BIG Ideas with jayrad

Hey everyone! Jarad a.k.a jayrad here, one of the contributors to the Studio Note here at Spotter Studio.

We started the BIG Ideas creator catch up series really with one goal in mind: create a space where serious creators can reflect on the ideas that changed everything, the habits that made the difference, and the questions they’re still wrestling with that the broader Studio community can help support. In this piece, I share my own BIG Ideas that set the course for my journey into YouTube, the habits I’m doing my best to uphold, and the questions I’m still grappling with that I’d love your support on. Hope you enjoy the piece and find inspiration for your own creative journey : )

Warm up Questions:

Q: Tell me a little about your channel? What types of videos do you create?

A: My name is Jarad, and I go by jayrad on YouTube. It’s kind of a mixed bag. Primarily, it’s where I host DJ mixes tied to my music project Fugacity, which I run with my best friend Dan. Every first Friday of the month, we publish a new mix just me DJing a set of songs I really love, pulled together into something cohesive and expressive. It’s our way of sharing music with friends, family, and anyone who wants to listen. We're still in the early innings of our journey, but it’s a consistent creative outlet that I’m super passionate about publishing to.

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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: For me, it actually started while I was working at YouTube back in 2019. I had a manager who knew I was into music production and DJing, and one day he just said, “You should really start a channel.” At first, it felt weird. I was super shy and didn’t really feel ready to share my music or put myself out there. But he told me it would make me better at my job. 

And I’m a pretty career-oriented person, so I took that advice seriously. I hit publish and it totally changed how I related to the creators I worked with. Suddenly, I understood the vulnerability, the effort, the schedule, all of it. That one nudge helped me build way more empathy for the creator journey. I’m so glad I followed through.

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

A: Honestly, I kind of feel like I already have. The channel gives me a space to express ideas, to share music I love with friends and family, and that, in itself, is the ultimate win. I try not to get too hung up on growth metrics, since so much of that is outside your control. Whether five people are watching or 500,000, I still get to publish, create, and connect. That’s what I always hoped for and the fact that YouTube exists and lets me do that… That’s already everything.

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

A: Not in a hurry. When I’m not rushing, I’ve got space to actually think. Space to let my mind wander a bit. That’s when ideas start to surface. “Sleeping” is another one I’ve had full song ideas come to me while I’m sleeping, and I always try to keep a notebook by the bed to jot things down before they slip away. 

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

A: I use it all the time when I’m ideating and packaging ideas for channels I support. What I love most is how Spotter Studio helps you visualize a full package. Not just a title, but the whole idea: story beats, thumbnail, concept. That’s huge when you're deciding if a video’s worth pursuing. Plus, the data-driven side with features like Outliers and Power Keywords gives creators real confidence before they invest time and energy into a video idea. To quote Colin and Samir’s #1 Rule of YouTube, if they don’t click, they don’t watch. So having a tool that helps you see and shape the idea before you even shoot is invaluable.

jayrad’s BIG Ideas

Q1: What book, resource or creator expert have you recommended most to other creators, and why?

A: The book I’ve recommended the most is The Creative Act by Rick Rubin. I’ve gifted it to friends, and I’m actually giving another copy to someone in the next 24 hours. What’s amazing about it is that no matter where you are in your creative process, you can flip to any page and find something that resonates. It’s lightweight, digestible, and full of gems.

When it comes to creator experts, I’ve got my Big Three: Aprilynne Alter, Jon Youshaei, and Colin & Samir. Special shoutout to Aprilynne! She put out a nearly three-hour video recently that breaks down the entire YouTube process from ideation all the way through analytics. It’s probably the most nutritious piece of YouTube content I’ve seen in years. All three of them offer incredible mental models that help creators think more clearly about what videos they are making.

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Q:2 What $100-or-less creator tool or purchase has made a surprising impact on your channel? 

A: CapCut Desktop Pro. It’s one of the most powerful, intuitive tools I’ve used for editing. The way it’s built just makes sense. Everything you think it should do, it does. I used to edit in Premiere Pro, and switching to CapCut was game-changing. It’s fast, seamless, and honestly, just fun to use. Whether you're just starting or you're a serious creator, I couldn’t recommend it more. It’s one of the best tools I’ve come across and it’s free. Total no-brainer.

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Q3: What’s a video flop that taught you an important lesson on your creator journey? 

A: Not just one flop… I had a whole series of them. I did this project called 100 Relaxing Beats to Work To during the rise of TikTok, Shorts, and Reels. The idea was simple: me at a computer, typing, while a chill beat played in the background. I thought it’d be a great way to build consistency, share music, and maybe even go viral. But honestly, I did it for the wrong reasons.

I wasn’t thinking about value for the audience or whether it was fulfilling for me. A double miss! And even though the videos were short, by around the 20th one, I knew it wasn’t working and that I wasn’t even excited about making them. But I powered through all 100 just to finish what I started.

The biggest lesson I learned is only make pieces you genuinely enjoy making. If it doesn’t excite you, it’s not sustainable and the process won’t be fun. That series taught me the importance of fulfillment and intention in everything I create.

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Q4: 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: “Make what excites you”. It ties back to what I learned the hard way: this creative journey, whether it’s a hobby or a career, has to be rooted in your own excitement. If you’re genuinely interested in what you’re making, that energy is contagious. Audiences can feel it. And even if they don’t show up, you're still scratching your own itch, and that in it of itself is worth it.

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There’s so much in this world that you can’t control: algorithms, growth, virality. But what you make and how it makes you feel is within your control. That’s the spark. And I think if more creators held onto that, they’d enjoy the process a lot more and stay in it for the long run. 

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Q5: What’s a unique aspect in your creative process that works for you even if no one else gets it? 

A: I’m kind of obsessed with the idea of consistent inputs. I’ve got this Google Calendar block called “The Ableton Hour”  60 minutes every day dedicated to making music, no matter what. Whether the creativity’s flowing or totally stuck, I still show up and put in the time. That structure might seem odd or overly rigid to some people, but for me, it’s energizing. When I can stack a streak of those days even just a few in a row it gives me a real sense of real creative momentum that I can control.

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I don’t always hit it. I’ve missed plenty of days, even months. But when I do get into that rhythm, it’s powerful. It’s less about what gets made during that hour and more about showing up honoring the process, even when it’s not perfect.

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Q6: What idea, habit, or mindset shift that had the biggest impact on your channel growth? 

A: One that really stuck with me came from Tim Ferriss. He interviewed Hugh Jackman, who talked about this concept called “the 85% rule”. The idea is that getting something to 85% is usually more than enough to move forward. It doesn’t have to be perfect. For me, that was a big unlock. I can easily get stuck trying to refine things forever, and this mindset helped me keep momentum.

Especially early on, I think I might not have published anything at all if I hadn’t embraced that. You don’t need to hit 100%, you just need to keep moving, keep making, and trust that progress compounds. That shift helped me get out of my own way and start building more consistently. 

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Q7: What’s the BEST advice you'd give to a smart, serious creator just starting to post consistently? What’s the WORST advice? 

A: The best advice is just keep publishing. Early on, don’t worry about the audience. That’s something Rick Rubin talks about in The Creative Act: the audience comes last. What matters most at the beginning is volume. Getting reps in. Learning what excites you, and building momentum. 

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The worst advice is any kind of blanket advice that doesn’t actually consider where you are in your journey. I think there’s a lot of that in the YouTube space, but it’s not helpful if someone hasn’t really listened to what you're going through. Advice without context can do more harm than good. 

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Q8: What's the biggest challenge you’re facing in your creative journey right now? How can the Spotter Studio help support? 

A: Right now, my biggest challenge is making higher-quality songs and DJ mixes. It’s easy to get caught up in analytics or overthinking the final output, but at the end of the day, the real question is: am I making better music?

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So what would help most? Honest feedback. Even if you're not a music producer, just having a community that can listen and tell me what’s resonating, what feels strong, or what isn’t landing. That kind of crowdsourced input would be a huge help. I think the challenge of improving the craft should always be front and center, and Spotter Studio’s community could really support that through ears-on listening and thoughtful critique.

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Q9: What idea are you most excited to create next? 

A: Every first Friday of the month, my best friend Dan and I drop a new mix, and next month is a big one: our 50th episode. We’ve been at it consistently for over four years now, and I’m just really excited to make something special for that milestone. Not sure exactly what it’ll be yet. Maybe a collaborative mix, maybe something a little different, but either way, it’s going to be a great mix and a great video. Just excited to celebrate how far we’ve come.

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Q10: If you had a million dollars to make your dream video, what would it be? 

A: I’d use it to buy time. I’d take the next 365 days and dedicate them fully to making music. No distractions. Making music as the 9-to-5. I’d bring my collaborator Dan along for the ride too, so he could do the same. We’d write a bunch of music together, document the whole thing, and publish it throughout the year.

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And if we didn’t need the full million, I’d donate the rest to causes I care about. Organizations solving for homelessness etc... That in itself could become a second video documenting how the money was used to make a difference. But at its core, the dream would be simple: time, space, and freedom to create without being in a hurry. Because that’s when the best ideas come. : - )

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Final Note

Again, I hope you enjoyed this piece and found it helpful! If you’re in the Spotter Studio Community and want to be featured, please DM us on Instagram and I’d love to find a time to meet, learn how we can make the community and product better for you, and listen to your own BIG Ideas!