Video Library: The Video Unboxing Series

Most “how to start a channel” advice comes from people who started years ago, when the platforms, the tools and the competition looked very different. So we’re doing it the honest way: launching real projects in public, from an empty box, and showing you every decision along the way. That includes the wins, the flops and the boring middle.

What the Unboxing Series is

The Video Unboxing Series follows four real builds, one for each business model we teach on Business Models:

AI is involved at every step, from research and scripting to editing, clipping and repurposing. We’ll show you exactly where it helps, where it hurts, and where a human still has to make the call.

The episodes

Here’s the full season plan. We add each video to this page once it’s published, so bookmark it and check back. If an episode hasn’t been released yet, you can still use its outline as a working checklist.

Episode 1: Opening the Box

We introduce the four builds, our starting point and the rules we’re holding ourselves to. We also cover why we picked these models and what we expect to be hard.

Episode 2: Picking the Niches

We run each project through a niche-scoring process live, including the ideas we rejected. You’ll see how audience, content supply, monetization paths and personal stamina all factor into the choice.

Episode 3: Building the AI Video Stack

We set up the tools we’ll actually use and explain each choice on a small budget. You’ll see what we pay for, what we use free tiers for and what we skipped.

Episode 4: Branding in an Afternoon

We give each project a name, a look and a promise in a single working session. It won’t be perfect, but it’ll be clear, consistent and ready to ship.

Episode 5: Planning 30 Videos

We build a 30-video content plan for each project, mixing searchable topics, audience-builders and experiments. Then we put it on a calendar we can realistically keep.

Episode 6: Scripts and Hooks That Hold

We write the first scripts on screen, including AI drafts that we tear apart and rewrite. We also cover hooks, story structure and the edits that stop people from clicking away.

Episode 7: Film and Edit Fast

This is our real production workflow, from the recording setup to the finished export. The goal is good enough to publish consistently, not film-school perfect.

Episode 8: Titles, Thumbnails and YouTube SEO

We test title and thumbnail options before publishing and talk through what we learn from them. You’ll also see how we write descriptions and add chapters.

Episode 9: The Repurposing Engine

We turn one long video or podcast episode into a week of Shorts, posts and an email. This is where AI saves the most time, as long as a human reviews every clip.

Episode 10: Reading the Analytics

We open the dashboards and explain what the numbers are actually telling us. We cover retention, click-through rate, returning viewers and what we changed as a result.

Episode 11: Landing the SMM Client

We follow the social media management build from the first outreach to a signed agreement and the first month of delivery. That includes pricing, scope and how we report results honestly.

Episode 12: First Revenue and the Next Box

We look back at the season: what earned anything, what didn’t and what we’d do differently. Then we plan the next season and show how we’re automating the repetitive parts.

How to follow along

You’ll get the most out of the series if you build alongside us instead of just watching. Here’s the simplest way to do that:

1. Pick one model. Choose the build that’s closest to your goal and follow that thread first. You can come back for the others later.
2. Watch, then do. After each episode, open the matching lesson in the course and complete the step before you move on to the next episode.
3. Keep a build log. A simple doc works fine. Note what you tried, what happened and what you’d change. Your log will teach you more than our results will.
4. Use the tools. Every episode points to a free tool on Tools, so use it on your own project rather than ours.
5. Share your progress. Reply to our emails with your wins and questions. The best ones may shape future episodes (we’ll always ask permission before featuring anyone).

What we won’t do on camera

Building in public only works if it’s honest, so here are the lines we won’t cross:

• No bought views, followers, engagement pods or bots, not even “just to test it”
• No reuploading other people’s content or using unlicensed music and footage
• No hiding sponsorships or affiliate links. Everything gets disclosed.
• No passing off realistic AI-generated content as real. We use the platforms’ disclosure settings where they’re required.
• No cloning anyone’s voice or likeness without their consent
• No screenshots of “income” presented as typical. Results vary widely, and we’ll say so every time.

Get new episodes first

Join the list and we’ll send each new episode, along with the checklist and prompts we used to make it.