His pain is our gain.

This week’s electrifying How Success Happens guest is Mehdi Sadaghdar, the mastermind behind the wild, funny, educational and totally ridiculous YouTube channel ElectroBOOM. With more than 8.5 million subscribers, Mehdi is famous for mixing genuine science lessons with copious amounts of self-inflicted electrocution.

During our chat, he revealed what it takes to turn experiments (and a few minor explosions) into a global career. From sustaining creativity and navigating risk to building an authentic relationship with his fans, Sadaghdar shared his tips for creating a brand that goes viral for all of the right reasons — and why a little pain is often part of the equation.

You can watch our conversation above or listen to it below. And read on for three success takeaways from Sadaghdar that just might be the spark to get your big YouTube idea moving.

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The Power of Calculated Risk

Sadaghdar’s transition from engineer to full-time content creator didn’t happen overnight. “It came to a point where I realized that I’m making enough money, same as my day job,” he shares, “So I quit my day job, and just continued doing YouTube.” Though it felt risky, Sadaghdar emphasizes that real-life risk often involves careful, “even boring” calculation.
Takeaway: Big career pivots feel risky, but doing your homework makes the leap much safer than it seems.

Keep It Fun or You’ll Burn Out Fast

To avoid creative fatigue, Sadaghdar has one non-negotiable: enjoyment. “I don’t push myself to a deadline and I do things that excite me, so that way I think I can keep doing it forever, really.” This strategy allows him to sustain long-term motivation, keeping his own interests and excitement at the forefront.
Takeaway: If you love it, there’s a good chance the audience will, too. And if you dread it? Well, there’s a good chance your audience will, too.

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Don’t Follow—Invent Your Own Style

Sadaghdar warns aspiring creators not to become copycats. “Just do something that you enjoy. Don’t try to mimic someone else just because they are successful in what they’re doing.” Instead, he suggests originality and self-awareness are the keys: “You need to come up with your own style, your own personality. It’s more of an art than a science.”
Takeaway: Success comes from developing a voice that’s unmistakably yours.

Quick Hits

• Sadaghdar’s first viral video only took off after a stranger shared it on Reddit—catapulting his audience from a dozen family members to thousands overnight.
• Despite his on-camera confidence, Sadaghdar admits he’s deeply anxious about public speaking, preferring YouTube’s “talking to a camera” over live audiences.
• In his famous “electric guitar” episode, Sadaghdar intentionally gets shocked by live wires—but insists, “it doesn’t make me happy to get electrocuted at all.” His family usually finds out what he did in his videos long after he’s finished filming.

About How Success Happens

Each episode of How Success Happens shares the inspiring, entertaining and unexpected journeys that influential leaders in business, the arts and sports traveled on their way to becoming household names. It’s a reminder that behind every big-time career, there is a person who persisted in the face of self-doubt, failure and anything else that got thrown their way.

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