What do you think about the YouTube Algorithm?
The Youtube algorithm is designed to get users to watch more videos for a longer duration and to keep coming back regularly to the site. It can be misused, however, to change a user's viewpoints by suggesting videos that YouTube management wants to be seen instead.
As a content creator, how would you balance your content between optimization for the algorithm and authenticity and core-audience appeal?
That is a hard problem which many popular creators struggle with, such as Linus Tech Tips and Dunkey. Here are the techniques I would use, which are partly based on what they do:

- Provide click-baity thumbnails to get people to start watching, but the provide informative, authentic content to keep your core audience happy
- Provide a second channel where you post videos for your core audience. Devote your primary channel to the more shallow, click-baity videos, but provide ample links from this to your second channel to those who are interested migrate
- Think of content ideas which both fit modern trends and memes while still being authentic. For example, if your channel is based on obscure music or ambient narrative, include references to the backrooms in your content while not actually changing much.
- When straying into controversial territory, use euphemisms and ambiguous statements to convey your ideas to the core audience while not offending or triggering people or getting demonetized. This is particularly important when covering sexual content, or criticizing a bigoted statement because you cannot actually say the statement itself.