The $10M AI Video Secret

Scale your product with short-form

Author

Keith Lim
May 22, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 13 minutes

The truth about my AI side hustle: It began as a way to afford better coffee, and evolved through many failures, and now pays more than my previous day job.

I’m blessed.

Anyways, did you get a chance to read last week’s issue? Check it out here.

🎁 AI SOLOPRENEUR STARTER KIT

Have you check out yours? Download it here.

🔍 PROMPT OF THE WEEK

Assume the role of a predictive analytics and financial strategy expert. For the following business: [insert business description, including industry, company size, and market niche], design a detailed, actionable strategy for integrating predictive analytics into financial operations. Your response should:

  1. Explain how predictive models can specifically optimize budgeting, cash flow management, and financial risk assessment within this business context.

  2. Describe how predictive analytics can be leveraged to identify market trends, customer behavior patterns, and investment opportunities relevant to the industry and market niche.

  3. Provide a step-by-step implementation roadmap, including required data sources, technology stack, team roles, and change management considerations.

  4. Identify potential challenges and barriers (technical, organizational, regulatory), and propose concrete mitigation strategies for each.

  5. Recommend key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success and ROI of predictive analytics initiatives.

  6. Where possible, include real-world examples or case studies from similar businesses or industries.

Format your response as a structured report suitable for presentation to executive leadership.

🖼️ IMAGE OF THE WEEK

Here’s the prompt I used: High-angle, full shot of a tropical beach. A long, curved stretch of beach, with light tan/orange sand, is the central focus. Waves, a mix of turquoise and teal water, are visible along the shore. The shoreline is clearly defined by the interaction of the water and sand. Green tropical vegetation, including palm trees, lines the edge of the beach and extends inland. A landscape of green forest and fields is visible beyond the beach. The sun is shining brightly, creating a clear, bright atmosphere. A few small figures are visible on the beach, very small in the frame, giving a sense of scale and remoteness. The perspective is directly overhead, offering a broad view of the entire coastal scene. The image is sharp and detailed, showing the texture of the sand and the varied shades of the water. The colors are vibrant and realistic, evoking a sense of summer vacation and tropical paradise.

Model: Flux 1.1 pro ultra

🧰 AI TOOL OF THE WEEK
OpenArt

Key Features

  • You can generate wild, high-res images from just a text prompt—think “paint me like one of your French girls,” but with zero artistic skills required.

  • There’s a remix feature that lets you take any image and give it a glow-up, AI-style—like Pimp My Ride, but for your art.

  • Templates and style transfers mean you can channel your inner Van Gogh, Banksy, or even that one weird dream you had last night.

  • The interface is so easy, your grandma could use it (and she might make cooler stuff than you, just sayin’).

  • You can create collections, organize your masterpieces, and even collaborate with other creators—because teamwork makes the meme work.

  • It’s all online, so you can create from your couch, your office, or that sketchy coffee shop with the good WiFi.

How to Make Money with OpenArt

  • You can sell your AI-generated art on print-on-demand sites like Etsy, Redbubble, or Society6—because who doesn’t want a side hustle that pays for coffee?

  • Offer custom gigs on Fiverr or Upwork—pet portraits, book covers, album art, you name it.

  • Build your own merch line—slap your art on t-shirts, mugs, or phone cases and start your own mini-empire. Beyoncé started somewhere, right?

  • License your images for use in marketing, social media, or websites—businesses are always hungry for fresh, unique visuals.

  • Create and sell digital downloads—wallpapers, printable posters, or even NFT art if you’re feelin’ spicy.

  • Teach others how to use OpenArt—run workshops, make YouTube tutorials, or write guides. If you can do it, you can teach it (and get paid).

💸 AI INCOME USE CASE

How One AI Founder Built a $10M Empire with Short-Form Video (No Huge Ad Budget Needed!)

Ever wonder how some AI startups seem to explode overnight, while others struggle to get noticed?

It's not always about massive ad spends or celebrity endorsements.

Sometimes, it's about smart, strategic growth that leverages the platforms where your audience already spends their time.

The Problem: Getting Your AI Product Seen in a Crowded Market

Today, attention is the new currency.

For creators, solopreneurs, and side hustlers building an online empire with AI, the biggest challenge isn't just creating an amazing product.

It's getting it in front of the right people.

Traditional marketing can be expensive and slow, leaving many feeling overwhelmed and invisible.

So how do you cut through the noise and find your ideal users without breaking the bank?

The Solution: David Park's $10M Short-Form Video Playbook

David Park, founder and CEO of Jenny AI (an edtech AI tool for researchers), faced this exact challenge.

In just two years, he scaled Jenny AI to over $10 million in annual revenue and 5 million users, largely by mastering short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

His secret? A systematic, low-budget approach to distribution that anyone can replicate.

David breaks down growth into three pillars: distribution, conversion, and retention.

His "Playbook" focuses heavily on distribution through short-form video, turning fleeting attention into loyal users.

Step-by-Step: Your Playbook to AI Product Virality

David's strategy is a three-step cycle designed to find, test, and scale viral content:

  1. Gather Your Ingredients (Know Your Audience):

    • Deep Dive into Your Users: Understand who your ideal users are, what their interests are, what content they're currently watching, and why. This isn't guesswork; explicitly ask them for their social media handles and observe.

    • Find Your Influencers: Use platforms' own algorithms. If your users follow a certain influencer, go to that influencer's profile and click "suggest similar accounts" or check their hashtags. Create a dedicated "burner" social media account (e.g., a new Instagram or TikTok) and follow these influencers. The algorithm will then feed you more relevant accounts, ensuring you're seeing what your target audience sees.

    • Spot Viral Potential: Look for influencers who have at least one or two videos with millions of views (focus on the ceiling, not just consistent views). Crucially, check if their sponsored content also performs well.

  2. Explore & Test (Experiment Relentlessly):

    • Content Ideas from Everywhere: Get inspiration from your identified influencers (their content, past sponsored posts), ask your users about similar tools and check their social media, and simply scroll your dedicated "burner" account until something naturally grabs your attention.

    • Test Key Variables: Don't just make one type of video. Experiment with:

      • Different People: Who is on camera? (Influencers, friends, UGC creators).

      • Different Hooks: What text or spoken line grabs attention in the first second? ("Top 10 reasons...", "The worst thing is...").

      • Different Accounts: If an account gets stuck in "100-300 view hell," try creating a new one (even on a friend's phone with a new SIM card).

      • Editing & Lighting: Fast-paced vs. slow-paced, casual/homemade vs. cinematic.

  3. Squeeze the Value (Scale What Works):

    • Identify Winners: Methodically track your content's performance. When a video or idea works, kill the non-converters and double down on the winners.

    • Turn it into a Series: The most powerful tactic. Once you have a viral video, turn it into a repeatable series by making subtle variations. People are creatures of habit and like seeing similar content. Jenny AI's "Point of View: Essay Due" series, for example, involved minor tweaks (sleeping, walking dog) in the first 10 seconds, followed by the same core message and product showcase. This single series was posted twice a week for half a year, generating hundreds of millions of views and over $500,000 in revenue.

    • Multi-Platform & Multi-Account: Repost all winning videos across all short-form platforms (TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts), rewriting the text/hook natively for each. For maximum reach, create multiple accounts (e.g., Jenny AI USA, Jenny AI Germany, Jenny AI Mandarin) and have UGC creators remake the viral content in different languages or for different niches. An account with 48 followers can sometimes outperform one with 55k followers!

    • Prolong Lifespan: When a mega-viral video starts to fade, reach out to meme pages or aggregate accounts. They often have ridiculously low sponsorship fees ($50-$100) and can give your content a new lease on life, even if the comments are "mean."

Pro Tips for Working with Influencers & UGC Creators

  • Expect Rejection & Persist: Don't give up after one email. Send DMs too, and follow up. Many creators aren't business people and don't check emails daily.

  • Show Genuine Fandom: In your outreach, demonstrate you genuinely love their content. Focus on why their audience will love your product, not your startup's accolades.

  • Align Incentives: Avoid paying 100% upfront. Structure deals with a base payment and performance-based bonuses (e.g., based on conversions via coupon codes or UTM links, or views/clicks).

  • Negotiate Bundles & Cross-Platform: Offer to buy multiple videos or have them post on multiple platforms for a slightly higher fee. This lowers your cost per video and builds a relationship.

  • UGC Deals: For consistent content, hire UGC creators on a base salary (e.g., $2,000-$5,000/month) plus performance incentives. This ensures they stay motivated to create high-quality, converting content.

  • Give Creative Freedom (with oversight): Instead of boilerplate scripts, allow influencers to integrate your product organically into their existing viral series or inside jokes. You can always tweak their script to ensure your product is portrayed correctly.

The Takeaway: Persistence Pays Off

David emphasizes that influencer marketing rewards extra effort and creativity.

Your first attempts might be awkward, and you might lose some money.

But your skills will compound, you'll gather valuable data, and eventually, one amazing influencer or viral series can make up for all previous losses.

The key is to start, learn from every interaction, and relentlessly optimize!

🤑 AI INCOME Q&A

Question: "How can I differentiate my AI resume writing service from competitors?" - Devon L.

Answer: Focus on industry-specific ATS optimization. Most AI resume services offer generic improvements, but by specializing in specific industries (healthcare, tech, finance), you can train your AI on the exact keywords and achievements that matter in those fields. One subscriber charges $250 per resume by guaranteeing it will pass specific ATS systems used in the client's target industry—triple what generic services charge.

🌱 LIFE BEYOND AI

I’m quite particular when it comes to buying a backpack. Don’t ask me why but I always seem to have a ton of “requirements” for my bag. Luckily, I came across this one which checks all the boxes for me.

🛠️ TOOLS THAT MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER

  1. Abacus.ai → Use all the latest LLMs and build custom AI applications for an extremely low cost

  2. Later → All-in-one platform to manage social media content, track performance, and grow online presence

  3. beehiiv → Build, grow, and monetize your newsletters (use my link to get 30-day trial + 20% OFF for 3 months)

  4. Recraft → Create high-quality images and vector graphics, with features like background removal and style customization

  5. LumaLabs → Create high-quality images and videos from text and images, including 3D models.

  6. Beacons → Customize link-in-bio pages + building your online store

  7. Descript → AI-powered video and audio editing platform to create professional-looking content

  8. ElevenLabs → Create ultra-realistic text-to-speech voices in multiple languages

🕵️‍♂️ A SURPRISE INSIDE

This might hold something you didn’t know you wanted to know…

And that’s a wrap for this week.

If you have any questions, feedback, or just want to say hi, please hit “reply”. I do my best to respond to every single email.

Thank for so much for your support!

☄️ Let’s make moves,
Keith
Chief Human Officer, Optimizing With AI