How JerryRig Everything Turned Teardowns Into a Mission  🔗 **Source:** [How JerryRig Everything Turned Teardowns Into a Mission](https://share.snipd.com/episode/ca5ed2c6-e3bd-4d2e-980c-fc7f8106eb3f) ## Highlights - **From College Repair Job To Filmed Projects** - Zach started JerryRigEverything by filming projects he already did, like a Jeep transfer case rebuild, after seeing a YouTube repair video save him money. - He made ~100 videos his first year, improving by volume and learning editing to shorten tutorials to 3–5 minutes. Transcript: Zach Nelson So back in the day, I was going to college and I was working at a cell phone repair store. So I was working for Sprint and T-Mobile. I kind of switched back and forth. And I was like, just trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. And so, you know, going to college was a good... It made my mom happy. And it's good to network. And it's good to learn how to interact with people. But I knew that I didn't want to work a job that was like a desk job. Where I would clock in at 9, clock out at 5. And then it's just not my personality. I like doing the entrepreneur side of things. And so one day at college, my Jeep broke down. I was driving a Jeep Wrangler. And shop wanted a thousand dollars to fix it. And I was like, Hmm, I could probably fix it cheaper myself. You know, as a college kid, you don't have a thousand bucks laying around. Um, and so I looked online, I found a YouTube channel that had my exact problem and the exact solution I needed for 70 bucks. And so I was like, holy smokes, like this YouTube thing is pretty legit. And so I, I messaged the guy who made the video and I was like, why do you do what you do? Like, why'd you make this video for me? And for everyone, not me specifically, but he, uh, he said his goal on YouTube was to decrease world suck, like make the world a better place. And also that YouTube paid him, you know, for the views that he would get on his videos. And he was like, you know, I pay my rent with my, with my views. And I was like, that's really cool. I like doing projects. Maybe I should film the projects I do and put them online. ([Time 0:01:31](https://share.snipd.com/snip/3800b447-5f73-4d2b-8d57-235f928111a2)) - **Consciously Expand Into Bigger Audiences** - Expand topics deliberately to grow audience size by choosing subjects with larger potential audiences (Zach moved from Jeeps to phones). - Pick adjacent skills you already have (phone repair) so content stays authentic while broadening reach. Transcript: Zach Nelson And I was like, I can only get so many videos, so many views doing Jeep repairs, but everyone has a cell phone. I can expand my potential audience by branching out into the technology space. So you legitimately kind of, did you know this in advance or while it was happening or like, I think the next thing I want to do is phones. It was a conscious thing. I was just like, so I'm getting a decent amount of views with Jeeps, but I work at a cell phone place. I do cell phone repairs. And like every other video, every other like phone repair video on YouTube at the time was like someone just top camera mount, looking down at their phone, their dog or cat walks through The screen, they filmed the whole thing. It's like 40 minutes long. And I was like, I can use my basic video editing skills to shorten this down to like three or five minutes. And like, obviously people are going to choose to watch a three minute tutorial instead of a 45 minute tutorial. And I kind of, you know, rode that way for a while. ([Time 0:04:35](https://share.snipd.com/snip/b76eff51-12ec-431a-bf5d-8d32385962c8)) - **Combine Ads Affiliates And Product Revenue** - Use diversified revenue: combine AdSense, affiliate parts sales, and your own products to go full-time. - Zach quit his job around 40k subscribers after three years because affiliates plus AdSense covered living costs. Transcript: Zach Nelson Yeah. So I was making probably like 30 grand a year at my day job, you know, during college. Um, and it was probably around the three year mark of doing YouTube. So I'm probably like 300 videos in, cause I was doing about a hundred videos a year. Um, I think I had around 30 to 40,000 subscribers at that point. Um, and the ways I was making money were like, umates and then also like selling smartphone parts through an affiliate program. Because like every single video I made was referencing a component or a toolkit that someone needed to complete their repair. And so it was like super convenient that I was able to make a commission off of the parts that I was selling. And then also, you know, you make money from YouTube and AdSense and stuff. I wasn't doing very many brand deals back then. Um, but because of the affiliates and selling my own products and AdSense, I was able to quit my job at around, I think 40,000 subscribers and three years into it. ([Time 0:05:42](https://share.snipd.com/snip/6d4e2297-3246-48d1-995f-ef3dd97c0dd7)) - **Face On Camera Boosts Connection** - Showing your face builds a stronger connection and perceived authenticity compared to faceless tutorials. - Zach transitioned to on-camera presence after quitting his job to increase relatability and engagement. Transcript: Zach Nelson The first, like, probably 100 or 150 videos, I decided to, like, not put my face in, not for, like, a conscious decision, but it was more of like, because you're putting yourself out there. And it's like a little bit, I don't know, unnerving. Like, I was nervous that people would find out that I had a channel and like, yeah, cause like it's always the people on the couch who like criticize you for doing something, you know? And like, I was pumped. Like back then I was making like 10 cents a day and I was like, dude, this is legit. Like I'll be able to afford lunch in like two or three months and it'll be completely paid for by these videos. So I was nervous about it. But then like after I quit my job and like I was, I was doing it full time. I was just like, you know, screw it. Like, I'm just going to put my face out there. This is what I want to do. This is, I don't really care what people think. I remember sitting in Walmart one time and I had to film this shot of throwing toilet, not toilet paper, a paper towel over my shoulder and getting it in a basket. And it took me like 20 takes. And I'm in like this public space trying to get this thing in a basket, but I just don't really care what people think anymore. So that's interesting. Travis Is there anything about it that you noticed was different? Like as soon as you started showing yourself, was it, um, did you notice comments any different? Were there people saying anything different? Were people treating you any different or was it just another piece of content? Zach Nelson Part of what helped me make that decision was that, you know, people go online and they go to social media to make a connection. Um, and like that's, they want to have, you know, their friends, they want to have someone they connect with online and having my face online makes it seem like as if I'm talking to them Or with them, like there's more of a connection than with the, than with the faceless channel. ([Time 0:10:51](https://share.snipd.com/snip/ded6422f-8459-4e9d-b8f8-1399ff800c85)) - **Engage Comments Briefly And Intentionally** - Spend limited, constructive time in comments to build connection but protect sanity; scan initial hour and respond selectively. - Zach monitors comments for the first hour or two and occasionally replies to recent ones. Transcript: Zach Nelson Of what helped me make that decision was that, you know, people go online and they go to social media to make a connection. Um, and like that's, they want to have, you know, their friends, they want to have someone they connect with online and having my face online makes it seem like as if I'm talking to them Or with them, like there's more of a connection than with the, than with the faceless channel. Yeah. Um, you so that was better. Like, I think I don't have any like quantifiable data to show that like I had more interactions or whatever, but like, I think I just more personable, I guess. ([Time 0:12:07](https://share.snipd.com/snip/a88b46e8-7af8-4c2d-ae62-881367b7d211)) - **Nexus 6P Test Sparked Severe Backlash** - A Nexus 6P durability test went viral and triggered intense backlash, including death threats and accusations of fakery. - Zach repurchased a new phone and re-demonstrated the snap live because viewers accused him of staging the test. Transcript: Zach Nelson The first one. And it was, it was a weird experience for me, but it was the Nexus 6P. It was like a Google phone way back in the day. And so like I did my normal durability test and I snapped it in half um and i posted it not really thinking like it was just a fun video for like oh hey this phone snaps in half but like for some Reason people like associated their whole personality with this with the phone and so like the amount of hate i got on that video was like i didn't sleep for three days like people were Like telling me to go kill myself like it was it. And so I, and they were saying that I faked the video, which bothered me a lot. And so I bought a brand new phone and then did the test again, live, no cuts, unboxing it and snapping it in half. But you can tell in that, like followup video, my hands are like shaking because I'm like so stressed out from not sleeping for three days. ([Time 0:18:34](https://share.snipd.com/snip/e4e94fb9-9698-4fdc-941e-278434db769b)) - **Off‑Road Wheelchair Project Became A Factory** - Meeting his future wife, who uses a wheelchair, inspired Zach to build an off-road wheelchair from two e-bikes for $3,000. - That video led to demand and grew into a 26,000 sq ft factory producing affordable wheelchairs. Transcript: Zach Nelson So she we met on a dating app and so I think I don't remember if I said I was a youtuber on the dating app but obviously as you're you're talking over the app like you you tell them what your Job is and I don't think she realized so when I met her I I think I had like 5 million subscribers and I don't think she realized that it could be a job. And so she was like, she probably thought that I didn't have a real job for the first month or so of us dating. Um, but the one thing that makes it interesting is that, um, she's in a wheelchair. And so she got hurt when she was 18, which was 20 years ago. And we met six years ago. She was in a horseback riding accident, broke her back. And on our first date, we were just like talking about wheelchairs and stuff. And like, I realized really, really quickly that wheelchairs are freaking expensive. Yeah, yeah. And off-road wheelchairs are like astronomically expensive and also really difficult to get. Um, and so over the course of our first few months of dating, um, I call her my friend in the video, but we were, we were dating at the time. Um, I welded two electric bikes together with a seat in the center and I was able to make an off-road wheelchair for $3,000 instead of $10,000. And that video did really well. And enough people said that they wanted something similar to that, that we built a whole business around it. ([Time 0:25:53](https://share.snipd.com/snip/391252ba-da8d-4ea5-b159-d3ec92df133b)) - **YouTube Funding Enables Social Manufacturing** - YouTube revenue can fund mission-driven manufacturing projects that traditional funding might not support. - Zach invested roughly $7M into the wheelchair factory and covers $1.3M yearly payroll while aiming for employee ownership. Transcript: Zach Nelson So that's crazy. Travis And that all came from a video. That's insane. Zach Nelson A whole other business based on a video, which really shows how powerful YouTube can be. Yeah. And it's, it's been so, I mean, we could talk about this for hours, but like it's, I'm probably like $7 million deep into the wheelchair factory. Just because of like all the equipment and lasers and benders and everything that we need. We have 20 employees, like payroll itself is like $1.3 million every year. So like, and it's all currently being funded from the YouTube channel, um, as it like grows by itself to hopefully be self-sufficient or self-sustaining in the future. ([Time 0:27:25](https://share.snipd.com/snip/be7911ac-ae01-44c4-9177-dd87944ef758)) - **Gun Video Cost Deals But Reached Congress** - A gun-focused video about bump stocks cost Zach an estimated $100k–$200k in brand deals because companies avoided gun content. - That same video was later shown in Congress and influenced policy discussions, which Zach felt justified the loss. Transcript: Zach Nelson I don't, I mean, not necessarily. Like there's, there's a video I did a while back about guns. I did a video about bump stocks, kind of explaining like what the concept is of a bump stock. Basically, the stock of the gun moves as you're holding your finger and like it can fire faster than a normal gun would. And so I probably lost like $100,000, maybe $200,000 worth of brand deals because of that video. My company said they would not work with me because I had gun content. But like, then I hear that like my video was played in Congress to like help ban the sale of those bump stocks. ([Time 0:31:38](https://share.snipd.com/snip/a57cc8b1-902f-4342-9150-36ee0eb43d1e)) - **Block Family Time Daily** - Protect family time by scheduling strict blocks: Zach blocks 5:30–8:00pm for family and limits work during those hours. - With kids he still works late half the week but prioritizes morning and evening family routines. Transcript: Zach Nelson I wish I mean, with kids, it's like it changes everything because like kids are like the most important thing of your day. And so like I try to wake up and be with my kids, you know, for the first hour before they go to school and stuff. But then, you know, like I sacrifice because previously when I was single, I like to go to the gym in the morning. Since like I'm I kind of have to figure out a spot to put the gym in more consistently because that's just like a way to like reset your brain. Absolutely. But yeah, spend time with the kids in the morning, work all day. And then I always block out the time between five 30 and eight, just to be with the family. And then probably half of the week, I would have to go back out and work again, you know, until midnight. But I also, you know, like spend time with my wife too. So try to be, you know, reasonable with my hours that I'm working, but I should probably be better at it. ([Time 0:33:56](https://share.snipd.com/snip/32cb8820-41cf-4bff-819d-7f57543f3298)) - **AI Erodes Trust In Social Media** - AI threatens online trust by creating realistic fake people and political deepfakes, undermining genuine social connections. - Zach sees many Instagram accounts as AI-generated and worries platforms lack adequate limits. Transcript: Zach Nelson We could talk about this for a long, long time. If I had to break it down in like a short, concise little thing, like it, it, it, it bothers me quite a bit. Cause like I scroll through Instagram now and I would say, you know, half, half of the people while I'm scrolling are fake. Like they're either adjusting their face or they're a guy pretending to be a girl with like those AI composition things. And it's like, that's wild. And like platforms got to get a grip on that because like people go to social media to make a connection. And if you're making a connection with like an AI, like that's that's scary stuff. And like Elon Musk with his Groke, like he's, I'm trying to keep it family friendly, but he's trying to incentivize males to create relationships with these AI females and make videos With these AI females. And he's like, you can make R-rated content. And it's like, if you're, and his other thing is like the birth rate, right? He wants the birth rate to be higher but if you're incentivizing relationships with computers there's uh you're not going to have you know human babies so the whole the whole thing bothers Me and like even more so when you like bring in like politics to it and like people are making fake videos with politicians and like that's's going to go. ([Time 0:36:01](https://share.snipd.com/snip/57de602f-56ae-4b67-8754-c8c5ba222ee8)) - **Reduce Frequency For Bigger Projects** - Plan sustainable output: scale back when life changes—Zach would drop to 1–2 videos per month once the factory is self‑sustaining. - Fewer, larger projects allow deeper focus and healthier work–family balance. Transcript: Zach Nelson Yeah. I would probably go from like, cause I probably post like one or two videos a week right now. I would probably go to one or two videos a month. I think, I think that's a more sustainable, you know, where my balance would be healthier if I was just doing one or two videos a month. Yeah. Travis Would they be bigger projects per video? Would it be about the same stuff? Probably bigger projects. Yeah. Zach Nelson You spend more time doing cool stuff. Yeah. I can sit down and just like focus in on a project instead of like have to gloss over things on a, on a high level. ([Time 0:48:30](https://share.snipd.com/snip/a09c2e13-d2a5-424e-a8d8-d6ad42a63700)) - **Be Consistent And Enjoy The Work** - Be consistent and treat YouTube like a diary: publish often to improve fast; Zach posted ~100 videos/year early on. - Only continue if you enjoy the craft and see personal improvement; otherwise stop before it feels like soul‑draining work. Transcript: Zach Nelson Think the biggest thing is consistency. My first year of YouTube, I think I earned like 2000 subscribers and I had 100 videos posted, but I also wasn't in it to like get rich quick. And I wasn't in it to like be internet famous. I just wanted to make cool videos. And I treated my YouTube channel as kind of like a vlog, not a vlog, but like a diary of my life, something that I could go back and watch later, you know, 50 years from now and just kind of See the stuff that I used to do. Um, and so my advice would be to only do something you enjoy doing because life is short and you, if it feels like work or if it sucks, like obviously doing something hard is what helps you Grow. Right. And so like, if you're growing and like improving and like bettering yourself, stick at it. But you'll know the difference between like my life sucks versus my life sucks, but I'm getting I'm becoming better. ([Time 0:49:21](https://share.snipd.com/snip/0294c9b9-d1fc-4cd2-9ab9-700ff638a376))