📊 ClassNotes 017: Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
Most large, successful content productions are repetitive.
When you think of novel creators like Mr. Beast (YouTube) or Lenny Rachitsky (Substack), you first see an intimidating library of creativity.
But if you dig just one layer deeper, what you'll find are patterns. Whispers of a method every prolific producer uses to stay on top.
Let’s take a look at one such example.
My First Million is a behemoth in the podcasting space.
Led by the entrepreneur duo Sam Parr and Shaan Puri, they've amassed a following of millions of listeners and hundreds of thousands of YouTube subscribers.
In their episodes, they cover a range of topics and host one of the most varied array of guests of any business podcast on my feed. They do an incredible job of sourcing material for their listeners, which has undoubtedly contributed to the podcast's success.
I wanted to find their pattern — how they consistently connect, at such a high level, with what people want.
Method
Podcast metrics are a game of shadows unless you are the one running the podcast, so I had to rely on public YouTube stats instead.
I sorted their channel videos by Most Popular and scraped the top 50 titles into a Google Sheet. From there, I categorized each one according to the title’s main hook:
- Business ideas — A collection of opportunities entrepreneurs can take advantage of right now.
- Money advice — Content related to earning, investing, and spending.
- 0 employees — Episodes that dove into the solopreneurship trend.
- Exit — The interview focused on the sale of a business (what happened, for how much, and related advice).
- Case study — Content that focused on active companies achieving 7- and 8-figure revenues in uncommon ways.
Every single one of their highest-performing content assets fell into one of these 5 categories. Furthermore, you could see that the hosts honed in on these topics more so over time, with many of their highest-viewed video podcasts releasing in the last year.
How to use this idea
Experiment until you find what works, then double down.
For lack of a better analogy, you always go shotgun, then sniper. Broad, then narrow. You iterate on what you want to do until it aligns with what people want.
You only need one thing to work.
The MFM podcast has a team behind its production that assists with filming, editing, publishing, research, writing, and more. All of those resources enable them to publish 2-3 times per week within 5 defined categories.
If you’re solo, aim for less. Find 1 category you can dominate (e.g., only exits like They Got Acquired or only case studies like Starter Story) at a sustainable pace.
Steal to start.
If you don't know where to start, apply this method to your favorite creator. Analyze their top-performing posts, look for categories they fall into, choose one to run with, and have fun.
You cannot think your way into originality. It must be chased down.
1. Great creators are repetitive.
2. Iterate until you connect your skills with an audience’s desire.
3. Get one thing to work, and you win.
In two weeks, we'll apply a similar study to Mr. Beast's content to show a hidden pattern most viewers have no idea exists.
— David
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