How Joma quit Google to run a solo YouTube media operation

Executive overview

Most creators assume scaling means hiring a team. Joma runs three YouTube channels, high-production videos, and a community-funded NFT model — with no full-time employees.

The core insight: staying lean preserves creative control and financial flexibility in a volatile, view-dependent business.

Production setup and team

• Edits JomaTech himself; outsources editing for JomaNYC to a contractor he's worked with for five years
• Third channel (Recall by Dataiku) is fully sponsor-funded — he's actively hiring for it
• For shoots, hires individual contractors (DP, producer, gaffer, AC, sound) rather than full production companies
• One exception: a period-piece data science video required a crew of ~30 from a production company
• Finds crew via Google and Facebook's Asian Creative Network; vets by portfolio then takes a leap
• Prefers small crews — the crypto trading video was six NYU students and new grads

Writing process

• Scripts everything himself; tone consistency breaks down when outside writers contribute
• Hired comedy writers from Upwork once for a brainstorm — doesn't repeat it; friends work better
• Ideas accumulate in Notion as notes; assembled into a "Frankenstein" draft when a deadline forces it
• Script keeps changing almost until filming day
• Influenced by Aaron Sorkin and Shonda Rhimes MasterClasses, Adam McKay films, and comedy YouTubers

Posting schedule and channels

• JomaTech: once a month currently; goal is one to two times per month now that he's left Google
• JomaNYC: sponsor-driven, posts when a sponsor clears — not treated as a creative priority
• No consistent schedule is his main self-identified weakness

Production budget and ROI

• Average video budget: ~$20k; most expensive was $60k (the Jack Maple data science film)
• Crypto trading video came in under $20k and is his favourite shoot
• NFT drop raised ~$230k on Solana via Magic Eden (10% to platform, 10% to developer)
• Budgets ~10 videos from the raise at ~$20k each
• Sponsors cover production costs on sponsored videos — he doesn't fund those himself
• Production quality and view count are not correlated; thumbnail and title drive views, quality deepens long-term audience loyalty

NFT community model

• Vax holders get early script access, can give feedback, and receive Solana for ideas he uses
• Distributes royalties back to community via random airdrops in Discord
• Contributor rewards are manual: he tags them on Discord and sends SOL directly to their wallet

On going viral

• "Day in the life" formats consistently outperform — reason unclear, but proven
• Tip: sort a similar creator's videos by most popular, draw thumbnail/title inspiration for your niche
• Going viral outside your niche is unpredictable — algorithm-dependent

Advice for solo creators

• Decide what you'd do if money were not involved — and don't drift from it
• Don't grow headcount fast just for growth's sake; media revenue is volatile and firing is devastating
• Keep high cash reserves and avoid month-to-month burn
• Staying lean preserves flexibility to experiment, pivot, and protect creative time