Which is more of a challenge: subscribers, or watch hours?

Apparently, I can't create a poll on the website, but maybe that is better, because it lets us have a discussion and not just click the shiny!

Whether or not Monetization is a goal, in your time on YouTube, which has been harder to find: getting sufficient watch hours, or getting enough subscribers? And has it changed over the course of your time on YouTube? Do you ever have a specific strategy (like creating shorts, or making long videos) to drive up one or the other?
And of course, specifically as a Travel related channel, have you noticed that different locations or themes create more of one or the other?