Jay Clouse grew a new YouTube channel to 100K subscribers in 5 months by abandoning his previous unfocused channel and applying six core lessons about YouTube's algorithm. Key insights: (1) YouTube's algorithm prioritizes niche clarity—not content quality alone—categorizing viewers strictly; (2) cross-platform promotion from TikTok/Instagram to YouTube backfires because audiences lack focus capacity for long-form content; (3) the 10K subscriber threshold is psychological and critical for social proof; (4) viral clips require sustained high-volume output to maximize "luck surface area." Practical for SME creators and marketers building YouTube presence, though success still demands patience and execution discipline.