A creator-led app in progress · guest's third app
Give the developer 15% instead of 50% once your videos have proven they sell
What they did
In their words
Casper Opala - The Stupid Simple Content Strategy That's Making Apps Go Viral
Casper OpalaSomething that is interesting, though, like last note is, after partnering on I have I work on a web app and an app, and now working on one more app. I did learn the value of distribution and being a creator, and the truth is the development side is accessible to everyone, and it's becoming easier and easier, so I wouldn't be surprised if creators want to own more equity,
Casper Opalabecause they see the value in it. Some still don't understand it, and they will be willing to give up more, but for my third app, I gave up only 15% for the development and product side, because I know I've been able to scale an app from zero to like 100K, majority using just my own distribution.
Casper OpalaSo if I'm giving up 50% for someone to just to build it, while on the other side I could pay someone 10, 15,000 to build it, it's like that developer has got to have like good skills, maintain it, but also have like some sort of business knowledge behind it, too. Like they want to be in it. They want to optimize paywalls, all that stuff.
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More from this episode
- Build your own version of an app that offered you a lowball sponsorshipThe first idea tried took off; app reached ~$100K/month
- Reuse the hook of your best sponsored video to promote your own appRemake got ~500K views, ~20K comments and $5K+ in subscriptions
- Give a big creator half the app: you build it, they post the videosTook the app from zero to ~$100K/month, mostly from the creator's own videos
- Check likes vs views to spot which sponsored videos really went viral2K likes on 2M views means paid boost; 50K likes on 2M means organic
- Remake a winning video again and again, changing only the number and backgroundKept working until the format dried up; only two formats ever made real money
- Film a skit asking a sued company for your cut, then show the stepsFirst skit video made ~$10K+ in revenue; one of only two money-making formats
- Talk about the money viewers can claim, not why the company got suedLawsuit-story videos got views but few signups; payout-focused ones converted
- Ask viewers to comment 'claim' and auto-DM them the app linkAbout 50% of people who comment click the link; 6.7% of downloads pay
- Never say your app's name in the video; just say 'go to this app'Speaker says it keeps videos from reading as ads; no numbers
- On TikTok and Shorts, cut the call to action and name the app in a pinned comment'Link in bio' didn't work on YouTube; shorter videos without it hold viewers better
- Turn the creator's best organic videos into Meta adsOne video ran profitably for a few weeks
- Get five creators to post on the same day to climb the App Store charts$9,700 revenue that day; reached about #70-80 in Finance
- Get creator friends to post for free or ~70% off by trading favorsRates ~70% below list, but some posts still lost money, e.g. a $1,500 one
- Pick an app that fits your steadiest topic: side hustles over saving tipsSide-hustle videos always get 300K+ views; saving-money ones swing 100K to 10M
- Pay $1,000-1,500 per creator ad, expect 20-30% to work, scale the winnersWinning brand creatives boosted to 35-40M views, earning back ~10x the creator fee
- Sign creators for a year, exclusive, to film 'Hey Amazon' discount skitsOne creator video drove 300K+ downloads; Casper's version got ~12M views
Tags: creator-equity, cofounder, equity-split