Project summary

I am funding a project by Justin Kuiper to launch a YouTube channel focused on Progress Studies. The channel will explain how progress happens, why it sometimes slows down, and what enables societies to produce more of the things that improve human well-being. The videos will be narrative-driven and accessible, covering topics like infrastructure, industrial capability, science, agriculture, and institutional design.

Example planned video topics:

• Why does it cost $1B to build one mile of subway?

• Why Hawaiian milk costs $9/gallon (the Jones Act)

• When France built 56 nuclear reactors in 15 years

• Norman Borlaug and the Green Revolution

There is currently no major YouTube channel dedicated to Progress Studies. Justin is trying to address that gap directly.

Project goals

Over the next 6 months, Justin plans to:

1. Publish 12 high-quality videos

2. Establish a repeatable storytelling and production workflow

3. Build enough initial traction to begin sponsorship outreach

4. Test what video length, style, and packaging work best for this niche

5. Evaluate whether the channel is on track to become self-sustaining

The long-term goal is to create a channel that reaches millions of people annually and significantly enhances public understanding of how progress occurs.

How will funding be used

Funding covers approximately 6 months of pilot runway. This allows Justin to publish consistently and get the channel to the point where sponsorships become viable.

Estimated cost per video (~$5,000):

Expense

Cost

Senior video editor

$2,000

Writing, research, creative direction, voiceover

$1,500

Thumbnail and visual packaging

$1,000

Buffer / unexpected production cost

$500

The funding is structured as a revenue share investment in Kinetic Literature LLC:

• If quarterly revenue exceeds $30,000, Kinetic Literature LLC repays 50% of revenue above that amount.

• Revenue is AdSense and other platform revenue share, video sponsors and affiliates, channel Patreon and other channel fan memberships/donations (excluding sales tax/VAT collected on behalf of government and net of refunds/chargebacks) or anything else that reasonably qualifies as channel revenue.

• Repayment happens in $25,000 increments so as not to cause excessive transactions

• Repayment is capped at $100,000 total

• Repayments will not occur after 2037.

If the channel becomes financially successful, the funds are repaid with up to a 5x return. If not, the funding functions as a grant enabling a genuine attempt at building something valuable.

Who is on team and track record

Creator: Justin Petersen

• 8 years of professional experience in educational YouTube

• ~200 videos produced

• ~700 million cumulative views across channels he has contributed to

• Strong track record in narrative scripting, pacing, packaging, and communicating complex ideas accessibly

Additional collaborators:

• Senior video editor (contracted)

• Thumbnail/branding designer (contracted)

This is not a large organization — it is a small, execution-focused team optimized for output quality.

Concerns

1. Justin is currently making AI safety Youtube videos and I think he’s been great at writing these scripts. The channel he has done this for has skyrocketed and this will take him away from that.

That said, I generally think people should work on that which they want to work on

2. Growth may take longer than expected, since YouTube’s discovery algorithm can be slow early on.

3. The best format is not known yet; Justin may be more effective as an off-screen narrator than an on-camera host.
   

The pilot period is explicitly designed to test these and determine whether the channel should scale, pivot, or wind down.

How much money you raised in the last 12 months

I’ve been speaking to Justin about this since a month ago and have been planning this grant/investment since then. Since then, some plans have changed but also he has gotten a $40k grant from Emergent Ventures for this project.