This is a topic that could take pages, really. It's tough. It's like pushing a rock uphill; it's a total grind and you get very little reward for your efforts. Then, at some point, you reach the top of the hill and gravity takes over - that rock starts rolling faster and faster.
To start off with, you need to promote your videos as much as possible. That does not mean spam. There are plenty of tactics discussed on these forums, so I won't go into detail. Suffice to say, it is possible. Become a part of various communities.
You need to make sure you don't become dejected when you're only getting a handful of views. Over time, as you upload more videos (and make sure they have something interesting to offer) you'll create more 'hooks' for people who are searching to find you with, and your quality will improve. Make sure you're doing all of the SEO stuff right because of that. At some point, your channel will hit a point where it has enough content that it looks enticing to subscribe to and, slowly over time, you'll begin to receive more engagement.