StoryShort AI · AI faceless video maker
Copy a tool whose founder posts revenue screenshots, after checking its traffic sources
Copied app reached ~$20K/month; his first, non-copied app was hard to maintain
Workedvalidationmarket-selection
What they did
Never build something that isn't already successful or getting traction. Main idea source: X, in solopreneur / indie hacker / build-in-public circles. Filters: (1) traction: founders sharing MRR or Stripe screenshots; (2) traffic sources in Ahrefs: ads plus SEO is the best sign and easiest to copy, SEO-only is slower; (3) simple enough to build and maintain, no complex backend; (4) he'd use and like it himself; also that they aren't spending thousands on marketing, which signals true demand. Then build an MVP in about two weeks and make it slightly better.
What happened
StoryShort AI, picked with this process, grew very fast to ~$20K/month and ~4,000 customers. His first app, UseArtemis, was built without it and ran into big competitors (Apollo, Lemlist) and was hard to maintain, though it now makes ~$15K/month.
- Stage
- Pre-launch (idea)
“The best signal you can find on Twitter is when founders share their MRR screenshot or Stripe screenshot.”
“so I use Ahrefs to check their traffic sources. So are they getting customers only from ads or are they also ranking on SEO? If they are growing with both ads and SEO, that's a very good sign”
“So with StoryShort, it was 100% the process I described earlier. I validated the idea, I saw they're a clear demand, it was simple product, and it was a market I was personally interested in.”
Related topics
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More from this episode
- StoryShort AI: Pick a proven app that gets all its traffic from Facebook ads, and run those adsGrew very fast; now ~$20K/month and ~4,000 customers
- UseArtemis: Skip settings and password pages, launch, and run Google or Meta ads on day oneFounder's standard first step across his apps; no spend or results given
- UseArtemis: Once ads work, add auto-written blog posts to win Google trafficFounder says SEO compounds into near-free traffic; no numbers
- StoryShort AI: Run several faceless YouTube, TikTok and Instagram channels that post daily about your appFounder says it 'works really well'; no numbers
- UseArtemis: Pay affiliates a commission so they make videos and articles about your appFounder says it brings customers at a fixed cost plus SEO; no numbers