This App Hit 2M Users with Creators Who Had 0 Followers (Here's How)

Join me as I chat with Cody Schneider where we dive deep into how brands can leverage short-form content creators instead of traditional influencers to achieve better marketing ROI. He breaks down the economics of creator partnerships ($900/month for daily content across platforms vs. $2,000 for a single influencer post) and demonstrates how the for-you-page algorithm allows creators with zero followers to potentially reach massive audiences. The strategy works particularly well for mobile apps, e-commerce products, and services with straightforward value propositions. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:26 - Why Short-Form Marketing? 02:55 - Creator vs. Influencer Marketing Explained 04:41 - Micro-Creator Strategy Overview 11:43 - Case study of Focus Tree app using creator marketing 16:04 - How to Find and Work with Creators 19:49 - The Drawbacks of this Strategy 20:27 - Tools for Managing and Tracking Campaign Performance 22:56 - Final Thoughts and Conclusions Key Points: • Creator marketing is more cost-effective than traditional influencer marketing, especially for mobile apps and B2C products • For-you-page algorithms have changed how content reaches audiences, making follower count less important than content quality • Working with multiple creators (5-10) creates a compound learning effect where successful formats can be shared across the team • This strategy works best for products with simple value propositions that can be purchased impulsively on mobile devices The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ Boringmarketing - Vibe Marketing for Companies: boringmarketing.com  The Vibe Marketer - Join the Community and Learn: thevibemarketer.com Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.skool.com/startupempire/about FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg  Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/ FIND CODY ON SOCIAL Cody’s startup: https://www.graphed.com  X/Twitter: https://x.com/codyschneiderxx  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@codyschneiderx

Join me as I chat with Cody Schneider about the power of using YouTube Creators for influencer marketing. Cody explains a step-by-step playbook for acquiring customers through YouTube creator partnerships. The strategy involves reaching out to 100+ creators in your niche, offering a three-video package plus affiliate commission, identifying which creators drive the most conversions, then putting top performers on monthly retainers. This creates a scalable system where you eventually have dozens of creators regularly making content about your product, with trackable ROI through affiliate links. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:03 - Why partner with Youtube Creators 04:38 - How to find and contact YouTube creators 08:11 - Crafting the email and follow-up strategy 09:26 - Overview of the Strategy 14:42 - The value of underpriced attention 19:12 - The numbers and scaling the process 22:06 - Biggest Bottleneck 22:50 - Automating the process 24:47 - Why start now Key Points: • YouTube creators + affiliate marketing is an effective strategy for getting initial customers, especially for SMB products with one killer feature • The strategy works by reaching out to creators, having them make videos about your product, and giving them affiliate commissions • This is a marketing arbitrage opportunity because many smaller creators (10k-50k subscribers) don't know how to properly price themselves • The goal is to identify underpriced creators, test them, then put the best performers on retainer to create monthly content The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ Boringmarketing - Vibe Marketing for Companies: boringmarketing.com  The Vibe Marketer - Join the Community and Learn: thevibemarketer.com Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.skool.com/startupempire/about FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg  Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/ FIND CODY ON SOCIAL Cody’s startup: https://www.graphed.com  X/Twitter: https://x.com/codyschneiderxx  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@codyschneiderx

Join me as I chat with Cody Schneider about AI Search. Cody explains that while AI search (GEO) is generating buzz, it currently represents a small portion of overall search volume compared to traditional search engines. The value lies in highly qualified leads, with conversion rates of 10-40% from AI search traffic. To optimize for AI search, businesses need to identify which URLs are being referenced by AI for relevant queries and work to get their brand mentioned on those pages. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 00:51 - What is GEO/AI search? 02:18 - Who GEO is most effective for? 08:16 - How AI search actually functions 12:31 - Tools and strategies for optimizing for AI search 16:45 - Why are people obsessed with GEO 19:56 - Discussion of available tracking tools 22:41 - Final Thoughts on AI Search and GEO Key Points: • GEO (AI Search) refers to search queries through AI platforms like Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Gemini • AI search works by expanding user queries into multiple derivative searches, then scraping top Google results • Most effective for businesses with long purchasing decision timelines (SaaS, local service businesses) • Success requires getting your brand mentioned on multiple high-ranking pages that AI references The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ Boringmarketing - Vibe Marketing for Companies: boringmarketing.com  The Vibe Marketer - Join the Community and Learn: thevibemarketer.com Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.skool.com/startupempire/about FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg  Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/ FIND CODY ON SOCIAL Cody’s startup: https://www.graphed.com  X/Twitter: https://x.com/codyschneiderxx  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@codyschneiderx

Join me as I chat with Jack Friks, founder of PostBridge and marketer Gabe Fletcher about how to address PostBridge's 20% churn rate. Gabe provides a strategic framework for reducing churn, including creating a community around the product, embedding Jack's personality into the tool, collecting better user data, and developing a unique product metric. The conversation explores how positioning, pricing, and user experience can be optimized to increase retention. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction and purpose of the discussion 02:47 - PostBridge Overview 04:17 - Old Way vs New Way 11:15 - PostBridge Positioning 16:17 - Getting More User Data 19:05 - Email Marketing 22:32 - Onboarding Flow 24:57 - Indie Founder Trend 32:32 - Clear Positioning/Gamifying 39:34 - Importance of YouTube 47:39 -Creating A Unique Product Metric 54:23 - Market expansion strategies 01:02:08 - Data and Mission Drift 01:05:42 - The Team Around Jack 01:07:14 - World Building Explained Key Points: • Jack Friks' product PostBridge is making $20,000 MRR but facing significant churn issues • Gabe Fletcher provides a comprehensive analysis of how to reduce churn through multiple strategies • The importance of creating a unique product identity and embedding the founder's personality into the product • Strategies for data collection, user engagement, and expanding beyond a single platform The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ Boringmarketing - Vibe Marketing for Companies: boringmarketing.com The Vibe Marketer - Join the Community and Learn: thevibemarketer.com Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.skool.com/startupempire/about FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg  Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/ FIND JACK ON SOCIAL: PostBridge: https://www.post-bridge.com X/Twitter: https://x.com/jackfriks FIND GABE ON SOCIAL: X/Twitter: https://x.com/makershelpdesk

Join me as I chat with Rowan Cheung about how he uses practical AI workflows that help his small team at The Rundown operate like a much larger organization. He demonstrates how they use AI for content creation (including AI avatars and writing assistance), business operations (meeting scheduling and email management), and team efficiency (onboarding and research). Each workflow includes specific tools, prompts, and implementation strategies that listeners can adopt for their own businesses. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 02:53 - 1) AI avatars for content creation 13:56 -2) AI Tweet Generator 19:27 - 3) AI Newsletter Editor 22:53 - 4) Lindy AI Agent Personal Assistant 30:01 - 5) Perplexity AI Tutor 34:01 - 6) New Hire Onboarding GPT 37:32 - 7) Email Manager/Sponsorship Finder AI Agent Key Points • Rowan uses AI avatars (HeyGen + 11Labs) to create short-form video content, showing only the avatar briefly while using B-roll for most of the video • Voice dictation combined with Claude AI trained on personal writing style creates Twitter/social media content that's "90% ready" • Lindy AI serves as a meeting scheduling agent that works 24/7 without requiring Calendly links • Perplexity Comment functions as an AI tutor for YouTube videos, allowing users to ask questions about video content • Custom GPT for new hire onboarding eliminates repetitive questions by containing company SOPs, policies, and team information The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ Boringmarketing - Vibe Marketing for Companies: boringmarketing.com  The Vibe Marketer - Join the Community and Learn: thevibemarketer.com Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.skool.com/startupempire/about FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg  Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/ FIND ROWAN ON SOCIAL The Rundown: https://www.therundown.ai X/Twitter: https://x.com/rowancheung Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rowancheung/

Join me as I chat with Ben Benkhin, Creator of WOMBO, about how he built mobile apps that achieved over 250 million downloads by identifying emerging AI technologies and making them accessible through simple, user-friendly interfaces. His first app, Wombo, allowed users to animate selfies to sing popular songs, while Dream was an early art generator that predated tools like Midjourney. Ben emphasizes the importance of studying viral content formats and creating apps that help users easily produce shareable content. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 02:00 - The "Copy What Works" Strategy 05:15 - Competition is GOOD 07:13 - WOMBO Demo 08:15 - Engineering for Virality 11:53 - Steps to creating viral mobile app 15:20 - WOMBO Story Continued 21:26 - Monetization strategy 23:57 - Optimization and Evolution of Wombo 29:22 - Advice for building an AI Mobile Apps 30:07 - Viral Content Creation and Studying Trends Key Points: • Ben created viral AI apps including Wombo and Dream by identifying open-source AI models and making them accessible through simple mobile interfaces • His strategy involves studying what's already working in the market and putting his own spin on it ("mimesis") • The most successful apps have a viral content creation loop where users create shareable content that drives new user acquisition • Monetization came through subscriptions and ads, with only 2% of users paying while the other 98% drive virality The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ Boringmarketing - Vibe Marketing for Companies: boringmarketing.com  The Vibe Marketer - Join the Community and Learn: thevibemarketer.com Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.skool.com/startupempire/about FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg  Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/ FIND BEN ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://x.com/benzion_b W AI: https://w.ai WOMBO: https://wombo.com/m/home

Join me as I chat with Lee Robinson, VP of Developer Experience at Cursor, as he shares practical tips for maximizing productivity with Cursor's AI coding tools. He demonstrates how to structure prompts, create custom commands, and leverage agents for everything from bug fixes to code reviews. The conversation highlights how AI tools are making software development more accessible while enabling developers to build higher quality products with less effort. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:49 - Using AI Agents in Cursor 08:21 - Custom Rules within Cursor 11:49 - BugBot and code review automation 17:19 - CLI and headless options for Cursor agents 19:29 - Tips for getting the most out of Cursor 21:09 - Examples of innovative software built with Cursor Get Your Complete Financial OS at https://dub.sh/brex-sip Key Points: • Lee demonstrates how to effectively use Cursor's AI agents for discrete coding tasks • Setting up proper linting, formatting, and testing helps agents self-correct their outputs • Custom commands and rules can be created to enhance code reviews and writing quality • Cursor offers CLI and headless options for running agents in automation workflow The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ Boringmarketing - Vibe Marketing for Companies: boringmarketing.com  The Vibe Marketer - Join the Community and Learn: thevibemarketer.com Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.skool.com/startupempire/about FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg  Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/ FIND LEE ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://x.com/leeerob YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leerob Personal Website: https://leerob.com

Join me as I chat with Cody Schneider, where we go through a comprehensive marketing playbook for founders of "vibe-coded" startups, focusing on paid acquisition strategies that deliver immediate results. He walks through the exact process of setting up Google Ads campaigns with proper keyword targeting and conversion tracking, then explains how to create effective Facebook/Instagram ads using AI-generated content. The emphasis throughout is on testing multiple creative variations and optimizing for actual conversions. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 03:29 - Validate Demand 07:00 - Google Ads Overview 11:43 - Finding Keywords 15:59 - Setting Up Google Ads Campaign 17:16 - Landing page best practices 19:25 - Google Tag Manager Tutorial 24:38 - Why RUN Paid Ads 28:29 - How to structure the funnel 31:04 - Meta Ads Overview 33:26 - Finding Pain Points with Perplexity 34:25 - Writing the script for the Ad 40:34 - Creating AI avatar with HeyGen and ElevenLabs 44:01 - Setting Conversion Tracking for Meta Ads 46:04 - Setting Conversion Tracking for Meta Ads Key Points: • Focus on transactional marketing (immediate signups) when starting out rather than long-term strategies like SEO • Google Ads setup with phrase match keywords and conversion tracking is essential for SaaS products • Facebook/Instagram ads work differently than search ads - they disrupt users rather than fulfill search intent • AI avatar videos with compelling hooks perform best for SaaS marketing currently The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ Boringmarketing - Vibe Marketing for Companies: boringmarketing.com  The Vibe Marketer - Join the Community and Learn: thevibemarketer.com Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.skool.com/startupempire/about FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/ FIND CODY ON SOCIAL Cody’s startup: https://www.graphed.com  X/Twitter: https://x.com/codyschneiderxx  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@codyschneiderx

Join me as I chat with Logan Kilpatrick about Google's new Gemini 2.5 Flash Image model (Nano Banana), he showcases its capabilities for image generation and editing. We explore practical applications including creating marketing assets, product placement, and interactive experiences, all accessible through Google's AI Studio platform. The conversation highlights both the technical capabilities and business opportunities for developers or vibe coders to build innovative products with this technology. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 02:34 - Nano Banana Overview 04:55 - Demo of AI-generated product ads 10:06 - Demo of Social Assets 11:41 - Demo AI-Generated Mockup Generator 15:05 - How to edit image with prompting 18:45 - Best Practices for Prompting 21:18 - Product placement demonstration 23:04 Three Levels of Using the Model 25:54 - Why you should start using Nano Banana now Try Nano Banana: https://startup-ideas-pod.link/nano-banana Key Points: • Logan Kilpatrick demonstrates Google's new Gemini 2.5 Flash Image model (nicknamed "Nano Banana") • The model excels at fast image generation and editing with impressive quality at low cost (about 4 cents per image) • Multiple product applications are showcased including ad creation, image editing, and interactive experiences • AI Studio provides free access to experiment with the model through chat and pre-built applications • Developers can "vibe code" custom applications using the model's capabilities The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ Boringmarketing - Vibe Marketing for Companies: boringmarketing.com  The Vibe Marketer - Join the Community and Learn: thevibemarketer.com Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.skool.com/startupempire/about FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg  Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/ FIND LOGAN ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://x.com/OfficialLoganK  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LoganKilpatrickYT  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/logankilpatrick/

On this episode I breakdown whether we're experiencing an AI bubble by examining arguments on both sides. I discuss how AI startups are receiving unprecedented funding despite potential economic weaknesses, while also acknowledging the genuine utility and adoption of AI technologies. I also share practical advice for founders navigating this landscape, emphasizing that fundamentals like user engagement and profitable pricing remain essential regardless of market conditions. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 00:33 - Yes it's a bubble 07:06 - No it's not a bubble 10:31 How to play the AI Wave 14:26 - What happens in a bubble 15:07 - The benefits of a bubble Key Points: • The case for an AI bubble includes excessive hype around startups, inflated valuations (seed rounds of $20-30M), similar base models across companies, and questionable unit economics • Arguments against a bubble include demonstrable utility in workflows, falling training and inference costs, increasing adoption rates, and development of new competitive moats • Different strategies are recommended for founders depending on whether they believe it's a bubble or not • Historical patterns show that even in bubbles, truly valuable companies emerge and thrive long-term The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ Boringmarketing - Vibe Marketing for Companies: boringmarketing.com  The Vibe Marketer - Join the Community and Learn: thevibemarketer.com Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.skool.com/startupempire/about FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg  Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/