Behind the Idea - How Pro YouTubers Are Building Their Next Hit Video Series

How do pro YouTubers build their next video series? The best YouTubers aren’t just filming what feels fun or chasing random trends. They’re validating ideas before production even begins. The next big series doesn’t come from guesswork; it comes at the intersection of data-driven ideation and creative fulfillment. And few creators exemplify that better than Ryan Trahan.

This summer, Ryan launched 50 States in 50 Days, a daily upload series that quickly became his biggest yet. It’s a logistical and creative marathon: traveling to a new state every day, staying in unique Airbnbs, building storylines around daily challenges, and raising millions for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. But beneath the spectacle lies something deeper. A masterclass in how professional creators develop their biggest ideas. In this Studio Note, we’re sharing some approaches Ryan is using to build his current hit video series that you can apply to yours:

1. Learn from What’s Already Working

The first lesson: great series don’t start from scratch. They are rooted in Outliers. As Ryan put it in his recent catch up with Colin and Samir, “I did these Airbnb videos and it was an Outlier on my channel. It went really well.” Pair that with the success of his Penny Series, and you have the ingredients for a new series. “These daily video challenges work… people watch day-to-day, they follow the story. So I matched all this together.”

This combinatory creativity, stacking proven elements into something new, is a defining trait of top creators. They're constantly pulling from an Idea Bank of hits, audience behavior, and past experience to de-risk new ideas. That’s why 50 States in 50 Days didn’t start as a random road trip. It was a strategic remix of formats that already resonated with Ryan and his audience.

2. Build Systems, Not One-Off Stories

If a one-off video is a sprint, a series is a marathon. To stay consistent, creators like Ryan rely on structure. “The way that I'm directing all these videos is literally my Notes app,” he said. “The first four bullet points are always: good morning, morning routine, full ranking, game plan.”

It might look spontaneous, but it’s built for consistency. By locking in a repeatable skeleton, Ryan makes it easier to show up every day. Not just for himself, but for his audience too. Familiar segments like “jammy time,” “game plan,” or “the Wheel of Doom” give viewers a clear rhythm. It’s healthy, comfortable content to digest: fresh every day, but rooted in something stable.

This isn’t just about ease of execution. It’s also about video and series performance too. Repetition allows characters to develop, jokes to land, and rituals to form. When viewers know what to expect, they’re more likely to come back. “Somewhere between 40 and 50% of our daily life is what we did yesterday,” Colin pointed out. “We work in habits and rituals.”

In a media landscape filled with unpredictable one-offs, systems win over one off stories.

3. Make It Interactive

Today’s audiences don’t just want to watch: they want to participate. Ryan’s fundraiser series leans into that with real-time incentives, stakes, and community impact. Every donation triggers the “Wheel of Doom,” forcing him to make detours or face new challenges. Viewers aren’t just spectators: they’re co-creators and collaborators in the piece itself.

“It’s interactive media,” Colin said. “It feels like Twitch. It feels like Kai Cenat interacting with chat. There’s an element of live energy.” That interactivity creates momentum. Brands want in. Viewers feel agency. And most importantly, it makes the experience feel shared.

It’s why Colin compared the series to Love Island, another daily, semi-live show that sparks conversation. “Shared viewership creates opportunities for discourse,” he said. “When I'm watching at the same time as someone else, it creates an opportunity for me to have a conversation.”

That’s a stark contrast to binge-watching shows on your own time. And it’s something YouTube series creators can uniquely tap into, note and learn from.

4. Validate the Hook, Then Refine

Even with the best systems, packaging matters. Originally, the series was titled I Tried the Top 50 Airbnbs in America, a nod to a past high-performing video. But early into the series, Ryan and his team noticed that viewers were calling it 50 States in 50 Days.

So they adapted.

“We switched the title… and I just feel like it embodies the series a lot better,” Ryan explained. It’s a subtle but powerful shift from a focus on accommodations to a full-on national journey. “It makes you feel like you’re in the middle of the journey… you can click on your state and watch that episode.”

That feedback loop between title, viewer behavior, and platform response is something Pro creators rely on constantly. They don’t just go with their first idea. They test hooks, listen to what the audience is saying , and adapt the packaging to match what’s resonate with the audience.

5. Design for Familiarity Then Sprinkle in Surprise

Every day, Ryan and Haley wear the same outfits. The video structure is predictable. The series opens with the same greeting, features the same segments, and ends with a teaser for tomorrow.

Why? Because “watching something familiar increases the opportunity of enjoyment,” Samir said.

And yet… every day is still different.

A new state. A new Airbnb. A surprise from the Wheel of Doom. That balance between routine and novelty is what keeps viewers locked in. “He built a character that’s a crazy spontaneous variable,” Colin joked about the Wheel. “It can change the dynamic of what’s happening and that’s really fun.”

The lesson: familiarity builds retention and brand. Surprise drives sharing and interest. Great series blend both.

6. Set a Lofty Goal and Let It Guide the Story

A great series needs a “why.” For Ryan, it was raising $1 million for St. Jude. “Honestly, dream scenario has already been surpassed,” he said. By the time they hit day 29, they had already raised over $3.6 million.

That fundraising goal isn’t just a mission: it’s a narrative throughline to the entire series. It drives decisions, shapes challenges, and gives the entire journey purpose. “The biggest storyline is raising money,” Ryan said. “And the amount of generosity around that has been completely mind-blowing.”

It also adds emotional weight to the series. This isn’t just a random travel series. It’s a cause-driven movement powered by Ryan and his community.

Final Note: Discipline Over Inspiration

What we believe is the secret to all of this. The secret to this hit series and the many others across YouTube: form a consistent, disciplined ideation practice. Before this series ever launched, Ryan pre-made all 50 thumbnails. He’s been brainstorming 10 new ideas daily. He leans on structure to protect his creativity. Here’s a powerful story told by Samir:
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“...One time we were in a car with Ryan was like an hour and a half car ride and we were talking and we were talking about whatever catching up on life, and an alarm went off on his phone. He was like oh hold on one sec. I'll see you guys in 10 minutes. Just put on his headphones and just took to his phone. 10 minutes later, he took out his headphones. He was like, "Yeah, so what were you talking about?" I was like, "What was that?" And he was like, "Oh, every single day I brainstorm 10 new ideas." 

That kind of intentionality is what separates hobbyists from professionals. The best creators don’t wait for inspiration. They build systems to surface it. They validate ideas with data. And they commit to formats designed to go the distance.

If you're a creator wondering how to find your next big series, take a page from Ryan’s playbook: study your Outliers that fulfill you, combine what works, structure your flow, and listen closely to what your audience is already saying.

Then… only then… hit record. 

Stoked to see your next hit video series : )

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