There are things that surprise me. Being an outlier is one of them.
Earlier this year, 2026, I decided to focus on growing my YouTube presence by sharing tech experiments. That was on top of many videos that I recorded about my leadership journey and thoughts on product development.
What I wasn’t prepared for was the data and feedback my tech videos would provide.
The screenshot is from today, Sunday, July 19, 2026. I pivoted to share more tech videos and fewer leadership videos. You can watch my announcement here: https://youtu.be/YrXiMMgj0yE?si=L4ab-uYinZ47P3hk
What I was seeing in the data encouraged me to make the move. The screenshot above proved the point based on the ratio being 3/4 leadership and 1/4 tech. Tech videos were outperforming leadership, full stop.
What caught me by surprise was how one video confirmed my move less than two weeks later. You can watch that video here: https://youtu.be/RqqHWol4Kwk?si=TCZ5Rb2TXGrXAviy
The numbers don’t lie. The data is solid. More people watched me doing tech experiments than talking about leadership concepts.
But why?
Perhaps it’s novelty.
Maybe it’s my self-deprecating humor.
It could be the fact that I record them as #Tim_Unscripted, hoping for a “successful” outcome and not getting disappointed by learning along the way.
Or maybe, just maybe, it’s because I’m an outlier.
As a GenXer, I tend to move the opposite way that many people are going. Not to be contrary, just to be different.
There are definite military influences that show up in the way I operate. In fact, the choice of “operate” is one of those influences.
On submarines, we had to get s**t done. One was going to fix our problems when we were in the middle of the ocean. Similarly, in the special operations community. Push to the limit, then call for assistance (if that is even a possibility).
In product development, I learned convergent and divergent thinking. The “art of the possible”, “how might we”, “what if <money, time, technical infrastructure, etc.> were not a blocker”, and other ways to reframe problems and inspire thinking through alternative directions, options, and paths.
Which leads me to the screenshot below. Again, the numbers tell a story.
Overnight the video caught momentum. Comments, likes, subscribes, the works.
But why?
It’s an outlier. I saw a video and was inspired to test out the concept. I didn’t care if anyone had done it before me. Not only that, but I have hardware in my homelab, and I’m using it.
The comments reflect viewers bewilderment. They ran the spectrum. Here’s a link to the video so that you can see for yourself: https://youtu.be/nk-e_OwBoq0
To wrap up this post, I’m equal parts amused and baffled about how YouTube viewers are responding to my pivot. Going from leadership-centered videos to tech-focused videos. The data indicated that was the direction to move.
I followed the data. Now, I’m courting controversy. I’ll keep you posted on how this works out! 🙂
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