The loyal percentage of your audience who is willing to give you money each month is not concerned whether you meet the social quota in terms of subs - they are paying you monthly because they want to support you as one of their beloved creators.

I get that, I just don't want to take anyone's money under false pretenses. If the promise of the Patreon is "this will help me make more videos," it's going to have to be true. But the money won't actually free up any of my time until I can quit my day job.

Waiting until I have enough subs isn't meant to give me a credible "social quota," it's meant to increase the total number of patrons i get at the jump, thus increasing the bottom line and shortening the interim period where I'm 1. taking people's money and 2. still creating at the same snail's pace as before.

If you advertise your Patreon early, you can start establishing a community of loyal supporters who are invested in your work. This community can provide valuable feedback and support, which can be crucial to the success of your channel. Also by promoting your Patreon early, you can plan ahead and create content that is specifically designed for them.

I had not considered the community aspects of a small-but-lively patreon fanbase but it's a very good point.

You can advertise your Patreon in a plethora of ways.

on the same note, do you think it's best left to comments/description or would you listen to a quick patreon pitch in an end-of-video announcement?