BIG Ideas with find404

David, the creator behind Find404, is on a mission to help people face the toughest parts of life and find themselves along the way. Through his unique blend of cinematic storytelling and raw vulnerability, he’s built a channel that pushes both himself and his audience to grow. What started as a personal challenge turned into a powerful community built on action, accountability, and heart. Here is more about his journey as a creator and the ideas he’s found useful along the way and the ones that are fueling where he is headed.

Find404’s Creator Journey

Q: Tell us about your channel! What’s your name, what niche are you in, and what type of videos do you make?

A: It is a bit cheesy but it's called find404, a reference to the internet error 404 or Page Not Found.  

Everyone tells me to just use my name (I know it is cheesy), but Find404 means something to me. It’s not just about videos, it’s about facing the hard parts of life head-on, even when you don’t know the way forward. I take on challenges I’m not fully ready for, and I document the journey from the struggles to the achievements, all of it in hopes that someone watching feels less alone when they run into their own walls.

As for the niche, I don’t really know. I call it a vlogumentary. It’s part vlog, part documentary. I grew up watching videos  from creators like Yes Theory, Freddie Wong, and DevinSuperTramp - people who told cinematic stories. I never acted on making Youtube videos until years later, but that's the kind of storytelling I'm chasing now.

Q: Let’s start at the beginning. Why did you first start creating YouTube videos? What inspired you to hit publish for the first time?

A:I spent years working behind the scenes in media for making commercials to running socials and Youtube channels for brands like Disney, NBA, and even K-pop groups like BTS.

Eventually, I got to work with Airrack and helped produce a couple of his big videos including World’s Largest Pizza and Capture the Flag. That was a dream job in a lot of ways.

One of the producers there said, "If you’re making videos for us, why don’t you make videos for yourself?" That made me realize maybe I should start. So I did. At first, I was really influenced by the meta. I wasn't telling real stories, just making content. I was doing random things that weren't meaningful to me.

Eventually I took a break and asked myself what I actually wanted to tell. What is the purpose of the channel? What kind of audience do I want? Those are really important questions for any creator. Like, what kind of community do you want to build?

Q: What’s the journey been like since then? How has your life changed over the course of your YouTube journey? Along the journey, could you tell me about your favorite video you've ever made and how did you come up with the idea for it?

A: I never thought I'd be in front of the camera. I figured I'd always stay behind the scenes. But once I started posting, everything changed.

I knew I couldn’t post long-form consistently, so I started with short-form. I did a daily series where I worked out every day, like David Goggins. I posted Day 1 through 100. I was doing it for consistency and to get a feel for what was good enough, what could be better. At the end of those 100 days, I posted a long-form video, and it actually did really well. That surprised me.

In the beginning, my shorts were just clips of me working out. But around Day 20 or 30, someone commented, "I get it, you run 12 miles a day, but I don’t know anything about you." That made me realize I had to put more of myself into the videos. From that point on, I focused more on storytelling.

That shift changed everything. It turned an audience into a community. And at the end of the 100 days, I released my first long-form video and it actually performed well. That blew my mind. It’s scary to put yourself out there. People will judge you no matter what. But you get used to it. You realize the fear doesn’t matter as much as the why.

To this day, I still can’t believe people actually watch my stuff. I thought I’d be lucky to get 100 views. Then one day, MrBeast DMs me, and I was like… what is happening.

My favorite video? Probably the bull riding one. It's not perfect and to be honest I cringe watching any of my old videos, but the video pushed me. It marked a turning point for what I would do to tell a story.

I’m kind of a perfectionist, so it’s hard to look back at my own work. But I’m proud of the process and what I’ve learned.

Q: If you achieved everything you’ve ever wanted with your channel, what would that look like?

A: In a perfect world, Find404 becomes a spark. In other words, something that pushes people to stop waiting and start doing. I don’t need a viral video. I don’t need a YouTube plaque. If someone watches a video and decides to finally run that mile or chase that dream they’ve been avoiding, that's everything to me.

I’m not doing this for fame or money. I’m doing it because I know what it feels like to be lost, and I finally know what it feels like to take action anyway.

If the channel helps even a few people find that kind of motion in their own life, then the channel's job is already done.

Q: Help us fill in the blank: “The best ideas come when I’m______”

A: The best ideas come when I’m doing. When you just do it without the expectation of finding an idea, that’s when it usually shows up.

If you want to make a video about bull riding, get on a bull. That’s how the idea really happens. You follow your gut, and if it flops, at least you didn’t sit on it for a week. You figured it out in a day and moved on.

Q: How has Spotter Studio helped your channel? What do you love most about it?

A: I think Spotter Studio is great for most creators. It’s hard nowadays to come up with unique ideas, and when you plug something in, it gives you different title names and directions.

I used it for my Everest idea, and it helped me think about different ways to frame it. Instead of just saying, “I visited the mountains,” it helped guide me toward something with more of that ‘it’ factor.

It’s a good tool to expand the different paths you can take. I don’t think it’s everything, but it’s great for cross-checking your work and locking in your ideas. Sometimes I go in thinking I already know the story, but Spotter helps you stay flexible. If you’re too set on one thing, you might miss a better moment while filming.

It helps you think about alternate storylines. When you layer your story like that, it becomes stronger. It’s a good way to explore what else might work and even find a version of the idea that could go viral.

Find404’s BIG Ideas:

Q: What book, resource or creator expert have you recommended most to other creators, and why?

A: I’ve been reading The Anatomy of Story by John Truby. It gives you ways to build premise, plot lines, and structure.

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Honestly, I don’t think YouTube is the best place to learn storytelling unless you’re watching people like John or Colin and Samir or people like that. To really understand storytelling, you need to read or watch actual films.

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I’d recommend Truby’s book if you don’t know anything about story structure. It’s a solid reference. You don’t have to treat it like law, but once you understand the rules, you can break them.

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Q: What $100-or-less creator tool or purchase has made a surprising impact on your channel? 

A: If we’re talking under a hundred dollars, it wouldn’t be gear. That’s too expensive.

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I’d say something like Epidemic Sound, Motion Array, or Envato Elements. Those kinds of subscriptions can really help your editing. They give you music, sound effects, typography templates, creative elements—things that make your videos feel more polished.

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For the price, that kind of resource probably helps more than anything else.

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Q: What’s a video flop that taught you an important lesson on your creator journey? 

A: I don’t really look at the videos that flop. I know that’s bad, but usually by the time I post it, I already know if it’s going to flop or not.

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For example, I knew the Everest video wasn’t going to do well compared to my others. The way I told the story wasn’t as viral as it could have been.

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But I learned that from making the first hundred videos. You just have to try things. You should have the intention to learn something from every video. Even take a day to sit and figure out what worked, what didn’t, and move on. You have to be okay with people hating on it and just keep going.

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Q: If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere with anything on it (metaphorically speaking, getting a message out to millions of Creators) what would it say and why? 

A: It would probably just say what my channel is about. Something like the Nike thing, like “just do it.” Not because I love Nike, but because it’s simple.

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But honestly, I don’t think a quote is going to change someone’s life. People need a story. That’s what makes YouTube and art powerful—it’s the emotion behind the story that moves people.

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So if I had to put something on a billboard, it would probably be some cheesy quote about doing something, but that’s not what really helps people. The story is what sticks.

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Q: What’s a unique part in your creative process that works for you even if no one else gets it? 

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A: I don’t think it’s truly unique, but I kind of go at it backwards.

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Everyone says figure out your thumbnail and packaging before you start. I always do that after. My editing process is like a second chance to shape the story.

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I actually write a full script after I’ve already filmed everything. It sounds weird, but that’s when the story becomes clear to me. It takes way longer, but that’s just how I do it.

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Q: Do you have a dream brand you’d like to collaborate with? What idea would you like to bring to life with their partnership?

A: Right now, probably a high-quality fitness or wellness brand.

I want to create a wellness community. Not a typical gym, because people don’t like gyms. I’m talking about a space where people who don’t have access to health or mental wellness can go and start their journey.

I’d use the money I make from YouTube or merch to build that. A place or a program that helps people get motivated and feel supported. It sounds kind of like a cult when I describe it, but hopefully in a good way.

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Q: What’s the BEST advice you'd give to a smart, serious creator just starting to post consistently? What’s the WORST advice they should stay away from? 

A: The best advice is to learn from creators who are doing well. Watch what they’re doing and try to understand why it works.

But don’t watch too much YouTube. That’s the worst advice—just watching YouTube all day for inspiration. It burned me out.

You should get inspiration from life, from reading books, from movies, from talking to friends. If you only look at YouTube, you end up making the same stuff as everyone else, but worse because you're just a worse copy of them. And don’t rely on AI too much either. It’s a great tool, but it shouldn’t dictate your voice.

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Q: What's the biggest challenge you’re facing in your creative journey right now? How can the Spotter Studio Community help support? 

A: The biggest thing is community.

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Even though creators have a lot of fans, the more you grow, the lonelier it can get. I’ve worked with people like Snoop Dogg, and even with a huge network, it’s still hard to find people who really care about you as a person and not just your content.

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That’s why I think Spotter has been great. These events make people feel like they’re not alone. I heard that from a lot of people at the Spotter Summit. They said, “Wow, I’m not by myself,” and I think that’s the most important thing. Everyone wants connection, but most people are afraid to reach out.

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Q: What idea are you most excited to create next? 

A: I think the next goal is to run across every state in America.

It’s terrifying, which is why I’m excited about it. I don’t know exactly how I’d do it. I’ve seen people like GeoWizard do it in a straight line, so maybe something like that.

I film in a vlog style, so it’s hard to plan, but I won’t know until I start. Eventually I’d love to run across every country in the world, but I want to do it in my own way.

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Q: If you had a million dollars to make your dream video, what would it be? 

A: I’ve never really thought about something that big.

Maybe I’d run across Antarctica. Not just for the challenge, but to highlight what the researchers are doing down there and help fund them. It wouldn’t just be about running—it would be about the people, the science, the environment.

Or maybe something in space. Like running in zero gravity or doing a 5K floating up there. I don’t even think a million would cover it, but it would be something no one’s ever done.

Final Note

David’s journey is a reminder that you don’t need millions of subscribers to make a real impact. If just one person watches a video and takes action, that’s success in his book. Whether he’s running across states or facing fear head-on, David is proving that clarity comes from doing, and that storytelling can be both personal and transformative.

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