What kind of funds are some YouTubers sitting on 🤨

0x4E4F@lemmy.rollenspiel.monster to Asklemmy@lemmy.ml – 43 points –

I've seen how channels and videos have progressed over the years, and it has been amazing to see the progress in general, but the last year or two, I've been running into more and more so unrealistic personal lab scenarios, that... IDK, I have a feeling that most of this stuff is fake... or I really have no idea where they get the funds for the equipment they say they have in the videos.

Like I was watching this video about growing human neurons 🤨... like WTF, is that a thing now? I mean, I go in the store, buy a bunch of neurons and off I am to growing them? What are they, sea monkeys 🤨. Next, the equipment. One light microscopes and another UV based, not the cheapest ones on the market I might add. Those two easily add up to over 150K. I mean... really, where do people even buy those, it's not something an idividual owns.

I've seen this with other channels as well, like the restoration chanels. A big ass 3D printer, an expensive lathe, all sorts of high precision milling equipment, laser cutters... I mean... where do these people get the money to buy these things, these are not cheap, sure, they're not as expensive as a microscope, but they're still pretty darn expensive, we're still talking about at least 10s of thousands of dollars.

Am I missing something? Cuz I watch these clips and I feel more and more like a looser, like why don't I have that, how much money do these people actually make from YT 🤨.

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A lot of these channels start by using equipment from their job, or losing money on a youtube channel as a hobby while doing other work. If you already have/work at a wood shop, there isn’t a startup cost to use a lathe. If you work in a lab, you can often use tools when they aren’t being used for work projects.

The vast majority of youtube channels don’t make any money. The majority of channels that do make money don’t make enough to live off of. The few that do usually make most of their money from brand deals, donations, and merch.

Then please explain this video.

https://youtu.be/bEXefdbQDjw

Nothing here is cheap. Everything costs a lot. And the neuron cultures, I mean... how does an individual even obtain those 🤨.

The channel you linked is in the top 2.5% youtube channels, uploaded a video a couple years ago that hit 9.5 million views, and had an ongoing sponsorship deal with square space and other large companies.

The person behind the channel also appears to work at a college doing this kind of thing as their job. The way you get access to neuron cultures is by having a job where you work with them, being passionate about teaching and sharing that with other people, and asking nicely.

In this particular case, the youtube channel seems to be a hobby. A side thing. It’s not the driving force behind the availability of their tools and equipment.