Why I stopped making coding tutorials

Summary

In this video, the creator reflects on the decline of long-form coding tutorials on YouTube, discussing changes in viewer behavior, the rise of AI-assisted development, and the challenges of monetizing educational content. Despite reduced engagement with in-depth tutorials, the creator shares plans for adapting, including launching an interactive learning platform with guided paths, real projects, and an AI tutor. The video emphasizes the importance of human-taught content, with a focus on quality, experience, and judgment over quick fixes. The creator also expresses gratitude for years of support from the community.

Takeaways

• 😀 The creator shares their thoughts on the decline of coding tutorials on YouTube, agreeing with Maximillian's perspective on the issue.
• 😀 Long-form educational content, such as coding tutorials, is no longer as popular, with many creators seeing a drop in views despite large subscriber counts.
• 😀 The creator expresses frustration over the difficulty of making tutorials that take weeks to prepare, only for them to receive low viewership and low YouTube ad revenue.
• 😀 People are increasingly seeking quick fixes and summaries, a trend linked to the influence of platforms like TikTok, which rewards short, bite-sized content over long, focused learning.
• 😀 The culture of YouTube, characterized by exaggerated thumbnails and clickbait titles, contributes to a shift in content creation where dopamine-driven content is prioritized over honest, educational material.
• 😀 There are fewer people learning to code now compared to the spike in interest during 2020, when the pandemic caused many people to seek new skills while at home.
• 😀 AI is seen as both a tool and a challenge in the world of development. While it can assist in coding, AI alone doesn't make someone a developer, and understanding the code is crucial.
• 😀 The creator is building an interactive learning platform to offer a more structured and guided approach to learning programming, with AI integration and real projects.
• 😀 The creator plans to continue creating crash courses, advice, and discussion videos on YouTube but will move away from the longer project-based tutorials.
• 😀 The new platform will offer mostly free content, with additional paid courses available, focusing on guided learning paths and hands-on experience, reflecting the creator's teaching style.
• 😀 Despite the challenges, the creator is adapting to changes in the industry and appreciates the support from their audience, sharing their gratitude for those who have contributed to their success.

Q & A

Why has the creator's approach to making tutorials changed?

The creator mentions that long-form educational content doesn't get the attention it used to, with fewer viewers watching tutorials. Additionally, the ad revenue has decreased significantly, making it harder to sustain creating tutorials. This led the creator to focus on different types of content that require less time but still provide value, such as discussions and advice videos.

What was the impact of the creator's last long-form tutorial?

The creator's last long-form tutorial, a 4-hour vanilla JavaScript project, failed to gain significant viewership, even though it was added to their modern JavaScript course. Despite having over 2 million subscribers, the video didn't reach 20,000 views, which led the creator to unpublished it.

What reasons does the creator give for why fewer people are learning to code?

The creator attributes the decline in people learning to code to several factors: the shift in content consumption habits toward shorter, faster content (like TikTok), the decrease in overall interest in coding after the 2020 pandemic boom, and the rise of AI, which allows users to generate code without fully understanding it.

How does the creator feel about the current YouTube culture?

The creator expresses dissatisfaction with YouTube culture, especially the focus on fake excitement, misleading thumbnails, and clickbait tactics. They feel that YouTube's algorithm rewards superficial content that triggers dopamine responses rather than valuing honest, educational material.

What role does AI play in the creator's perspective on learning to code?

AI, when used correctly, is seen as a valuable tool for enhancing learning, but the creator warns against relying on AI to generate code without understanding it. They emphasize that AI cannot replace the experience and judgment gained through human-led learning and real-world coding challenges.

What does the creator mean by 'AI doesn't make you a developer'?

The creator stresses that while AI can help with coding, it doesn't replace the fundamental skills and understanding required to be a developer. AI may assist with coding tasks, but true development expertise comes from learning, struggling, and building projects independently.

Why has the creator shifted away from long tutorials to shorter, advice-driven content?

The shift is due to the decline in the viewership of long-form content and the overwhelming amount of work that goes into creating it. By focusing on shorter, more focused content, the creator can still share valuable advice and insights without dedicating weeks to a single video.

What is the creator's new learning platform about?

The creator and their team are building a new interactive learning platform that focuses on guided learning paths, real projects, and AI-integrated tutoring. The platform is designed to reflect the creator's teaching style, providing mostly free content with optional paid extras. The platform will also track progress and offer achievements to encourage engagement.

How does the creator plan to balance their content on YouTube with the new learning platform?

The creator plans to continue producing crash courses, discussion, and advice videos on YouTube. However, the emphasis on YouTube will shift away from random project tutorials to more focused content that aligns with the new platform's interactive learning approach.

How does the creator feel about the support they've received from their audience?

The creator expresses deep gratitude to their audience, acknowledging that the support from viewers who have watched videos, bought courses, or even interacted with the content has made a significant impact on their life. They reflect on how the success of their channel has allowed them to provide a better life for their family, especially considering their past struggles.