Ali Abdaal is a former medical student who became a successful YouTuber with nearly 2 million subscribers, known for his engaging content on productivity and education. In this conversation, he reveals his journey from med school to building a brand that generates passive income through various channels. He shares invaluable tips on mastering YouTube, including the importance of B-roll and storytelling. Additionally, Ali discusses the benefits of cohort-based learning, emphasizing how community and mentorship can elevate the educational experience.
46:55
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Origin Story
Ali Abdaal's journey started with an interest in coding at age 12, leading to failed online business attempts.
In med school, he found success teaching med school admissions courses after a Craigslist scam motivated him.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Med School Admissions Business
Ali's first successful business was teaching med school admissions courses, recouping losses from a Craigslist scam.
The business grew each year as he expanded his reach.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Consistency is Key
Consistency is key for entrepreneurial success; work on your chosen field for 10 years.
Create one video weekly for two years to guarantee life changes, regardless of subscriber count.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
The Easy Way to Stand Out, Grow Your Tribe, and Build a Successful Business
Pat Flynn
In 'Superfans,' Pat Flynn outlines a process to transform casual followers into dedicated superfans. The book emphasizes the importance of creating memorable experiences and building strong connections with your audience. It is divided into four parts: moving from a casual audience to an active audience, from an active audience to a connected community, from a connected community to superfans, and avoiding the pitfalls of building superfans. Flynn draws from his own experiences and those of other entrepreneurs to illustrate how to create a loyal and engaged community that will support your business over time.
Show Your Work!
Austin Kleon
In 'Show Your Work!', Austin Kleon provides a manifesto for succeeding as any kind of artist or entrepreneur in the digital age. The book emphasizes the importance of generosity over genius, getting 'findable' by using the network, and self-discovery through sharing your creative process. It offers ten transformative rules for being open, generous, brave, and productive, including chapters on sharing something small every day, engaging with your audience, and the etiquette of sharing online. The book is filled with illustrations, quotes, stories, and examples to inspire and guide readers in their creative journeys[2][3][4].
#503 Has this ever happened to you? About a year and a half ago, I discovered a six-minute YouTube video about note-taking, by someone named Ali Abdaal. After I finished watching it, I thought, "Whoa, I really like this guy." So I watched the next video, which was about iPads. (I had just recently bought an iPad Pro and I wanted to learn how to make the most out of it.) Thanks to the way Ali taught, and his easy-to-listen-to accent, I started binge-watching everything on his channel. Ever since I started paying attention to Ali, things have been really taking off him for him. His brand and community have grown tremendously, and he's even released his own online course. And we've become good friends! I knew I had to ask him to come onto the podcast to share his journey from med school student to creating a YouTube channel, and how he's grown it to nearly two million subscribers, with passive income now coming in from multiple sources. We'll unpack the strategy behind Ali's impressive rise, and if you're interested in YouTube or creating video yourself, we also dive into some tips to help you with the algorithm and taking advantage of what YouTube can offer in terms of driving traffic and finding new customers. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session503.
The Smart Passive Income Online Business and Blogging Podcast 
