Podcast Summary: The Startup Ideas Podcast

Episode: "This App Hit 2M Users with Creators Who Had 0 Followers (Here's How)"

Host: Greg Isenberg
Guest: Cody Schneider
Date: September 17, 2025

Overview

This episode dives deep into how brands and startups can leverage short-form content by partnering with creators—even those with zero followers—to achieve explosive user growth. Cody Schneider, a specialist in creator-led marketing, deconstructs the difference between creators and influencers, explains why the new social media landscape favors fresh accounts, and provides a detailed step-by-step playbook to execute this marketing strategy. From actionable tools to real-world case studies (like the "Focus Tree" app growing to 2M users), the episode is packed with modern tactics for growth, especially valuable for consumer mobile apps and e-commerce founders.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Shift from Influencer to Creator Marketing

• The old influencer model (paying for big follower counts) is outdated.

• Platforms now use "For You Page" algorithms (TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, etc.) that surface content based on interest, not follow graphs.

• This means creators with zero followers have equal viral potential if their content resonates.

  Quote:

  "TikTok changed everything. It basically took it from a who-you-follow model... to what you're interested in. That's how a creator with zero followers can actually do this."
  — Cody Schneider [03:46]

• Influencer campaigns only work well for celebrities with powerful, engaged audiences (e.g., Kim Kardashian); otherwise, creator campaigns are far more cost-effective and scalable.

2. Why Short-Form Creator Marketing Works (Better Than Paid Ads)

• The "arbitrage" in creator marketing: The cost-per-impression is dramatically lower than paid ads or big influencers.

• Example Breakdown:

  • Pay a creator $900/month for daily posts (across TikTok, Reels, Shorts).
  • A few posts will inevitably "pop," giving higher views for less spend.
  • CPM (cost per thousand views) often beats Facebook or TikTok ad costs.

• Running several creators in parallel increases learning velocity; winners are identified, replicated, and scaled.

  Quote:

  "If I work with creators and I pay them $900 a month to do a post per day... I'm getting a CPM that’s cheaper than Facebook. This is the real arbitrage."
  — Cody Schneider [09:20]

• "Compound learning": Share content formats that work best across all creators, creating a growth flywheel.

3. Real-World Success: The Focus Tree App

• Focus Tree grew from zero to 2 million users via this strategy—by hiring multiple short-form creators to target users interested in productivity and study apps.

• These videos integrate the product naturally, blending with organic content instead of standing out as ads.

• The highest-performing organic videos are re-purposed as paid ads for further scale.

  Quote:

  "I know Lauren has scaled from zero to 2 million users or something like that... This is their exact strategy."
  — Cody Schneider [12:15]

4. Why Organic Short-Form Trumps Paid

• Organic content feels "native" to platforms and is more trusted by users.

• The analogy: Paid ads are like billboards in a town square; creator content is value-driven, conversational, like handing out helpful flyers.

  Quote:

  "People don’t love to buy things from a paid ad. They’d much prefer to buy from content that feels organic."
  — Greg Isenberg [14:05]

5. How to Execute This Strategy: Step-by-Step Playbook

A. Find the Right Creators:

• Manually search TikTok, Reels, Shorts for creators discussing your space.
• DM recurring creators and offer a set rate (e.g., $900/month for daily posts).

B. Manage Multiple Creators for Scale:

• Hire 5-10 creators for more learning surface area.
• Identify top performers and keep them on a retainer; cut and replace underperformers.

C. Make Creators Start Fresh Accounts:

• New, zero-follower accounts still get massive reach due to the platform's discovery algorithms.
• Format experimentation is key—find, remix, and double down on what works.

D. Tools to Streamline the Process:

• Stormy AI: For finding & DMing creators (also negotiates pricing).

• Shortimize / Viral App: Track campaign performance, submissions, and engagement.

• Veer Low / Sandcastles AI: Discover viral, outlier videos in your niche for inspiration.

• Management infrastructure: Discord servers or WhatsApp groups to coordinate teams.

  Quote:

  "It’s a super manual process. There’s tools like Stormy AI that help a lot. But the management of creators is a pain—make your best creator a team manager to oversee others."
  — Cody Schneider [19:00]

6. Challenges & Advice

• Creator management can be a pain (creators can be "hella flaky").

• Solved by team structure—promote best performer to creator manager.

• There are only so many relevant creators per category; constant renewal is needed.

  Quote:

  "If you can suffer through the pain, there will be some gain—if you can find the right creators, formats, track, and manage them."
  — Greg Isenberg [22:58]

7. When (and When Not) to Use This Strategy

• Best for:

  • B2C apps
  • Simple value-prop mobile apps
  • E-commerce (especially with impulse price points, ~ $29)

• Not as effective for:

  • Complex products with heavy learning curves (better suited to long-form educational content)

• Also useful for building top-of-funnel brand awareness in B2B or web apps (e.g., driving branded search for API companies).

  Quote:

  "If I’m just trying to have an entire industry know that I exist, this is how this marketing strategy can be layered with something else."
  — Cody Schneider [26:42]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On TikTok's Shift in Discovery:

  "Social has evolved. TikTok changed everything... It’s going to understand you better than yourself."
  — Cody Schneider [04:01]

• On Format and Authenticity:

  "The best performing ads is when it feels like native content on the platform... Make it feel like it was edited on an iPhone."
  — Cody Schneider [15:00]

• On Category Surface Area:

  "How do I create as much surface area for my brand within my category? Layer on all of these strategies."
  — Cody Schneider [24:50]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:00–02:05] — Introduction & today's short-form focus
• [03:30–06:53] — From influencers to creators, why followers don’t matter
• [08:02–10:40] — Economics of creator vs. influencer vs. ads; flywheel strategy
• [11:44–13:48] — Concrete case study: Focus Tree App growth
• [14:05–15:27] — Why organic content works better
• [16:20–21:54] — How to find, manage, and scale creators (tools included)
• [22:58–25:00] — Pain points of the strategy, best categories to use
• [25:00–27:18] — Layering strategies and broadening for B2B/brand awareness

Final Takeaways

• The new wave of creator marketing is data-driven, high-learning, and far more cost-effective than paying for followers.
• A handful of engaged, zero-follower creators can outperform big-name influencers. Success hinges on format testing, scalability, and cross-team learning.
• The playbook provided—find, hire, manage, track, and repeat—is hackable, but it requires hands-on execution and a willingness to work with nontraditional creators.

Find more of Cody Schneider at Graft (details in show notes). For a full database of startup ideas, visit gregisenberg.com/30startupideas.