On March 16, 2026, my YouTube channel Smart Money with Kai crossed 100,000 subscribers. It took five years, 635 videos, and more awkward moments than I can count. This is the full, unfiltered story of how it happened.
I am writing this not to brag, but to document the journey honestly. Because when I was starting out, I desperately searched for stories from creators who had been through it. Not the highlight reels, but the real version. The messy, slow, sometimes painful version. This is that version.
The Suit and the Black T-Shirt
When I uploaded my first video on April 26, 2021, I was working as a general manager at a five-star luxury hotel. My days were filled with meetings, operations, and managing large teams. Nobody at work knew about this side project. Nobody in my life knew, really, except my wife.
I would come home from work, take off my suit and tie, put on a black t-shirt, sit in front of a camera, and try to talk about investing. The contrast was almost comical. During the day I was managing a hotel. In the evenings and on weekends, I was a nobody on YouTube with zero subscribers, trying to figure out how to frame a shot and talk naturally to a lens.
This was my very first video:
Awkward does not even begin to describe it.
I was always nervous that someone at work would find the channel. What would they think? Would they take me less seriously? Would they say something? But luckily for me, the channel was so small in the early days that nobody found it. Nobody was searching for a finance channel with 50 subscribers.
The Dream That Took Years to Start
The idea of starting a YouTube channel had been in my head for years. I was always an avid YouTube viewer myself. I learned so much from watching others share their knowledge, and I thought it would be incredible to one day do the same. To have my own channel. To pass on what I was learning about investing and personal finance.
But for the longest time, it stayed as just that: a thought. "One day I will do it." "Maybe next year." "When the timing is right."
The timing, of course, was never going to be right.
One day I realized that the biggest regret I could have would be growing old and saying, "if only I had tried." Not failing. Not being bad at it. Just never starting. That thought scared me more than any awkward video ever could.
So in April 2021, I stopped waiting and started recording. My plan was simple: two videos a week for one year. No matter what. If after twelve months the channel still had zero traction, at least I tried. At least I would never have to wonder "what if."
The Early Days: Sweat, Mistakes, and 30 Views
The first few months were exactly as difficult as you would imagine. I had no experience with video production, editing, or on-camera presenting. Every video was a battle.
I remember one particular day during the summer of 2021. I had a short lunch break, so I rushed home to film. We did not have air conditioning in the apartment. It was the middle of summer, easily over 30 degrees. I set up the camera, started talking, and within minutes the sweat was running down my face. But I powered through it. Take after take, wiping my forehead between shots.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I finished. I was relieved. Just in time to get back to work. I reached over to hit "stop recording."
And that is when I realized I had never pressed record in the first place.
I had just spent my entire lunch break talking to a camera that was off. The whole time. Every word, every take, every bead of sweat. Gone. You can imagine how I felt in that moment.
Another time, I filmed an entire video only to discover in post-production that the microphone was not plugged in. I had video but no audio. Completely useless.
These things happened more than once. And after all that effort, you would edit for hours on the weekend, upload the video, and then watch it get 30 views. Maybe 50 on a good day.
And you sit there thinking: why am I doing this?
The First Signs of Progress
Despite the slow start, I stuck to the plan. Two videos a week, every week. And slowly, very slowly, things started to move.
The first real milestone was not a subscriber count. It was my first affiliate sale. One of the brokers I was reviewing had an affiliate program, and someone actually signed up through my link. The payout was a few euros. Maybe five or ten, I do not remember the exact amount.
But it felt like winning the lottery.
That was the first time I made real money on the internet. Not from a salary, not from a bonus, but from content I created. It did not matter that it was a tiny amount. What mattered was the proof of concept. This thing could actually work.
That kept me going through the tough months. Every small sign of progress, whether it was a thoughtful comment, a video that performed slightly better than usual, or another small affiliate payout, fueled the motivation to keep showing up.
It took over a year to reach the YouTube Partner Program requirements (1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time at the time). The first YouTube ad revenue payment was another emotional milestone. Small numbers, but they represented something much bigger.
Documenting, Not Pretending
From the very beginning, I made a conscious decision about the kind of channel I wanted to build. I was not going to pretend to be a financial expert or guru. I was not going to act like I had all the answers. Because I did not.
Instead, I wanted to document my own journey as an investor. I was genuinely learning as I went, reading books, researching stocks, making mistakes, and adjusting. There is no perfect investor, and I never claimed to be one.
The approach was simple: here is what I am investing in, here is why, here is what is working, and here is what is not. Follow along if you find it helpful. That honesty resonated with people. Viewers could tell it was authentic because it was.
Over the years, this approach also created something unexpectedly valuable: a documented track record. I can look back at videos from 2021 or 2022 and see exactly what I was thinking, what I bought, and how those decisions played out. It is like a financial diary that thousands of people can learn from.
Leaving the Corporate Career
Year after year, I understood YouTube better. I learned about thumbnails, titles, SEO, audience retention, and all the things that make the algorithm work in your favour. I optimized my production process, reduced friction, and found ways to make the workflow more efficient so I could consistently publish without burning out.
And slowly, the traction started building. The subscriber growth accelerated. The revenue grew. Until one day, the channel income could more than cover my monthly fixed costs.
That was the moment I had to make a decision.
A lot of people thought I was crazy. "You are leaving a position as a luxury hotel general manager to make videos on the internet?" It sounded absurd to many people around me. It was a comfortable career with a clear trajectory. Walking away from it felt like a risk.
But it turned out to be the best decision I have ever made. It gave me three things I value more than any job title: financial independence, location independence, and time independence. I could work from anywhere, set my own schedule, and build something that was truly mine.
If you are curious about the financial side of my journey, my 2025 portfolio results give a transparent look at how I invest the income this channel generates.
The Numbers: Five Years of Growth
Here is a look at how the channel actually grew, year by year. The numbers tell the compounding story better than words can.
Look at those numbers. 700 subscribers in the first year. Then 2,300. Then 7,100. Then 14,800. And then the curve bent upward dramatically. The same pattern you see in a compound interest chart. Slow, slow, slow, then suddenly fast.
The channel also accumulated over 5 million views and 313,000 hours of watch time. That is equivalent to over 35 years of continuous watching. The most viewed video alone has nearly 260,000 views.
Less than 1% of all YouTube channels ever reach 100,000 subscribers. Out of roughly 115 million channels worldwide, only about 619,000 have crossed this threshold. It still feels surreal to be part of that group.
Just Like Investing
What strikes me most, looking back, is how similar this journey has been to investing. The parallels are almost uncanny.
In the early years, growth felt invisible. I was putting in the work, showing up consistently, but the results did not match the effort. Just like when you start investing and your €300 annual return feels like nothing compared to the effort of saving and staying disciplined. I wrote about this exact dynamic in why the first €100K takes the longest, and the same principle applies here.
In investing, your contributions drive growth at first. Over time, compound returns take over. On YouTube, your effort drives growth at first. Over time, the algorithm, the back catalog, and word of mouth take over. In both cases, the early years feel painfully slow. But if you stay consistent, the curve eventually bends upward.
It is the same with health, relationships, and anything meaningful. You do not go to the gym for three weeks straight and expect to be in shape for life. It has to become a habit. A part of who you are. Same with investing. Same with creating content. Same with building anything worth building.
It is never a sprint. Always a marathon.
What I Would Tell Anyone Starting Today
If you are reading this and thinking about starting a YouTube channel, or a blog, or investing for the first time, or pursuing any goal that requires long-term commitment, here is what I have learned.
The biggest mistake you can make is waiting for the perfect moment. It does not exist. Today is always better than tomorrow, because tomorrow has a habit of never arriving.
What Comes Next
100,000 subscribers is a milestone I am deeply grateful for. But it is not a destination. I already have my next goal, and I am working towards it.
The channel will continue to evolve. YouTube in 2026 is different from YouTube in 2021, and it will be different again in 2030. I have to adapt, learn, and develop alongside the platform. The content will get better. The production will improve. The topics will expand.
But the core mission stays the same: documenting my investing journey honestly, sharing what works and what does not, and helping as many people as possible take control of their personal finances.
To every single one of you who has watched a video, left a comment, shared a link, or told a friend about the channel: thank you. This milestone belongs to you as much as it belongs to me. It has been a genuine privilege to be part of your investing journey.
Onwards and upwards. As always, stay healthy, get wealthy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Approximately 5 years, from April 2021 to March 2026. The first 1,000 subscribers took 11 months. Growth accelerated significantly after year 3 as the channel gained more traction and the algorithm started recommending the content more broadly.
Yes, but it requires patience and consistency. Starting a channel today is harder than it was 5 years ago, but it will probably be easier than starting 5 years from now. The key is to commit to a schedule, improve over time, and not give up when the early months feel slow.
635 videos over 5 years. That averages out to roughly 2-3 videos per week. Not every video performed well, but consistency and volume were essential for growth.
Yes. I worked as a five-star hotel general manager while building the channel on the side for several years. Once the channel income could more than cover my monthly fixed costs, I made the decision to leave the corporate career and focus on content creation full-time.
Disclaimer: This article is for educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. When investing, your capital is at risk. You may get back less than you invested. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.
