring.
[00:47:01] Alex: Wow.
[00:47:02] Ken: But, you know, I mean, in some sense though, that's like, I saw this like so much value in the first one. It's like, why I want to do another one, because if I got this value, hopefully other people are getting that. And we talked about me being selfish a little bit this trip. But selfishly, I want to be able to like, be a part of that and help others. Get that same sort of goal and value too, so. Yeah, I think I think that's it. Thank you so much for coming. Any final words? Of course follow Alex and Luke on YouTube, Alex, The Analyst, Luke Barousse, or as Alex says, Luke...
[00:47:33] Alex: Barousse.
Yeah. I said it, I said it wrong on several different videos I've made it's I kept saying Luke Barousse and I learned like a couple weeks ago, Luke Barousse and it blew my mind. I was like, I was like, I feel so bad.
Barousse rhymes with moose.
[00:47:49] Ken: Yep. That's how he said it to me the first time. Jee rhymes with P... Oh, all right.
Well, thank you for tuning in everyone. Cue the outro.
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