The Danny Miranda Podcast
#284: Thomas Frank – The Truth About Having 2.76 Million Subscribers
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Thomas Frank's success stems from long-term dedication and diverse experiences in content creation.
- Self-taught design principles contribute significantly to Thomas Frank's success on YouTube.
- Crafting engaging titles and thumbnails enhances viewer interaction and content interest.
- Passion and genuine interest aid in better retention and application of information.
- Balancing exploration and exploitation fuels curiosity and drives continuous learning and discovery.
Deep dives
Success Factors on YouTube
Thomas Frank's success on YouTube can be attributed to his long-term dedication and varied experiences in blogging, podcasting, and creating videos since 2006. His journey from creating ninja fighting videos at 15 to developing graphic design skills through simple childhood activities showcases a lifetime of building relevant skills.
Importance of Design Skills
Despite lacking formal design education, Thomas Frank's understanding and application of design principles have played a crucial role in his success. His method of studying high-quality websites and iterating his designs based on observed best practices exemplifies a self-taught approach to improving UI and website designs.
Creating Engaging Titles and Thumbnails
Thomas Frank emphasizes the significance of crafting titles and thumbnails that evoke curiosity and questions in the viewer's mind. He highlights the importance of aligning text in thumbnails with title content to enhance viewer engagement. By focusing on posing compelling questions, creators can increase the likelihood of viewer interaction and interest in the content.
Learning Techniques
Thomas Frank underscores the impact of genuine interest and obsession in learning, explaining that passion enhances recall and application of information. By associating uninteresting data with personal interests, individuals can improve retention. He contrasts the effectiveness of genuine interest with techniques like rote memorization, emphasizing the value of being genuinely intrigued by the subject matter.
Creation and Exploration
Thomas Frank reflects on the continuous balance between exploration and exploitation in human behavior. He attributes our obsessions to our unique drive to seek and discover beyond immediate rewards. This exploration-exploitation dilemma fuels our curiosity and pushes us to constantly seek new knowledge and experiences.
Channel Strategy and Notion Content
Thomas Frank's decision to create a separate channel for Notion content was driven by a desire to provide a specialized and immersive experience for viewers interested in the topic. By maintaining a dedicated channel for Notion tutorials, he aimed to offer a focused destination for enthusiasts. The success of his Ultimate Brain template further solidified his passion for Notion content, leading to a strategic shift towards exploring deeper into this area.
Transition from Main Channel
The shift from Thomas Frank's main channel to his Notion-focused channel was a gradual process influenced by his evolving interests and the remarkable success of his Ultimate Brain template. As the template surpassed his main channel's sponsor revenue, Thomas found renewed excitement in creating Notion content, indicating a natural transition towards pursuing his passion and finding joy in his work.
Impact of Changing Locations on Mindset and Life
Changing locations, as explored in the podcast, had a significant impact on the individual's mindset and life. Initially moving to an area where walking and biking to places was feasible, the individual later moved to a suburban location far from amenities, which led to a demotivating environment. The experience highlighted the importance of living in a place that aligns with one's lifestyle and preferences, emphasizing the influence of surroundings on motivation and productivity.
Embracing Continuous Improvement with the 1% Rule
The podcast discussed the effectiveness of the 1% rule as a strategy for personal and professional growth. By committing to regular incremental improvements in a chosen area of interest, individuals can steadily progress and develop their skills over time. Utilizing external accountability mechanisms such as apps, mentors, or accountability groups can enhance the application of the 1% rule, fostering consistent advancement and achievement in various aspects of life.
Thomas Frank is a YouTuber. His main channel has 2.75 million subscribers. His second channel (about Notion) recently crossed 100,000 subscribers.
And in today’s episode, we dove deep into YouTube, how to have a better title and thumbnail, why he started a new channel, burnout, what most people get wrong about learning, and much more…
(0:00) Intro
(1:27) 2.75 Million Subscribers
(3:33) Design
(7:28) Title/Thumbnail Best Practices
(13:15) Early Days of Creating Online
(22:23) Why Videos Instead Of Writing?
(23:48) Working For His Favorite Creators
(26:42) Why Do Schools Block YouTube?
(27:33) Obsession
(32:00) New Channel / Burnout
(37:39) Changing Locations
(47:43) Tracking Exponential Numbers
(51:25) Issues With Getting Big On YouTube?
(55:50) Thomas’ Impossible List & Generalization
(1:00:20) Challenge (1 Percent Rule)
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Resources Mentioned:
Crash Course Study Skills – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7CwqNHn_Ns&list=PLx65qkgCWNJKHcoJzgJ8xd97JbS64e4xE
This Is Why You Aren’t Inspired – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAWe4Qq-Rp0
Survivorship bias – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias
Thomas Frank’s Impossible List – https://collegeinfogeek.com/about/meet-the-author/my-impossible-list/
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Thomas’ Links YouTube (Main Channel): @Thomasfrank
YouTube (Second Channel): @ThomasFrankExplains
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TomFrankly
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomfrankly/
Website: https://thomasjfrank.com/
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SPONSOR:
This episode is brought to you by My First Million. This is the podcast that I listen to and recommend whenever I want to learn more about business, technology, or the future. Sam Parr and Shaan Puri are hilarious, informative, and interesting. Check it out!
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