In this episode, we talk with Jason Todd—aka Timberlake—the faceless creator behind the YouTube channel Smart Hobbies. Jason shares how he turned Sudoku from a personal pastime into a thriving YouTube channel with over 900K views on a single video. We dive into the strategy behind his growth, why he stays off-camera, how he connects with an older audience, and the surprising power of Sudoku games in a fast-paced creator economy.

Check out Timberlake's Resources:
https://www.youtube.com/@SmartHobbies
https://buymeacoffee.com/timberlakeb
https://www.instagram.com/timberlakesmarthobbies

Games Mentioned:
Sudoku - Timberlake's favorite game to play
Wingspan
Scrabble
Chess

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• (00:00) - Introduction and Top Videos Overview
• (00:50) - Welcome to the Hey, Good Game Podcast
• (01:42) - Meet Jason Todd, AKA Timberlake
• (02:21) - Jason's Favorite Games
• (02:52) - The Birth of Smart Hobbies
• (04:34) - The Faceless Channel Strategy
• (06:55) - Jason's Background and Career
• (09:03) - The Journey to YouTube Success
• (11:05) - Content Creation and Audience Engagement
• (24:16) - Revenue Streams and Future Plans
• (30:02) - Balancing Work and Personal Life
• (30:21) - Overcoming Regret and Embracing Routine
• (30:50) - Collaborating in the Sudoku Community
• (34:07) - Growing Your YouTube Channel
• (34:46) - Choosing the Right Platform for Courses
• (39:47) - Understanding Your Audience
• (42:23) - The Importance of Quality Content
• (46:08) - Exploring the Benefits of Sudoku
• (52:39) - Future of Sudoku and Community Building
• (55:27) - Connecting with Timberlake

Check out our brainy games:

Sumplete - https://sumplete.com
Squeezy - https://imsqueezy.com/
Kakuro Conquest - https://kakuroconquest.com
Mathler - https://mathler.com
Crosswordle - https://crosswordle.com
Sudoku Conquest - https://sudokuconquest.com
Hitori Conquest - https://hitoriconquest.com
Wordga - https://wordga.com