---
title: "If I Were Justin Welsh: A YouTube Plan for a Solopreneur"
description: "Justin Welsh built a one-person business on LinkedIn, X and email, without YouTube. Why I'd still add a channel, and how to run it without hiring anyone."
url: https://evgenymaximov.com/blog/justin-welsh-youtube-strategy/
---

# If I Were Justin Welsh: Why I'd Start YouTube Now (Without Hiring a Single Employee)

Hey Justin. You built a one-person business that passed $10M in revenue, by your own post. No employees, no ads and no YouTube. So why would you need a channel? Because people already search for your products by name, and there's no video of you answering them. Here's the plan I'd build.

By **Evgeny Maximov** · 7 min read · 13 Oct 2026

**Key takeaways**

**Short answer:** if Justin Welsh were my client, I'd add YouTube as a second traffic source that doesn't depend on the X and LinkedIn algorithms: long tutorials of his systems (people already search "content operating system justin welsh"), breakdowns of one-person businesses and video versions of his best newsletter issues. One filming day a month, production done outside, so the business stays one person.

- About 885K on LinkedIn and 592K on X. YouTube: no active channel.
- His product names already have search demand on Google and YouTube.
- One platform is a risk, even when it works perfectly.
- YouTube doesn't require employees. It requires one day a month.

If you're not Justin, but you built your business on LinkedIn or a newsletter, this plan is for you too.

## What does Justin Welsh's audience look like today?

Here's what I found in public sources in October 2026.

| Platform | Now |
|---|---|
| [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinwelsh/) | about 885,000 followers |
| [X](https://x.com/thejustinwelsh) | about 592,000 followers |
| [Newsletter](https://www.justinwelsh.me/subscribe) | The Saturday Essay, 200,000+ readers (his X bio) |
| [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/thejustinwelsh/) | about 97K |
| YouTube | no active channel |
| Revenue | over $10M lifetime by May 2025, zero ads, about 89% margin (his pinned post on X) |

Almost all the attention comes from X, LinkedIn and email. X and LinkedIn are rented. Email is owned, but it only reaches people who already found him.

## Why would a $10M solopreneur need YouTube?

Three reasons.

**1. One platform is a risk.** When a platform changes its algorithm, reach can drop overnight. My rule for clients: once a business makes real money from one channel, start building the second one before you need it.

**2. People already search for him.** Google and YouTube both suggest "content operating system justin welsh". When people search a product name and find no video from the author, they find someone else's review instead.

**3. Long videos sell courses better than posts.** A LinkedIn post builds attention in 30 seconds. A 40-minute tutorial lets a buyer experience how you teach before they pay. That's the whole idea of [long-form content for business](https://evgenymaximov.com/blog/long-form-video-content/).

## Which YouTube channels would I use as content references?

Not to copy their business model: most big channels have a production team behind them. To copy formats that already work for Justin's kind of content.

- **[Dan Koe](https://www.youtube.com/@DanKoeTalks)** (about 1.44M subscribers): long video essays with one big idea. His "If You Have Multiple Interests, Please Start a One-Person Business" got about 420,000 views in a month. This is the reference for turning Justin's essays into video.
- **[Soo Wei Goh](https://www.youtube.com/@sooweigoh)** (about 40K): breakdowns of his own consulting business with real numbers, like "exactly how i built a $4m/yr consulting business working 6 hours/day". The reference for the "behind the business" pillar.
- **[Matt Gray](https://www.youtube.com/@realmattgray)** (about 292K): systems explained step by step, often on a whiteboard. The reference for system tutorials.

There's also a trap to avoid. Many writers who are big on X and LinkedIn stay small on YouTube, because they post their short ideas as short videos. The references above do the opposite: long, deep videos with one big idea each.

## What content would I make for Justin?

Four content pillars.

1. **System tutorials.** "My content operating system, step by step." Screen share, his real templates. This is search demand that already exists.
2. **One-person business breakdowns.** "How this solopreneur makes $50K a month." Analysis of real businesses. Great for search and for his audience.
3. **The newsletter, as video.** His best Saturday Essays as 15–20 minute videos. The ideas are already proven by his readers.
4. **Behind the business.** Margins, products, mistakes, what he'd do differently. Honest numbers build trust.

Pillar three is the cheapest win for any writer. You already know which ideas work: your readers told you. More ideas in [how to pick video ideas that bring clients](https://evgenymaximov.com/blog/youtube-video-ideas-for-business/).

## Which five videos would I test first?

1. "My Content Operating System: The Full Walkthrough"
2. "How I Built a One-Person Business to $10M (No Employees, No Ads)"
3. "Solopreneur Business Ideas That Actually Work in 2026"
4. "How to Grow on LinkedIn in 2026: What Changed"
5. "I Analyzed 10 One-Person Businesses. Here's What They Have in Common"

The first two answer searches for his name and products. The last three bring new people who've never heard of him.

## How do you do YouTube without hiring anyone?

This is the part a solopreneur cares about most. You don't need employees. You need:

- **One filming day a month:** four long videos in about three hours.
- **A production team outside the business:** scripts from your voice notes, editing, thumbnails, publishing and Shorts.
- **About an hour a week** for feedback.

![One filming day gives four long videos, which give about twenty shorts](https://evgenymaximov.com/img/fig-one-four-twenty.webp)One filming day → four long videos → about twenty Shorts

The business stays one person. The production is a service, like your email tool. That's exactly what a [done-for-you YouTube team](https://evgenymaximov.com/services/youtube-channel-management/) is for.

And if Justin wanted to test it alone first: a phone on a tripod with the main camera, not the selfie one; a desk lamp at about 45 degrees to the side, not straight in the face; eyes on the top line of the grid; and speak a bit louder than usual. Light and sound matter more than the camera. Here are [filming setups for every budget](https://evgenymaximov.com/blog/youtube-filming-setups/).

## What would the funnel look like?

Search tutorial → system playlist → newsletter signup → products. The newsletter stays the main owned asset. YouTube feeds it with people who never saw a LinkedIn post. Here's the full [YouTube sales funnel](https://evgenymaximov.com/blog/youtube-sales-funnel/).

## What's the 12-month roadmap?

- **Months 1–3:** 12 long videos, system tutorials first, Shorts from each.
- **Months 4–6:** business breakdowns and newsletter-as-video. Test which brings more signups.
- **Months 7–12:** a 2–3 hour cornerstone course on YouTube, for free. Long free courses work as lead magnets for paid ones, and very long videos collect a lot of watch time.

## What happens next?

Justin, if you ever want to test this, the plan is yours. And if you built your business on one platform and you know it's a risk, book a call with my team. We'll look at your audience and tell you honestly if YouTube makes sense for you.

**Built a business on LinkedIn or a newsletter?** We'll build your second traffic source. You film one day a month, we do the rest. [Get a YouTube strategy](https://evgenymaximov.com/services/youtube-strategy/)

## FAQ

**Does Justin Welsh have a YouTube channel?**

In October 2026 there was no active Justin Welsh YouTube channel. His audience is mainly on LinkedIn (about 885,000 followers), X (about 592,000) and his newsletter, The Saturday Essay, with 200,000+ readers.

**Why would a successful solopreneur start YouTube?**

To add a second traffic source that doesn't depend on one platform, to answer searches that already exist for their products, and to let buyers experience their teaching in long form before purchasing.

**Can you run YouTube as a one-person business?**

Yes, if production is outsourced. The founder films about one day a month and gives quick feedback. Scripting, editing, thumbnails and publishing are handled by a team outside the business, like any other service.

**What is a content operating system?**

A repeatable system for creating and distributing content: capturing ideas, writing, publishing and repurposing on a schedule. Justin Welsh sells a course with this name, and people search for it by his name.

**Is LinkedIn enough to build a business?**

It can be, as Justin Welsh shows. But depending on one platform is a risk: one algorithm change can cut your reach. A second channel like YouTube reduces that risk.

**What YouTube content works for solopreneurs?**

System tutorials with screen sharing, breakdowns of one-person businesses, videos based on proven newsletter ideas and honest behind-the-business videos with real numbers.

**How do you move a LinkedIn audience to YouTube?**

Don't repost your posts as videos. Turn your best-performing posts into long videos with one big idea, announce each video to your LinkedIn audience and newsletter, and let search bring people who never saw your posts.

**How long would it take to grow a YouTube channel from a LinkedIn audience?**

Existing fans help the first videos, but sustainable growth usually takes six to twelve months of consistent long-form publishing.

**Which YouTube channels are good content references for a solopreneur?**

Dan Koe for long video essays about one-person businesses (about 1.44 million subscribers), Soo Wei Goh for business breakdowns with real numbers (about 40,000) and Matt Gray for systems explained on a whiteboard (about 292,000). Copy the formats, not the team size: most big channels have a production team behind them.

**Did Justin Welsh hire Evgeny Maximov's agency?**

No. This is an open strategy built from public information. If you built your business on one platform and want a plan like this, you can book a call.

![Evgeny Maximov](https://evgenymaximov.com/img/evgeny-avatar.webp)
**Evgeny Maximov**

Founder of a done-for-you YouTube agency for high-ticket founders. Making content since 2014. [More about me](https://evgenymaximov.com/about/)

## Want YouTube without hiring a team?

We are the team. You film one day a month, we script, edit, design and publish. Your business stays lean. 7-day money back guarantee.

[Book a call →](https://evgenymaximov.com/?utm_source=blog&utm_content=justin-welsh-youtube-strategy#book)
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