Other Creatives Get Real Tools. Why Don’t We?

It’s all about engagement: making content that grabs viewers and makes the algo swoon.

So how do you do that? How do you get more people to watch your videos? Is there a YouTube video template for better engagement? Templates are a guide, not a storytelling device.

What YouTubers want is a creative workspace dedicated to one thing: making engaging, binge-worthy video content.

Let’s Talk About the Mess First

This all started when we launched a YouTube channel last year.

We ended up here—somewhere we didn’t expect.

Our show format called for a ton of ideas and content: episode themes, script ideas, different formats, spinoff concepts, etc. We put it all in Google Docs and Sheets (standard operating procedure, we would later learn). It got messy as hell. So we looked around at what others were using.

Pretty much right away, we found that there’s no such thing as a “video planning app.”

There are tons of video editing and audio apps, and no shortage of apps for graphics, voiceovers, subtitling, and transcribing (and even more for distribution and promotion).

But where are the planning apps? Made for YouTubers?

Look Ma—No Planning Apps!

So we started asking other creators. Almost everyone we asked is using some combination of:

• GDocs/Sheets, Notion, AI apps, NotebookLM, etc. (productivity/research)
• Airtable, Monday, Jira, ClickUp, Asana, etc. (project/data management)
• Evernote, Obsidian, TextEditor, Milanote, etc. (note-taking and writing apps)
• PowerPoint, Google Slides, Canva (yes, Canva)
• Pre-made templates/workflows
• Dropbox, Drive, iCloud, etc. (file management)

Um, these are all business apps. Even apps posing as "video planners" are just project management tools with some nice-sounding labels and a few templates.

None of these have anything to do with making entertainment.

Why isn’t there a one-stop, use-anywhere web app aimed at content creators for pre-production? That is, saving ideas and content, planning episodes, scripting, prepping, and presenting. The whole damn enchilada.

Our show isn’t even all that scripted or content-heavy, but for a lot of channels, it’s a major part of their workflow.

The only dedicated apps we found were high-end production and scriptwriting apps for the film and TV industry—expensive and too bloated for YouTube DIYers.

There are really no other choices. No wonder creators are using business apps.

Why Do We Put Up with This?

Our takeaway? Most of the focus is on post-production, SEO, and distribution. Few seem to have noticed the almost total absence of video planning apps.

Video makers are getting by with (read: tolerating) kludged, ill-fitting solutions for their pre-planning. And there’s real frustration because none of the apps properly serve the art and craft of short-form entertainment content.

So here we are.

Form Follows Function

We’re going to build one—like a workstation for content creators. A single, unified, start-to-finish planning and creation workspace for video producers.

A good analogy is the DAW-type apps (digital audio workstations) that music producers use. Crash course:

• lay down ideas
• write lyrics
• drag in samples and loops
• edit/remix/preview
• prep for mastering/performing

For video content, it’s not so different:

• collect ideas and content
• plan an episode, write a script
• drag in media files and content (to be covered on camera)
• edit/remix/preview
• prep for shooting/presenting

We’d use a planner like this.

And we want an "interactive script" viewer—like a web-based helper app on a phone or tablet for on-air reference. You follow your script and hit your talking points, maybe pull up an image, a link, or a video clip. Good for explainer/how-to vids, interviews, or adding plugs and sponsor messages.

But, crucially, everything lives in the one workflow: show ideas, content files, notes, scripts, metadata—all of it tagged, searchable, and repurpose-able. We think creators would use this type of app.

Hey, we want you to talk to us. As we plan out functionality and features, we want your take—especially if you’re a smaller YouTuber or new creator. We want this to fit your workflow.

What would you love to see in a video planning workstation? Drop your thoughts here.

Or join our waitlist for updates on the web app—and an opportunity for early access.