Pingo AI · B2C · AI language speaking app
Scale winning formats through a pay-per-view creator network; test ideas with core creators
Winning variations get scaled quickly; spend is easy to flex; no numbers
Workedugc-creatorsexperimentation
What they did
Two budgets: in-house creators (base + fixed bonuses, hard to turn off) and Noise creators on a capped CPM (easy to raise or cut). Noise scales what works and tests quickly. Core in-house creators are the testing cohort. Brief: an example video, why it went viral, key steps, 'recreate as close as possible in your target language'. For a never-tried idea, the team films the example first. Not granular A/B testing.
What happened
A recent variation of the crying format went viral for one creator and was scaled across both groups.
In their words
The Superwall Podcast · Morrie Schonfeld - How I built a $500k/mo ai app (so you can just copy me)“we use Noise for a lot of distribution to scale what really works, and also really quickly test ideas, that's on a CPM model with a cap.”
“"Here's why it went viral. Here's the key steps to recreate, but recreate this as close as possible in your target language. Like go."”
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- Pingo AI: Only build an app whose main feature looks interesting on videoTalking to the AI became the core of every video; app reached ~$500K/month
- Pingo AI: Film yourselves talking to the app on TikTok, one account per languageReached $20K MRR in about 3 months with almost no outside creators
- Pingo AI: Show people using the app in every video, not just talk about the topicLanguage-topic videos without the app flopped; app-demo videos went viral and converted
- Pingo AI: Tie videos to beginner lessons and culture moments, like K-dramas or the TikTok banA 'basic Korean quiz' got 77K views; a TikTok-ban/RedNote video got 1M
- Pingo AI: Film the AI tutor roasting a learner until they cry on cameraTop video hit 52M views; the format has worked in every language since September
- Pingo AI: Let users write their own scenes for the AI so creators can script funny videosCreators found the viral 'mean Pingo' format with it; users now ask for a mean mode
- Pingo AI: Post language-tip slideshows that end with a pitch for the appSome hit 1M views, but accounts burned out fast; weak-CTA slides converted far worse
- Pingo AI: Have assistants DM small creators learning the language, then move them to emailBuilt a roster of ~100 creators across ~20 languages
- Pingo AI: Pay creators a base per video plus bonuses at 50K to 1M viewsKeeps creators paid for their time and chasing viral hits; no numbers
- Pingo AI: Treat creators like investments: drop the weakest, keep the stars, train the middleTop 20-30% of ~100 creators drive most views; cut 30-50 who drove none
- Pingo AI: Coach creators on lighting, camera angle, sound and doing something on cameraJust started; small tweaks tend to help good creators, no numbers yet
- Pingo AI: Make viral videos for learners of RussianAbout half of new users came from Russia and couldn't pay; Russian content killed
- Pingo AI: Show a timeline on the paywall: free today, reminder before billing, cancel anytimeBeat social-proof and yearly-vs-monthly paywall versions; no numbers given
- Pingo AI: Offer the free trial only on the yearly plan and hide the monthly one
- Pingo AI: Test a 3-day against a 7-day free trial, US and abroad separatelyNear-even in the US; 7-day converted ~2% better internationally (early data)
- Pingo AI: When someone backs out of a 3-day trial, offer 7 free days at a lower priceConverts better than showing the 7-day trial first; exact lift not given
- Pingo AI: Bill US users through web checkout to keep more of each sale
- Pingo AI: Join Y Combinator, then raise quickly on strong revenue and CAC/LTV~100 investor meetings booked; round closed in about 3 days