I watch a lot of YouTube. It’s one of the perks of working at the intersection of media and technology. As I’ve watched, I’ve noticed a few takeaways from the YouTube community that can be applied to my business, as well as, my day-to-day life.

Just Do It: It’s hard to say which may be the most important lesson, but if I had to choose, this would be it. It’s easier to make excuses around why it’s best not to do something now, than to actually take that first step. However, PewDiePie would never have amassed his audience (and millions in revenue) without producing his first video. So whether you’re learning to play an instrument, writing your first blog post, taking on additional responsibility at work, or trying anything new, you’ll never get to home plate if you don’t round first base. Don’t worry if your first attempt isn’t perfect. It will only get better from there.

Keep a Schedule: The most successful YouTubers upload their videos at a set time every day, week, or month. Their audience knows when to expect this video, which keeps them inline with their goals. Create a schedule and adhere to it religiously. If you spend 15 minutes a day learning to speak French, in a year’s time you will have amassed 5475 minutes of français langue. One blog post a week, every Wednesday, gives you 52 posts in a year. You get the idea. Set a schedule. Keep it.

More Doesn’t Mean Better: The most popular YouTube channels started out with nothing more than a camera (sometimes it’s just the one built into their laptop) and an idea. The fact that they were limited in their resources only forced them to be more creative in their approach. This is the reason we hear of startup companies, like Airbnb or Reddit, coming from nowhere and dominating a market.

Laugh: Your work day can quickly weigh you down. It’s easy to get caught up in deadlines and drama. YouTube videos are fun. They make us laugh. The people creating these videos are enjoying themselves. This is a huge reminder to enjoy what we’re doing. Take the time to laugh. You’ll see an improvement in your work output, as well as your health.

Surround Yourself With The Right People: There are more quotes on surrounding yourself with the right people than can be covered in one blog post. Why? Because every person who has a modicum of success, has this because of the people in their lives. No one got to the top alone. YouTubers are constantly making guest appearances or doing collaborations. This improves their reach, their channel, their brand, and their overall experience.

You Have to Give to Get: YouTube is designed with this in mind. Channel creators are providing entertainment or information. They are interacting with their fans. They are fans of other channels. It’s an ecosystem where anyone with a “me first” mentality tends to fail. It’s amazing how much more I am able to accomplish and how much better I feel when I keep this at the front of my business practices.