The Art of Starting: Lessons from Launching My Twitch Stream

Thoughts on confidence, trying new things, and asking for help

If you missed my introductory post, let me reintroduce myself. My name’s Ari - I’m a top 1% streamer on Twitch and lead product launches for startups at my day job. I’m not the normal candidate for a Twitch streamer,¹ but unlike my previous attempted side projects, streaming has actually stuck. 

It’s been interesting to witness, because launching products at work requires similar skills to executing successful personal projects, but historically I’ve struggled to get my creative projects off the ground. This substack will explore why streaming has been so successful for me and how you can apply these lessons to your own interests (hint: a lot of it comes down to finding ways to be consistent).

To kick things off, I want to share how I first got into streaming and the lessons I learned early on that can help you pursue your own passion project.

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How it all started

I was first introduced to Twitch in late 2022, the same time I got hooked on Overwatch 2 (a competitive FPS game). Watching Twitch became a staple in my nightly wind-down routine, as it was a great way to learn more about the game when I was too tired to play myself. 

But finding the right stream was a challenge. I’d scroll through countless channels, often landing on a stream that felt too chaotic or testosterone-fueled for my personal taste.² This isn’t to say these streams were bad by any means, but as someone who is chronically mellow, I struggled to match the energy of many of the streamers I found.

My semi-obsessive searching eventually paid off, and one night I was lucky enough to stumble across a streamer named Autumn. She was the first streamer I truly connected with. Her stream was a welcoming corner of the internet, where she was kind to her audience and embraced her femininity, all while playing intense FPS games. It was refreshing to see the duality of sweaty try-hard gaming mixed with soft girly energy.

I quickly became a regular viewer, and as time passed I started to wonder, “Could I do this too?” Watching her inspired me, and I would often imagine how I’d want to set up my own stream if it were me sitting in that gamer chair. I’d think about curating EDM playlists, incorporating PLUR culture, and designing my theme around things that I love, like gardens and cute animals.³

It was a dream in my head, and for a while it wasn’t much more than that - a throwaway thought that I had no intention of seriously pursuing. 

Then I got laid off.⁴

I suddenly found myself with a lot of free time and in the midst of an existential crisis, which meant it was time for a new hobby. Overnight, my mindset shifted from casual dismissal to zealous embrace of entering the Twitchverse.⁵

So I started to lay out the groundwork for what I would need to actually make streaming happen. I came up with a name, bought a webcam, used AI to generate art elements for my stream, learned how to run OBS, and from there clicked “go live” three nights a week.

I’ve been streaming for a little over a year now, and I’m so thankful that I had the external push to try. The following sections are a couple of lessons I hope you take away from my early streaming days - both the things I did well and the advice I wish I had followed sooner.

My stream logo

Expand Your Surface Area

First, don’t be like me and wait to get laid off to try something new. Our fears may attempt to convince us otherwise, but the best time to start working on our passion projects is right now.

I unfortunately needed a jarring life experience to override habitual feelings of self-doubt, but that doesn’t mean we should wait for existential panic to motivate us. The more times we take a leap of faith and try something, the more we will inevitably do in our lives.

This probably sounds like over-simplistic and obvious advice, but I’ve witnessed so many people talk themselves out of pursuing something new or creative because their doubts creep up on them (myself included). That moment of initial inspiration hits, it’s all fun and endorphins, and then the “realistic” chatter of our minds discourages us from seriously trying.

Launching and maintaining a successful stream has taken me out of this vicious mindset of doubt,⁶ and I’ve gained a level of confidence that I really can do anything I put my mind to. And here’s the secret - so can you.

In future posts we’ll talk in depth about how to take this inspiration and implement fruitful projects. But for now, remember that it’s okay to lean into your wild creative ideas, even if it feels scary to do so.

Ask for Help and Copy Others

It might surprise people to hear that I did not tackle streaming alone. Sure, it was always just me pressing that “go live” button and committing the time three nights a week, but when I first was getting started, I received a lot of help.⁷ I genuinely don’t know if I would’ve been able to overcome the learning curve if I hadn’t. 

If you want to kick-off a new hobby or project, talk to people who are already knowledgeable in whatever you’re working on. Look for folks you admire to see how you can emulate what they’re doing. Most people are excited about the areas that they excel in, and will be happy to help if you ask.

I already talked about how I used Autumn’s stream as an inspiration, but that was only the starting point. There was so much to learn behind the scenes - setting up streaming software, buying and installing hardware peripherals, adjusting my lighting, the list goes on. I would’ve had an exponentially harder time getting my stream off the ground if it weren’t for generous people sharing their knowledge with me. 

Our egos may have a hard time admitting it, but we can’t expect ourselves to be proficient in every skill that a creative endeavor requires. It’s critical to recognize what we’re good at and when we should phone in a friend. Not only does this lessen the learning curve, but it also fosters a sense of collaboration and community. 

In my previous project attempts, I was oftentimes too fearful to ask for help. I deluded myself into thinking that asking for help meant I was unintelligent, too inexperienced, or not driven enough. I wish I could give my former self a big hug, because that is a depressing way to live.

It also makes zero sense. Take my day job as an example. The product launches I manage would be nothing without a team of experts providing their various skill sets. The same is true for any project, regardless of whether it’s for work or creative expression.

Luckily by the time I was starting my streaming project, I had previously kicked my self-isolating mindset. As I’ve come to learn, working with other people can be one of the most rewarding parts of a creative project. So start charting your projects now, and don’t shy away from asking for help. 

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Share Your Thoughts

Let me know in the comments what you think of this week’s newsletter! Thanks so much for reading.

-Ari

1.  I touch grass, as the gamers would say.

2.  Now that I’ve been engrossed in the streamer community for over a year now, I’ve met an abundance of amazing chill streamers. Somehow at the beginning they eluded me.

3.  All of which are incorporated into my stream today :)

4. For anyone who has been laid off before, I am so sorry. It was one of the most jarring experiences of my life, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

5. To be totally candid, I did give myself two weeks of moping about, but it’s more fun and dramatic to say overnight.

6. Or at the very least, I have strong counterarguments that fend off the doubts that creep up.

7.  And I still regularly get help with my stream, whether it’s technical advice on how to improve things or real-time modding when I’m live. Shout out to my amazing mods.