Juan David’s Newsletter - August 28th, 2023

Quad Day 2023: 1000 Subscribers, Outsmarting a Quantum Physicist, and F**k Clubs Part 2

Aug 28, 2023

Hi there,

The UIUC Talkshow has achieved a significant milestone - reaching 1,000 subscribers on YouTube.

Now, let me take you through the journey that led us to this achievement.

With the turn of another year, Quad Day once again makes its appearance. Read last year’s Quad Day reflection.

People think they need a secret hack to achieve what they want. But more often than not, you just have to do the work. Dedication and hard work. “Secret hacks” or “thinking about the right way” become ways to avoid doing the work.

In our journey, our approach was straightforward: We set out to ask one thousand individuals, one by one, to subscribe. If that’s not descriptive enough, let me try again. Imagine literally getting 1000 people to scan a QR Code or search for us on YouTube, and then hit that subscribe button for them.

We started The UIUC Talkshow in February of 2022. Over the course of 15 months, our subscriber count gradually climbed to around 700.

From the very beginning, our objective was to meet interesting people and think about more important things than homework or tests. Why start a talk show? People are busy and don’t have time for “coffee chats.” If you request coffee, they might be busy, but asking for an interview usually gets a positive response.

We engage in these conversations and happen to record them, which is why they can be lengthy and might not appeal to everyone. Factors such as view counts or subscribers have never been taken into account. If they were, we would likely shift toward a performance-oriented approach, potentially involving invitations to celebrities, thereby diminishing the authenticity that makes these interactions magical.

However, I love to create challenges for myself such as the time I ran a half-marathon on a random Friday morning or my recent completion of the Murph Challenge a few days ago. These challenges serve as self-affirmations, proving to myself that I can accomplish what I set my mind to.

Quad Day falls on a Sunday, and as of Thursday, our subscriber count stood at around 600. With a flurry of new student events scheduled for that weekend, we decided to seize the opportunity. We launched a mission within the student union, approaching people and encouraging them to subscribe. After dedicating a continuous 5 to 6 hours, our efforts yielded around 80 new subscribers, nudging us ever closer to the 700 mark.

However, our aim was set at 1000, making it the sole objective for Quad Day. We made a pact with ourselves that we wouldn't depart until this goal was achieved.

As Sunday morning dawned, so did the awaited Quad Day event.

Yet, there was a crucial missing piece – a poster.

A few months earlier, we stumbled upon a discarded piece of black cardboard and stored it for the perfect opportunity.

Initial design before gluing. You can see last year’s poster in the background

We printed the flyers, designed the board, and glued everything. We were ready.

Annual picture. Check out last year’s picture at the same spot.

But we don’t have a table or a place to set up shop.

Though we have a particular location in mind, our first task is to secure a table.

The question in our minds was, “Where can we serendipitously stumble upon a table?”

Upon reaching the quad, we split our efforts. Aaryaman took charge of scouting for a suitable spot. Most student clubs are assigned specific spots, but we don’t want to deal with any university bullshit, we opt for the freedom to choose any spot that appeals to us. Remember, “Ask for forgiveness, not permission.”

Meanwhile, I set out to find a table. Venturing to the union, I borrowed a sturdy wooden table and embarked on the journey towards this year's chosen location.

Carrying the weighty table, I soon located Aaryaman. As we started setting up, an unexpected encounter occurred. Our friend Paul Kwiat, one of the most talented quantum physicists in the world, comes around and shares a story about his attempt to secure the spot we were in. He did not register and university people came by and kicked him out. The moment Paul Kwiat shared that story, my brain sprang into action. I ran to the nearest building, grabbed some chalk, and you can probably guess what happened next.

Observing the number on the neighboring table, 168, I promptly imprinted 169 on the floor.

And that’s how we outsmarted a quantum physicist with a bit of chalk. Paul Kwiat walked by a few hours later and asked how we didn’t get kicked out. I said nothing and pointed to the floor where I had written 169 in chalk. Paul Kwiat smirked, “Good one, Good one.”

University people did approach us, inquiring about our registration and stand number. They asked, their tone bureaucratic and confident, "What's your stand number?" I remained silent, merely gesturing to the "169" I had written down. Satisfied, they acknowledged with a casual nod and continued on their way.

And that’s how The UIUC Talkshow’s Quad Day kicked off with one singular ambition: 1000 subscribers.

This wasn’t a new aspiration. Last year, we had the same goal, only to face a rather humbling outcome:

Did we reach the goal? Noooooooo. Not even close haha. We got about 80 new subscribers and we got to 210 subscribers (subscribe, if you haven’t still).
From Quad Day 2022 and Why NPCs need to f*** clubs and do projects

Trippling that number was the goal. How? We had no idea but we did it.

Let's proceed with an organized breakdown of what Aaryaman and I learned:

On Getting People To Subscribe
What We Learned About Human Interaction
What We Could Have Done Better
General Takeaways

On Getting People to Subscribe

Just be yourself; it's the most effective approach.
Be direct and ask straight up. The principle of “Ask and You Shall Receive” is true.
- Address your intentions openly without beating around the bush.
Be emotional
- Use heartwarming phrases like, “It would mean the world to me if you guys supported us.”
- Employ the puppy face and watery eyes strategy.
- Irresistible, isn't it?
Different people, different pitches
- Personalize your message based on the audience:
  - Indian parents: “Hello, uncle. We interview interesting people from UIUC. By the way, we can help your kids get research and internships.”
  - Indian students: "नमस्ते. I'm also from India. We need your support. Share the link with your WhatsApp groups."
  - South Americans: “Hola, soy de Venezuela, apoyenme. ¿Dónde están tus otros amigos para que también puedan suscribirse?”
  - Frat boys: “What's up boys? I have a YouTube channel and I'll dab you up if you subscribe.”
  - Sorority girls: “Hey, I’ll be quick. I have a YouTube channel similar to Keeping Up with the Kardashians and we interview people.”
  - People who saw me walking up to them and wanted to ignore me: “You guys look nice people. I would appreciate it if you help me reach 1000 subscribers on YouTube.”
  - People who stopped by our table: “We run The UIUC Talkshow, and we interview the most interesting people with the most interesting ideas. Today, we're trying to reach 1000 subscribers. Scan this QR Code please.”
  - People I already knew: “Hey!!! Come here. Let me see your phone.”
- Seek relatability to make your appeal relevant. If not, ask for their subscription directly.
  - Whoever I was talking to, I would try to relate what I was doing to make it useful to them. But at times, I couldn’t so I simply asked if they’d be willing to subscribe.
Sometimes people won’t want to subscribe, and that's fine. Still, try to convince them.
- “Oh sorry, I don't have my phone with me,” or “Sorry, my phone ran out of battery,” or the one that consistently baffles me, “(ignores me completely and continues walking).”
- For these children of their parents, it’s all about reducing tension.
  - Seek ways to alleviate the tension by vocalizing their thoughts:
    - “It's alright, you can unsubscribe later," or "Feel free to unsubscribe after you leave.”
    - That's typically what they were contemplating anyhow, so by voicing it, they're unsure how to react and often end up subscribing.
You have to approach people. One individual at a time.
- Throughout those four hours, Aaryaman would leave the table and approach people, sharing information about our project. He discovered that targeting groups was effective since a single pitch could lead to anywhere from 3 to 10 people subscribing in one instance.
- Quad Day lasted only 4 hours, but afterward, Aaryaman, our friend Alex, and I continued approaching random people incessantly, asking them to subscribe repeatedly. Nonstop.
  - “Don’t you get tired of doing this?” a friend asked. To which I responded, “Nope, we have a goal, and we need to get it done.”

The design of the orange and blue posters was 💥

What We Learned About Human Interaction

Are some people more supportive than others?
- Naturally, we find it easier to connect with engineers and those who share our nationality or regional background.
- However, we made an intentional effort to engage with people who weren't necessarily in the same field of study or didn't look like us.
  - Of course, it could be uncomfortable, and occasionally, some individuals were phony. They might claim they don't have their phone on them (a clear falsehood) or say they'll check it out without genuine interest. Some would ignore or outright refuse to acknowledge you, and a few even turned rude.
  - Yet, the key is to secure a positive interaction, which can counterbalance the numerous rejections.
You have to be yourself (reminder in case it wasn’t clear)
- Some people will ignore you
- Some people will get excited and support you
- Some people will subscribe only to unsubscribe after talking to you.
- Some people will love talking to you and you will have a delightful 10-minute conversation that recharges your energy to go through the cycle again.
  - One example was talking to a girl in mechanical engineering who became incredibly excited and was more than happy to support us. She even drew a parallel between my approach and the vibes of the YouTube channel Yes Theory. As our dialogue progressed, our topics expanded organically to encompass shared interests such as the guitar, creating a genuinely pleasant interaction. Upon concluding our conversation, I unintentionally overheard her conversing with a friend, remarking, “That was a really enjoyable conversation.” Now, the odds of her encountering this text might be a long shot, but should fate align and you find yourself reading this – yes, you – consider this an open invitation to get in touch. If the idea of exploring more than just conversation sparks your interest (guitar jam session?), I’m a message away.
  - Anyways, you only need one of these interactions to overcome the many rejections, weird faces, and the occasional “WTF is this guy talking about?”
This is an opportunity to learn what people are actually like and to understand people's true nature.
- We’re both interested in starting a company. Any successful company does something useful and creates something people want. This was a great opportunity to talk to people we normally don’t talk to. It becomes a way to update our Bayesian priors about what people are truly like.

What We Could Have Done Better

The beginning is hard
- You need to warm up and it’s hard talking to people spontaneously at the start.
- With countless individuals moving about, it's difficult to determine who to approach.
- However, it's crucial to accumulate experience and begin engaging with people one by one. Gradually, the interactions become smoother and more comfortable.
Being more clever
- We reached 1000 subscribers. Great. But at least half of it was us hustling the heck out of it. Like serious hustle.
- What are some ways we can be more clever about it?
  - Keep making great videos
  - We could have gotten a dog and used that to attract more people
  - We could have given candy
  - And just simply other ways to get growth more organically but at the beginning, you have to do these sorts of things, and hope to get the flywheel going!

We even collaborated with the UIUCFreeFood, but due to people being exhausted from a hot and sunny day, only a handful showed up. Nonetheless, we managed to secure approximately 30 additional subscribers by offering a free soda as an incentive for subscribing.

General Takeaways

You need to have pure stamina to persistently approach people, one after another.
- That's essentially it. If you consistently ask individuals for 11 hours straight, you can get 300 subscribers for your YouTube Channel.
- The effort must be put in, and while working smart is important, if a choice must be made, start by working hard.
Be yourself
Seek more effective advertising methods that are emotionally appealing and perhaps even controversial – ways that surpass simply having a table.
- Imagine having a setup with loudspeakers, conducting interviews, playing music, and creating a lively atmosphere.
We could have generated around 1000 dollars if we had sold water or sodas; given the scorching weather, people would have been willing to pay premium prices for cold beverages.
Reaching 1000 subscribers was an incredible feeling, truly amazing.
- We achieved our goal, and remarkably, I found the journey enjoyable – as cliché as it might sound. Upon reaching that milestone, there was a sense of relief, "Okay, we don't need to approach more people." Yet, after 11 consecutive hours, the desire to continue persisted and you just want to keep asking people to subscribe. It becomes your nature.
- After an 11-hour journey filled with rejections, new friendships made, and approaching random people repeatedly, it all became worthwhile. I fully loved it.

2023 Quad Day was the perfect way to start our senior year. By the end, the exhaustion was real. We were sticky with sweat, our skin toasted by the relentless sun, and our stomachs putting on a grumbling symphony of hunger.

But in the midst of all that fatigue, there's something magical about energy. The more energy you use, the more energy you get. You never actually get tired.

I was so “tired” that I could barely sleep that night, and the following day, we started a new project that took us about 50 hours this past week.

That’s why when you’re working on something you believe in, you never ever ever ever get tired.

You need to be doing what you want, otherwise, you won’t be able to stand out, and really do anything worthwhile.

The only path worth pursuing is greatness, striving to become the epitome of your true potential. To settle for anything less is to relinquish your soul, submitting to a life devoid of intrinsic meaning, driven solely by the pursuit of infinite recursion.
From The Realm of Obsession

It's the difference between doing what you're supposed to do and constantly feeling tired, and doing what your heart calls you to do and always being energetic.

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