VidSummit 2026 Recap: Why Being Human Is Your Biggest Advantage
AI was everywhere at VidSummit 2026. What stuck with us was the people. Here's what we learned about custom feeds, the audience development triangle, and showing up as a team.
VidSummit 2026 is chock-full of AI-related features and services. But what stuck with me most wasn't a tool. It was the people there.
While this was my second VidSummit and Andrew's eighth, it was also the first time KDCC showed up as a full team instead of just the 2 of us.
AI can do a lot for creators, but it can't do what happened in those 3 days. Here are the lessons from VidSummit that changed how we see YouTube. 👇
With the rise of AI, human connection is more important than ever
Throughout the years, I've noticed (and you as well) the encroachment of AI into every aspect of our lives.
You've probably seen the rising number of AI thumbnails on YouTube, or have seen businesses around your area using AI-generated graphics. Andrew and I have seen it at VidSummit with all the booths that use AI.
For creators and artists, AI feels like a threat to our livelihood. It can create thumbnails, scripts, graphics, voiceovers, and it can even edit your videos.
In Derral Eves's keynote, he notes that while AI makes it easier for creators to understand and see data, it cannot build relationships.
"If you want to differentiate from AI, you've got to be more human. You've got to lean into story. You gotta take the time to develop a relationship. AI will not develop the relationship. It'll be cold and callous. If you want the relationship, I would encourage everyone to start going live."
- Derral Eves
Derral points to livestreams being important in creating relationships with viewers. It's something that we noticed with the Botez Sisters, who were able to expand beyond chess because they had a deep connection with their audience through live streaming.
The in-the-moment interactions you and viewers get during livestreams are something AI can't replicate. The problems that you encounter, whether that's audio or connection issues or misspeaks and more, are what makes viewers know you're human.
Derral talks about the three content type that's needed for channel stability and growth.
Discovery Content: Your video should reach new viewers, should be highly shareable and easy to consume, and open the front door to your channel.
- Shorts are currently the most powerful discovery tool, driving new audiences for 3+ years
- Mobile accounts for ~82% of discovery views
Relationship Content: This is where you should build authority, trust, and familiarity. Formats include talking heads, podcasts, interviews, livestreams, and commentary.
- Converts new/casual viewers into loyal, returning viewers
- Again, live streaming is especially powerful for human connection
Narrative Content: Go deep into storytelling. Formats include long-form videos, documentaries, challenge videos, vlogs, and binge-worthy series.
- This is the most in differentiating against AI as it requires you being more human and leaning into story
"If you only have one, you do not have stability. If you have two, you might have stability and loyalty, but honestly, you're not growing like you could. So you need to have all three different types of content."
- Derral Eves
Let's be honest, using AI to write your script, edit, and even doing voiceovers can hit Discovery at best. Or at worst, it can go nowhere as the content gets lost in the sea of AI slop. As Derral said, you need to hit all three points of the audience development triangle.
YouTube's custom feed is a goldmine. Don't sleep on it
Something that we, as the KDCC, have been saying is the algorithm doesn't push your content out, it pulls people in. Derral Eves says something similar during his keynote.
YouTube has changed their platform many times throughout the year.
In the early 2010s, the YouTube Partner Program was broadening up to more creators and you didn't need to rely on MCNs as much. What creators realized back then was that you only needed to get a click to get the money. The clickbait boomed.
"[YouTube] had a huge problem, which was people would click and then they would leave."
- Derral Eves
So they started testing (and they still test many features and data points to this day), and in 2012, they saw a change. People were clicking less, but watching more. YouTube realized this was the path forward. They were going to abandon the views as their north star and move toward watch hour.
Fast-forwarding to 2026, YouTube has shifted yet again from watch hours to viewer satisfaction.
Andrew Kan
How does this all tie back to YouTube's latest feature: Custom Feeds? Initially, when the feature was first announced, there was a lot of negative connotation towards it. Derral sees it differently.
"[Custom Feeds] is like gold. Why is it? Because they're giving YouTube more context. Not through a search, but for, 'hey, this is the type of content that I like, and I want to come back and go deeper.'
It's different than them seeing a video and then clicking on the homepage. They're very intentional, but not so intentional that they're like searching for a video because when you search for a video, it's a totally different experience. But when they want to watch what they're into, this is an easier way to get rid of all the clutter."
- Derral Eves
Derral says it straight up; he believes the people who understand this new ecosystem can make a lot of money. If you can get people to do their own personal feed, they will engage with your content on a deeper level than ever before.
He's excited to see what YouTube's doing with this and how we can track it because it is another data point for understanding the viewer.
I'm in the same boat. I've been using the custom feed to find deep dives into topics that aren't as popular, and it's helped me discover channels I've never seen before. It's also a great way for you to find content relating only to one channel and remove all the unnecessary noise.
VidSummit's registration day turned into networking day
I can't attest to every single VidSummit, considering this is my second time, but Andrew says of the previous 7 VidSummit he's attended, they've never made the first day registration day.
Usually, you'd come in on Monday to register, and then Tuesday would be the first day of VidSummit. However, Tuesday became registration day, so VidSummit was really only 2 days instead of 3. At first, we were a little disappointed since we had come a day earlier expecting to register on Monday. What we didn't realize was that it was going to be a day of networking galore.
The second floor and beyond were closed during registration day, so every creator was on the first floor and networking. Though what we found was the best place was in the Westin Hotel next to the convention center. It was a great place to sit down and have deep conversations with others.
In a weird way, it felt like the last day of VidSummit, instead of the first day.
VidSummit used the Mixies app this year, and while it wasn't the best because of connection issues and crashes, it was a great tool for networking with others. There was a matchmaking feature where you had to answer many questions in order for the AI to know why you're here and who it should match you with.
Andrew connected with many creators through Mixies, and even set up a meeting with someone who worked in a company that did human-made captions for non-English channels.
We got to talk to creators we've known for a while, like Nick Nimmin and Daniel Batal, and were able to spend more time (and actually got a picture with that wasn't an elbow) with Nate Black.
There were a lot of newcomers to VidSummit, and it's rumored to be the biggest VidSummit yet. We could see it in the crowd.
We also got to see Darcy's Business again, and she brought up something that we have to address. She wanted to speak at events, and we believe she should because she knows her stuff, but she wasn't sure if she should or how to get started.
Events like VidSummit, VidCon, and smaller conventions are always looking for speakers. Similar to grants (which Darcy has helped us with!) or scholarships; there are many people who assume they wouldn't win so they never apply, not realizing that there probably aren't many who apply because they had the same thought.
And if you're not confident in leading a whole talk, start off with panels. This allows you to ease into speaking in front of an audience while having someone else there with you.
KDCC: From two co-founders to a team of five
If you'd told me last year that I would come to VidSummit 2026 with a full-fledged team in tow, I wouldn't have believed you. Since the conception of KDCC, it's always been Andrew and Ike (that's me!). We've had contractors come to events, but they weren't a part of the KDCC team.
So, going from 2 to 5 was a big change.
Back in VidSummit 2025, Andrew and I realized our usual pitch didn't work with the VidSummit crowd. We adapted, but we weren't able to go all out, unlike this year. Our website has changed a lot since last year, and it'll only continue to improve because of Andrew's hard work.
With better clarity, we could focus on what works. We introduced ourselves as a membership and consultant brand instead of a Discord server, and prepared a 3-month free code for those who want to get a taste of our membership.
Best of all; we had our new team members Kathy (of Kathefit) and Hannah Manuit who blew it out of the water!
I'll admit, I'm not the best at talking to strangers, and I'm not great at pitching about KDCC. In the words of Caleb Hammer during his panel with Uscreen, you need to hire people smarter than you. Kathy is very in touch with the community and knows exactly what to say to people who are looking for exactly that. We've gotten so many people who joined our Discord, membership, and consultant who mention Kathy's name as their reason.
Then, for social media, Andrew and I have neglected it for so long because we've both been busy. Having Hannah there to take pictures of the KDCC and post them the same day... social media (for business) is such a powerful tool that we should've tapped into long ago. We've had people coming up to Andrew to talk about the Created event, and they only knew that because Hannah posted about it on Instagram.
VidSummit knew exactly who the KDCC were because of our presence on social media. Our team even made it into some of VidSummit's posts and stories.
Looking back, the biggest difference between last year and this year wasn't our pitch or our website. It was the people next to us.
You can't do everything yourself, and you shouldn't try to. Find the people who are better at the things you're not, and let them shine.
Things that brought us joy
VidSummit wasn't all business for us. It was a great bonding time for the KDCC and the creators we've met along the way.
Big thanks to OpusClip for inviting us to the VIP party. The theme of it was poker, which I thought was odd until I went to the OpusClip panel with the Botez Sisters and realized OpusClip modeled it off the Sisters. Even the music played there was from Andrea Botez's mix.
There wasn't real money being gambled away. Everyone got Opus Bucks to play poker, blackjack, and more. Whoever got the most bucks at the end of the night won the $10,000 giveaway.
At the party, we got to see the OpusClip team, including Connor, Ivan, and Sachin. We also met up with Stephanie Garcia and Brandon Fortino, two emcees of VidSummit, whom we convinced to come with us on our pilgrimage to Waffle House (which for them was their first time).
On the last day of VidSummit, we unfortunately didn't get invited to the Netflix House party, so I got to visit Buc-ee's and Texas Roadhouse for the first time.
Buc-ee's was exactly what I expected it to be... a giant gas station the size of Walmart. But the joy was truly at the Texas Roadhouse where we had an unhealthy amount of laughing. If this were the Sims 4, I probably could've caused a few deaths by hysterical laughter.
Remember, human connection is needed more than ever with a world filled with AI everything.
Even someone like Stephanie Garcia, emcee of VidSummit, said this was her first VidSummit getting out of her comfort zone and attending the after-parties. If it wasn't for that, we would've never met her and brought her to Waffle House for the first time.
If we met at VidSummit, thank you. If we didn't, come say hi in the KDCC Discord. And if you've been wondering whether you should apply to speak at your next event, this is your sign.
See you at VidSummit 2027. 👋
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