2026-06-22
I've automated various things, but oh my, I wonder how it will turn out
The initial movement of StudyRiver, which I started with a short-to-medium-term perspective, is excellent, but it is progressing contrary to my expectations. Now, I'm at the point of wondering how to shift it.
Weekly Operation Report 2026-W26
1. Metrics (7d vs previous 7d)
Last 7d (2026-06-15 to 06-21) vs previous 7d.
| Channel | views | Total Watch Time | AVD |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rt2112 | 27 (▼76%) | 556 min (▼55%) | 20:35 |
| StudyRiver | 4,851 (▼35%) | 329 min (▼53%) | 0:28 |
28d cumulative Total Watch Time: Rt2112 2,815 min / StudyRiver 1,087 min
2. What I did this week
Rt2112: Continued accumulation (not touching the main side's format).
Rt2112 Podcast: Changed distribution path. Discontinued Spotify→YouTube routing at the end of June, and switched to submission via API from Claude Code. At the same time, I started distributing the single-panel manga I had been creating from the beginning as Shorts. For Spotify, I set up my own RSS on a server and distribute from there. Eliminated manual posting.
StudyRiver: Continued Kindle/Gumroad publishing. Dropping Shorts generated reach (views 4,851).
StudyRiver: Based on trends, I am considering automated operations that can run in the short-to-medium term.
Eidendo (In-house): Discontinued the site's WordPress. AEO (AI-optimized) measures.
3. Verification
Rt2112: 27 views is a fluctuation during the accumulation phase. On the other hand, maintaining a high AVD of 20:35 means the product (AVD) format remains solid. I won't break it.
StudyRiver: Shorts drove the reach (views 4,851). An AVD of 0:28 is natural since it's Shorts-based. Currently, the Japanese senior demographic accounts for 70% of the reach, while long-form is 70% Myanmar.
4. Hypothesis
I will keep it as is until the end of August. However, it looks like it will be a medium-to-long-term battle, and the question of "is there even demand for this?" will always persist. So, I inserted one keyword hook: "Spend an hour with the future before you sleep."
I expected the reach to the senior demographic, but the signs appeared quickly. Basically, since I am building with high-RPM English zones and an Asian subscriber base, I will accumulate by adjusting distribution times and content to make it a habit.
5. This week's move
First, prioritize accumulating KDP/Gumroad as the conversion destination.
Parallel operations: Creating videos for Rt2112, managing Study River, generating various music videos, and for now, creating a list page for our company's products. I am currently conducting a PoC for spin-off content from Study River.
The question that stuck with me most this week was, "Is YouTube monetization still a long way off?" I honestly broke it down to think about it.
Rt2112
Rt2112 is a long way off. I designed it as a long-term core from the start, but it seems like it will be a difficult journey beyond that. That said, since I'm operating on the principle of "making the act of continuing into content" with the assumption that this would happen, I can maintain my motivation.
As for the means, the most difficult part—viewer retention (AVD 20:35)—has been solved, so the foundation isn't broken. Over the past two months of operation, the videos have also become almost entirely handled by Code.
News acquisition → ★Story creation → Translation → Publishing work (images, etc.) → Video work (2 hours & podcast).
Of these, the only thing I'm using my brain for right now is the ★story creation. Everything else, from image generation to publishing, is shifted to one-command automation as much as possible, with minimal human intervention. Or rather, it's so automated that I even feel reluctant to execute that minimal one-command (haha).
Study River
StudyRiver is closer to monetization. Views, which were in the double digits a month ago, have turned into reach via Shorts. The problem is the usual story that "being watched" and "being bought" are two different things. So, rather than waiting for KU read-throughs, I'm going to run one experiment to monetize the reach that is currently getting a reaction through direct sales.
I wonder how YouTube monetization will turn out. It would be huge if it goes there. To that end, I'm using non-verbal content combined with multi-language titles so I can blast it out to the world.
It's only been two weeks, so I'm keeping an eye on it, but since I have Claude Code running the operations themselves, there's nothing for me to do (well, there are still about 60 KDP publications left, though...). My YT management style has become like an incredibly annoying employee who just complains. And when I complained after the first week, the numbers dropped as expected. So, I'm not touching it anymore.
Well, the demographic that clearly increased in one week is Japanese people over 65. It has completely become a brain training and crossword niche. My ideal is that it would be interesting if it reached developing countries, but the demand is from "seniors." It's as expected, and I'm grateful that it's not becoming kids' content.
In the end, as long as I'm broadcasting from Japan, it's inevitable that it will spread from Japan, so I'm gaining viewers in Korea, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Following that, the English-speaking world of the US and Canada. First, I'll cherish the seniors while gradually expanding on both fronts. I have a feeling the next target will be Korean seniors.
So, what is senior content? Crosswords, Sudoku, that kind of thing. I'm wondering if there's anything I can do automatically, like dot-to-dot, mazes, picross, coloring books, spot-the-difference, etc. They all exist, so I'm exploring how much I can break into the market as ASMR Shorts. Of course, on a separate channel from Study River.
Eidendo
I organized my company. I forgot to renew the domain, and the site and email went down last week (lol). A lesson learned.
I do merchandise OEM, and I still haven't properly built a site to show existing clients "we can do this and that." It's that classic case where I have such a long career that I can do anything, making it hard to organize. I'm planning to do it bit by bit.
The reason for this renovation is domain management. It was originally run under the name Sasakiya Shoten ( sassamahha.me ), but since it's not chosen by AI, it was a stopgap measure to realize I fundamentally have to use a co.jp domain. It's not worth using WordPress, so I made only the email part PHP and the rest a static build. I'm not doing it in earnest, so I'm keeping the effort minimal.
If I were to build something with Claude Code, I think it would be a Shopify App if I were to do it at the company. It's about time I stopped just paying the monthly fee for my own Shopify and leaving it sitting there. Now that the two businesses above are starting to run automatically, the question is where to invest my time.