How to scale YouTube Operations

Hi friend,

Mario Joos here! I’m a strategist for creators like Mr. Beast, The Stokes twins, and more..

Yesterday, we had a free livestream where we discussed how creators should approach scaling their teams, and the nuances behind hiring. I wanted to share some of those takeaways here...

Over time, I’ve found the cleanest way to think about scaling a team it is by breaking the initial hires into three stages.

Stage 1: Building a foundation

This is where you set the tone for what you’re trying to build. Ask yourself: are you building something small and simple, or are you setting things up for scale?

If you’re keeping things lean, you might just need an editor and a thumbnail designer. If you’re building for serious growth, you’re already thinking about managers, producers, and potentially even a business partner. Both paths work, and you can always evolve later.

Typical foundational hires:

• Lead Editor
• Thumbnail Designer
• Producer
• Scriptwriter / Researcher
• Accountant (external at first)

Optional depending on scale:

• Channel Manager
• CEO / COO / Business Partner

Stage 2: Growth stage

Eventually, every creator runs into the same wall. What your small team can do hits a ceiling. Videos become harder to execute, the workload grows, and burnout starts creeping in.

This stage is about expanding the team so you can increase output, distribute the workload, and bring in people with specific expertise.

Typical growth hires:

• 2nd Editor
• Assistant Editor
• VFX Editor (expensive, but sometimes necessary)
• Idea Researcher (ideally someone familiar with Outlier Theory)
• Social Media Manager (repurposing content across platforms)
• Personal / Executive Assistant
• Creative Director
• Creative Researcher
• Strategist
• Casting Director
• Camera Operator
• B-roll Shooter
• Lawyer (external)

Stage 3: Quality, monetization, expansion

At this point, the goal isn’t just producing videos anymore. The focus shifts to maintaining quality while building systems that expand the business.

You’re looking to earn beyond AdSense and brand deals. That might mean launching side channels, building localization and dubbing systems, or repurposing your content across new platforms.

Typical hires at this stage:

• Audio Engineer
• On-set Audio Technician
• Community Manager
• Post-Production Supervisor
• Accountant (internal)
• Lawyer (internal)
• Localization Lead (managing dubbing)
• Retention Director (analytics, frame.io, performance review)
• Brand Manager

The exact order you hire in will always depend on your goals and where your channel is today. But the reason creators scale their teams is almost always the same: you or your team simply run out of time. If you don’t solve that bottleneck, burnout eventually follows.

This was a shorter explanation on building a team, so please remember that everything comes with nuance. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to scaling a channel.

If this topic matters to you, I genuinely recommend watching the full session we just wrapped. It’s available for on Million View Club for free.

MVC is something I built to share the strategies and lessons I’ve picked up from working closely with creators like MrBeast, The Stokes Twins, and others over the years, the stuff that usually only lives behind the scenes. And this week only, you can try out the platform with our 45-day free trial!

You can poke around all of the course material and past sessions we’ve hosted. 45 days, totally free - no strings attached!

Plus! Thank you to our friends over at Roster - you can get your first job listing for entirely free. Just use this link: https://www.joinroster.co/?ref=mvc_mario_joos