Friends of Max Chernov

Do you know any Singaporean living in JB, or a foreigner living there but working in SG? Looking for someone for my next video.

Our second-longest video on our channel is out! It was also one of the most inspirational ones for me personally. And my guest is exactly how I see my retirement years (at least professionally). A fascinating story of Mike Rowse, the first foreign Hong Kong government official to become a citizen of China. He has been in Hong Kong since 1972, and went from journalism to fighting corruption at the government level and later even helped bring the first Disneyland in Asia to Hong Kong. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVE979_IX7c

The most popular comment on my latest video. My audience is so naughty! 😁

Remember when I was anxious about the high-tech in China video not performing well? We put in so much time and energy, but the initial results were pretty average. Update three weeks after uploading: it started growing nicely about two weeks in and is now sitting at 240,000 views. After numerous thumbnail and title changes, YouTube finally found the right audience for it. The best part is the growth is now very stable, around 10K views per day with little fluctuation, which usually signals a long-term performer. The two biggest factors (aside from the much improved CTR from all that thumbnail testing) are the topic, which has been trending on YouTube recently, and the phenomenal retention, up to three times higher than our usual videos, with a whopping 76% after the first 30 seconds. So fingers crossed this one will have a long tail and eventually hit millions of views. Our ultimate goal was to make a video that could reach 10M views. Our current record is 2M, though that one was India-focused, which tends to be easier. Another good sign: YouTube is pushing it to a wide audience. As you can see in the screenshot, nearly 40% of recent viewers are from the US (the most valuable market on YouTube), while the Philippines and India are also in the top four. That mix shows the video isn’t geo centric but topic centric, it appeals broadly. Lastly, the current RPM (revenue per 1,000 views) over the past week is a massive USD 8.31, our highest ever. That’s thanks to the topic (high-tech) and strong US viewership. So far, the video has earned USD 1,306.36, and theoretically (haha) could bring in USD 83,100 if it ever hits 10M views. Sorry for all the numbers, we’re just quite nerdy and passionate about the YouTube game. I actually explain how the algorithm works in my free 3-day online workshop (you can book your spot here). Along with that, I cover how to pick a profitable niche and the blueprint to start and grow a channel. As for this video, I’ll keep you posted on how it goes. If the numbers stay steady for the next 2-3 months, we’ll probably try to replicate the success with a similar project. It’ll take tons of time and effort again, but it’s worth it when you see big results from your work, right?!

I visited several cosmetics factories in China and was surprised. Some of the misconceptions — that things aren’t always clean, modern, or that everything is run by robots — turned out to be partly true. But that’s not the full story. I needed to find one amazing factory. You know why? You’ll never guess. Because I’m launching my own skincare brand for men. I know, I know, it sounds random — but here we go! I got this idea a few months ago from my mentor in Singapore, and since then, we’ve been quietly working on the project. I explained everything in my recent video — check it out: https://youtu.be/EVGqUcP2Z2g

Today is sooo hot in Singapore! I’m melting 🫠

How do you imagine a factory in China? Dark, dirty, child labor? Or clean, modern, robots everywhere? I decided to do something crazy — to get a job at one of the factories in China and spend 24 hours working there, having the full experience, even sleeping in the dorm. And yes, of course, we made a video about it — it’s something no one has done on YouTube before us. We tried to make it engaging and funny, but based on the comments I’m not sure the audience got our jokes… ouch. Let me know what you think of the video. Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aj4HcbLtPVE

I was super worried about this video (still am). It was supposed to be big due to the topic, video idea, and execution, but reality on YouTube is not always what you want haha. The video started very slow. Though viewer retention is amazing (2.5x vs the average on the channel). So the problem is CTR (how many people click on a thumbnail). We’ve done a series of changes to titles and thumbnails over the last 4 days. CTR started to improve but still not the best. So it means the YouTube algorithm is struggling to find the right segment of the audience for us. But we already see quite a lot of hate comments from the US so we’re on the right track lol. Today I’m meeting with the team to discuss what else can be done to help this video fly. Tough job to be a YouTuber.

We just posted a documentary from China where we show 18 of the most high-tech things there. I’m personally fascinated by what’s going on in China right now and it was very cool to spend almost a week in Shenzhen filming it. On top of that, this video was the most difficult, advanced, and time-consuming piece we’ve ever made. It started back in early August with research and brainstorming on what would be a very popular China topic for the audience. Then we spent several weeks preparing, finding the right people and companies — and finally I flew there to shoot. Hope you like it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CD0LKkoMzE P.S. Here are three thumbnails that we are testing now on YouTube for this video. For the first time we decided to hire three different thumbnail designers and test their work for the same video.

Just published a short overview of how a good YouTube business should be structured. Take a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7wtmHQtL0Y

Formula 1 in Singapore Spent three evenings hanging around the event. I'm not really into F1, but it's a curious thing for Singapore. Visitor spending hit around S$130 million (not much compared to Taylor Swift, haha). This year there were many more people than last year, and it felt a bit crowded. Though the organization was almost perfect, with no major traffic jams or bottlenecks. I went mainly to feel the vibe, see friends, and go to the concerts. The highlights for me were Foo Fighters (to see the Nirvana drummer irl!) and Elton John (just a legend!). I'll probably go again next year, but let's see the concert lineup first, haha.

I had my birthday a few days ago and just got a lovely present from you guys – 400,000 subscribers on this channel. It feels a bit surreal, but starting this channel 4 years ago was the best decision of my life. Although these four years have had their share of ups and downs. On my phone, I keep a folder called Feedback on YouTube. It’s full of screenshots of your comments. Whenever I feel burned out, I open it, read them, and remind myself I’m not doing this for nothing – it really brings value to people. Why is this important? My firm belief is that everything in life comes through other people. When I look back at my biggest breakthroughs, they all happened because of others – friends, my team, customers, or even random people I met by chance. Overall, I genuinely believe the stronger the people around you and your community, the further you go. And this channel didn’t just appear out of nowhere. It was built with you — my viewers. Through your comments, likes, and even dislikes – YOU basically created this channel with me. I’ll never forget when I got hit with a wave of hate on one interview. That was rough. But then I posted a short video explaining it, and hundreds of you defended me in the comments. That really touched me. When I started 4 years ago, I couldn’t imagine building such a fantastic community – or that this channel would change how the world sees Singapore, and Asia in general. I’ve received countless messages from people who thought Singapore was just a boring little island near China. After watching my videos, they came here, were amazed, and fell in love with the place. I’ve also heard from thousands of locals in Singapore, India, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines thanking me for showing their countries honestly, without Western media bias. And yes, sometimes we use clickbait thumbnails or catchy titles – sorry – but that’s YouTube. We’re competing for viewers’ attention in a crowded space. At the same time, we strive to never create shallow content, unlike some travel vloggers. We even stopped doing YouTube Shorts to focus on deep, long-form videos. And I always try to make them as honest and unbiased as possible. I have a big goal for this project: First, to show the world that Asia is a modern, exciting, and inspiring region of the world. Second, to introduce you, my viewers, to the most interesting people through this channel, so you can grow, expand your mind, and discover new things. Honestly, having this channel gives me so much purpose in life. I don’t think I would have it without YouTube. And I know many people are struggling to find that same passion and purpose – something that can also become both an active and passive income stream. If you want to discover how to start your own channel, find your niche, create videos that the YouTube algorithm promotes, and ultimately start earning money from it, you may want to join my free 3-day online workshop. To book your spot, click here: https://www.shym.sg/workshop P.S. I’m not promising you’ll become a pro YouTuber in 3 days, but you’ll definitely get all the fundamentals and understand what you can do on YouTube – and how much you can make from it.

Just finished the longest call of my life - 6 hours of brainstorming for the new videos we're shooting in China soon. I've got the most legendary YouTube production team out there 💪

One of those interviews that makes me proud of what I do. Meet Ho Kwon Ping, the founder of Banyan Tree, part of a group with 15,000 employees that runs hotels and resorts in 26 countries. But his first business was a failure. Born in Hong Kong, raised in Bangkok, and went to university in Taiwan, Ho Kwon Ping is now a Singaporean citizen. He went from being a Stanford dropout and detained under Singapore’s national security law to dining with Lee Kuan Yew and teaching at top universities. He shared how the time in a Singapore jail changed his life, what is the hidden reason for the tension between China and America, and what truly defines a Singaporean identity. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tP7QksbJVQ

Scoot Plus is the best. Going back home.