---
aliases: ["Video Format Experiment"]
Is A: Experiment
Belongs to: "[[24q2]]"
Status: Abandoned
Owner: "[[person-luca-rossi]]"
---
# Video Format Experiment

Tested whether short-form video (3-5 minute explainers) could work as a distribution channel alongside the newsletter. The idea was to repurpose existing [[responsibility-content-production]] into video format to reach audiences who prefer visual content, potentially feeding [[measure-subscribers]] growth from a new channel.

## Hypothesis

Publishing 2 short technical explainer videos per week on YouTube and Twitter would generate at least 500 new newsletter subscribers over 6 weeks, with a production cost under 3 hours per video once a workflow was established.

## Setup

- Produced 3 videos covering topics already published as newsletter essays: system design patterns, engineering management tips, and a career growth framework.
- Used screen recording with voiceover (no face camera) to minimize production overhead.
- Published on YouTube Shorts and Twitter/X with a newsletter CTA in the description and pinned comment.
- Tracked view counts, click-through to newsletter signup, and time spent per video.

## Results

- Total views across 3 videos: ~4,200 (mostly Twitter, YouTube was negligible).
- Newsletter signups attributed to video: 23 total.
- Average production time: 5-6 hours per video (scripting, recording, editing, captioning).
- The time-to-subscriber ratio was roughly 15x worse than writing a newsletter essay.

## Takeaways

- Video production cost was significantly underestimated. Editing and captioning alone took 2+ hours per video.
- The audience overlap between short-form video viewers and newsletter subscribers appears small.
- Abandoned after 3 videos. The ROI does not justify the effort given current team size and [[responsibility-content-production]] bandwidth.
- If revisited, would need a dedicated video editor or a fundamentally simpler format (e.g., talking head with no editing).
- Better to double down on written content and [[topic-newsletter-growth]] strategies that already work.
