Kiran Desai - The EXACT System to Go From 0-$10M+ With Your App

On launch day a team member (then a college junior) pointed a camera at a computer screen and showed features working in real time, at a desk and in actual lectures, then cross-posted TikToks to Instagram Reels. The December 2023 hit opened on the lecture hall with caption 'I thought finals were supposed to be hard', panned down to the laptop recording the lecture, and showed notes generating automatically. Guest credits the novel features, posting time and some luck; says it is reproducible only if the product is genuinely original.

When shipping features early on, made them very visual for short video. Example: the live lecture feature streams auto-generated notes onto the screen after 'stop recording'. When filming, keep the screen and keyboard in shot with hands away from the keyboard to show nothing is typed. Creators are briefed to hit the feature's wow moment alongside the outcome (better grades).

Recruit influencers whose audience trusts them (e.g. Gemma, ~100K followers; another at ~750K) to open a separate StudyFetch-branded account from zero and post ~daily (20-30 videos/month). Pay five figures per month as a whole (not per video) for multiple months, typically 10-20x a UGC creator's rate, plus a bonus; some deals trade a lower retainer for a high bonus. Early influencers quoted main-account sponsored rates, so deals had to be structured to suit both sides; rates have come down as the practice spread. Runs alongside hundreds of regular UGC creators and occasional sponsored posts.

Prioritize engagement, especially comments: even 10K views/video with an active comment section is a good sign; big view counts need proportional comments. Example accepted as good: 160K views, 1,600 bookmarks, 33 comments. If a creator does well on Reels, cross-check TikTok and skip them if TikTok performance is weak. Look for creators who captivate, and who can sell: TikTok Shop affiliate creators, creators with past brand deals, and UGC creators from other companies.

Because audiences increasingly call out UGC as ads, every StudyFetch creator account carries 'StudyFetch' in its name so viewers associate it with the brand, and videos focus on showing real value rather than disguising the ad. Paired with targeting receptive audiences (med students, type-A learners) rather than virality at all costs.

Creators actually use the product on camera (e.g. a whole video of a student talking to the Tutor Me AI tutor) and, for the last 4-5 seconds, put 'Website: studyfetch.com' as clear on-screen text. Avoid videos about something else that loop the product in only at the very end.

Avoid heavy creative direction. Comedic creators (Sebastian, LA-based) keep making skits; lifestyle creators (Helene, a Harvard student) keep day-in-the-life vlogs with StudyFetch appearing several times, each showing a different use (study calendar, flashcards, quiz) between normal moments like getting matcha. Well-known creators can skip a hard CTA because viewers already want to know what they use.

Base rate per video historically $50-2,500 depending on talent (great creators get high base even without an audience). Bonus: $100 per 100,000 views on TikTok or Instagram. Individual deals may raise or lower either part. Roster size flexes with goals: up to ~1,000 creators when chasing views, a smaller group when chasing high-converting content for a specific audience.

Aim for 80%+ US audience on US creators' TikToks. Reels often reach global audiences (comments in other languages), especially from non-US creators, so non-US creators (a few in Australia, New Zealand, Eastern Europe) should post on TikTok at least. Creators strong on Reels are only signed if they also perform on TikTok.

A dedicated outbound team sources creators and reaches out via TikTok/Instagram DMs and email, escalating to LinkedIn or other routes for high-priority targets. Also runs creators.studyfetch.com ('Earn up to $1,200 per hour', '$50 to $2,500 per post') asking for a portfolio or a video telling a story with personality. Outbound favors creators who like the brand and mission.

Before full-time hires, used contractors for the operational side of the creator program.

Roles: an outbound/scouting team that sources creators, reaches out and closes deals; full-time creative managers who talk to creators daily, work through viral formats, generate ideas and answer questions; and a head of creator program overseeing it. Hires need strong short-form instincts, adaptability and marketing sense.

Internal 'viral dashboards' scan a range of niches and notify the team when a video trends in another niche; the team pulls video ideas and concepts from them rather than copying app competitors.

After the $11.5M Series A, money went to scaling the creator program and to higher-quality brand content on the main account, including cafe pop-ups meant to build an emotional connection with users, inspired by larger companies that favor quality over volume.