I think there are lots of YouTubers that provide great information even without appearing on camera themselves. I think as long as people want the information you provide they'll tune in.

I do agree though, I saw the latest monetization requirements of YouTube a week or two ago and it's absolutely brutal:

3,000 public watch hours (in 365 days) or 3 million public Shorts views (in 90 days). Just absolutely massive numbers to hit before you can even earn a cent.