Why I Don't Have a Dream Job: Rejecting College Placements for YouTube or MarkitUp

TL;DR

Ishant Sharma is keeping multiple career options open rather than committing to a conventional job, full-time YouTube, or MarkitUp. After rejecting BITS Pilani Goa Campus internships, he has two years before graduating in July 2023 to decide. YouTube views fell from 2.4 million to 1.8 million month over month, while his content agency still lacks a strong competitive moat. Read on for his trade-offs.

Transcript

so you know what happened i got an email in my college email that says google is now looking for internships in my college summer internship program is about to start and all of the people have filled up application form and i'm just sitting here thinking what have i done with my career and so this is sort of the video in which i want to talk about... Read More

Key Insights

• 🧑‍💼 Pursuing a job, YouTube, or a startup presents different challenges and trade-offs.
• ℹ️ Relying on YouTube as a main source of income can be unpredictable and pressured.
• 💪 Scaling a startup requires a strong competitive advantage and the ability to replicate without excessive costs.
• ❓ Stability and conventional jobs may not align with personal fulfillment and impact for some individuals.
• 🦮 Personal circumstances and long-term goals should guide decision-making in career choices.
• 🉐 Gaining experience and continuous learning are valuable regardless of the chosen path.
• ❓ The creator values the thrill and impact of pursuing their own endeavors over stability.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why did Ishant Sharma reject his college internships?

Ishant rejected the Practice School opportunities arranged through BITS Pilani Goa Campus because he was trying to build his own YouTube channel. Seeing classmates pursue internships later made him question what he had done with his career and what he should do after college.

Q: What is Ishant Sharma’s biggest career dilemma?

He is deciding whether to prepare for a job, focus on his YouTube channel, or continue building MarkitUp. With two years remaining before his planned graduation in July 2023, he wants to keep several options open.

Q: Why does Ishant not want to rely on YouTube as his main income?

YouTube performance fluctuates: his channel received 2.4 million views one month and 1.8 million the next. He worries that depending on it for his living would create pressure to chase 3 million or 4 million views instead of treating videos as creative output.

Q: Why does Ishant think a full-time YouTube career may not last?

From interviews with large YouTubers and influencers, he believes creators can reach a peak, plateau, and then lose engagement or reach. He therefore thinks creators must reinvent themselves, learn other skills, and use YouTube opportunities to build side businesses and a longer-lasting career.

Q: What is MarkitUp?

MarkitUp is the content creation agency Ishant is building with his co-founder, Saransh. It helps people with their YouTube channels and helps businesses develop their social presence.

Q: How much progress has MarkitUp made?

Ishant says he had been working on MarkitUp for roughly four to six months. The agency had worked with about seven clients and was currently working with three to four of them.

Q: What does Ishant like about running MarkitUp?

He likes being able to decide what he wants to do in the business. He and Saransh run it without a boss directing their work.

Q: What scalability problem does Ishant see in MarkitUp?

He believes the agency lacks a sufficiently strong moat, meaning a durable business advantage or competitive edge. Although an agency can work well, he doubts that this model alone will create a monopoly, a very high annual recurring rate, or a major valuation.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The creator is receiving an email about internships, which leads to them questioning their career path and choices.

• They are surrounded by successful peers running startups and question whether they should pursue a job, YouTube, or their startup.

• The creator discusses the pros and cons of relying on YouTube as a main source of income and the challenges of scaling their startup.