youtube-devrel

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• README.md
• SKILL.md

SKILL.md (first lines)

# YouTube for Developer Relations

YouTube is the second-largest search engine and where developers go to learn. This skill covers tutorial structure, screen recording setup, live coding, shorts vs long-form, thumbnails, and SEO for technical content.

---

## Before You Start

1. Read `.agents/developer-audience-context.md` if it exists
2. Audit existing technical YouTube channels in your space
3. Understand: Developer YouTube is a long game — consistency > perfection

---

## Understanding Developer YouTube

### Who Watches Dev Content

| Audience | What they want | Video length |
|----------|----------------|--------------|
| Learning developers | Complete tutorials | 15-45 min |
| Working developers | Quick solutions | 5-15 min |
| Senior developers | Deep dives, architecture | 30-60 min |
| Decision makers | Demos, overviews | 3-10 min |
| Conference attendees | Recorded talks | 20-45 min |

### Content Types That Work

| Content type | View potential | Effort | Notes |
|--------------|----------------|--------|-------|
| Tutorial (build X) | Very high | High | Evergreen traffic |
| Problem/solution | High | Medium | Search-driven |
| Tool comparisons | High | Medium | High search volume |
| Live coding | Medium-high | Low | Engagement-focused |
| Project updates | Medium | Low | Community building |
| Conference talks | Medium | Low | Repurpose content |
| Shorts | High reach | Low | Discovery-focused |

### Successful Dev YouTube Channels

| Channel | Style | Why it works |
|---------|-------|--------------|
| Fireship | Fast, dense, opinionated | Respects viewer time |
| ThePrimeagen | Personality, live reactions | Authentic, entertaining |
| Traversy Media | Clear, beginner-friendly | Comprehensive tutorials |
| Hussein Nasser | Deep dives, whiteboard | Engineering depth |
| Ben Awad | Casual, real coding | Relatable, genuine |

---

## Tutorial Structure

### The Tutorial Template

```
0:00 - Hook (what you'll build/learn)
0:30 - Prerequisites & setup
2:00 - Concept explanation (why)
4:00 - Step 1: [First major step]
8:00 - Step 2: [Second major step]
...
XX:00 - Final result demo
XX:30 - Recap & next steps
XX:45 - CTA (subscribe, comment)
```

### Opening Hook (First 30 Seconds)

| Element | Purpose |
|---------|---------|
| Show the end result | Prove it's worth watching |
| State what they'll learn | Set expectations |
| Mention prerequisites | Qualify viewers |
| Estimated time | Respect their time |

**Example hook**:
```
"By the end of this video, you'll have a working CLI tool
that can scrape any website and export to JSON. We'll use
Node.js and Cheerio — you just need basic JavaScript
knowledge. This should take about 20 minutes. Let's go."
```

### Pacing Guidelines

| Video length | Segment length | Notes |
|--------------|----------------|-------|
| 5-10 min | 1-2 min segments | Fast, focused |
| 15-30 min | 3-5 min segments | Standard tutorial |
| 30-60 min | 5-10 min segments | Deep dive |

### Common Tutorial Mistakes

| Mistake | Impact | Fix |
|---------|--------|-----|
| Too much setup | Viewers drop off | Skip to interesting parts |
| Not showing end result | No motivation | Show finished product first |
| Going too fast | Confusion | Pause on key steps |
| Going too slow | Boredom | Edit out pauses, typos |
| No timestamps | Poor navigation | Add chapters |
| Walls of code | Overwhelming | Build incrementally |

---

## Screen Recording Setup

### Essential Equipment

| Equipment | Budget option | Better option |
|-----------|---------------|---------------|
| **Microphone** | Blue Snowball ($50) | Shure SM7B ($400) |
| **Screen recording** | OBS (free) | ScreenFlow ($170) |
| **Webcam** | Built-in | Logitech C920 ($80) |
| **Lighting** | Window light | Ring light ($30) |
| **Editor** | DaVinci Resolve (free) | Premiere Pro ($22/mo) |

### Audio is More Important Than Video

| Priority | Why |

From jonathimer/devmarketing-skills, MIT.

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