# Risk Takers

> Building Risk Takers

Alessandro builds in public on underway: 3 episodes so far, each one filmed as it happened and dated.

Series page: https://underway.life/series/risk-takers

## Founder

- Name: Alessandro

## Also on

- X: https://x.com/alessandrorisk
- Website: https://officialrisktakers.vercel.app/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@milkeduser
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daniellebarfordd/

## Episodes

- [Episode 0: Grow a YouTube channel fast: 11k to 17k subs in 15 days](https://underway.life/series/risk-takers/s0e0-grow-youtube-channel-fast) (filmed 2026-10-22): I talked through building Risk Takers, my YouTube markets show, alongside a new channel packaging service I've started offering other creators. My first client, George Noble, a former Fidelity fund manager who worked under Peter Lynch, saw his channel grow from 11,000 to 17,000 subscribers in 15 days, with monthly views rising from under 100,000 to over a million after I repackaged his existing content. I haven't gone looking for more clients yet, my own channel stays the main focus, and I want to use Underway to track how the packaging work develops from here.
- [Episode 1: Opus Clip and Riverside alternative: why I built my own](https://underway.life/series/risk-takers/episode-1-opus-clip-riverside-alternative) (filmed 2026-11-02): I explained what Underway is, the product I'm building with Rich that turns podcast conversations into highly produced videos and clips with data cards, charts and definitions, built as an alternative to Opus Clip and Riverside. I used Opus Clip for clips but found them generic, with no proper start, middle or end, and I'd been using Riverside for full episodes until I built my own engine instead. Underway now handles guest outreach, booking, recording in HD or 4K, editing, cutting horizontal and vertical clips and posting them, all front to back for other podcasters. I'm planning to post updates on Underway most days going forward.
- [Episode 3: YouTube thumbnail testing: 25 tries, video still flopped](https://underway.life/series/risk-takers/episode-3-youtube-thumbnail-testing) (filmed 2026-11-04): My interview with Anthony, packaged around the US midterms, turned out to be one of my worst performing uploads despite trying twenty five different thumbnails. The last midterms-themed episode had passed 100,000 views, so I expected this one to land the same way, but none of the thumbnail tests fixed it. Anthony told me afterwards it was one of our best conversations, and we covered things like Elon Musk's political donations and the Citizens United ruling, so I don't think the content was the problem, I think my audience wants market talk rather than politics talk. I'm still not sure how to close that gap between a strong conversation and packaging that doesn't pull my regular viewers in.

Made with underway (https://underway.life): talk for 3 minutes, get a week of content.