Show notes
In this episode, we talk with Jason Todd—aka Timberlake—the faceless creator behind the YouTube channel Smart Hobbies. Jason shares how he turned Sudoku from a personal pastime into a thriving YouTube channel with over 900K views on a single video. We dive into the strategy behind his growth, why he stays off-camera, how he connects with an older audience, and the surprising power of Sudoku games in a fast-paced creator economy.Check out Timberlake's Resources:https://www.youtube.com/@SmartHobbieshttps://buymeacoffee.com/timberlakebhttps://www.instagram.com/timberlakesmarthobbiesGames Mentioned:Sudoku - Timberlake's favorite game to playWingspanScrabbleChess--(00:00) - Introduction and Top Videos Overview
(00:20) - Welcome to the Hey, Good Game Podcast
(01:12) - Meet Jason Todd, AKA Timberlake
(01:51) - Jason's Favorite Games
(02:22) - The Birth of Smart Hobbies
(04:04) - The Faceless Channel Strategy
(06:25) - Jason's Background and Career
(08:33) - The Journey to YouTube Success
(10:35) - Content Creation and Audience Engagement
(23:14) - Revenue Streams and Future Plans
(29:00) - Balancing Work and Personal Life
(29:19) - Overcoming Regret and Embracing Routine
(29:48) - Collaborating in the Sudoku Community
(33:05) - Growing Your YouTube Channel
(33:44) - Choosing the Right Platform for Courses
(38:45) - Understanding Your Audience
(41:21) - The Importance of Quality Content
(45:06) - Exploring the Benefits of Sudoku
(51:37) - Future of Sudoku and Community Building
(54:25) - Connecting with Timberlake--Check out our brainy games:Sumplete - https://sumplete.comSqueezy - https://imsqueezy.com/Kakuro Conquest - https://kakuroconquest.comMathler - https://mathler.comCrosswordle - https://crosswordle.comSudoku Conquest - https://sudokuconquest.comHitori Conquest - https://hitoriconquest.comWordga - https://wordga.com