In the hyper-competitive world of AI startups, most founders believe that a better algorithm is the only path to victory. David Park, founder of Jenni AI, proved that while the product matters, distribution is the ultimate kingmaker. In just two years, David scaled an AI writing assistant from zero to over $10 million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) and 5 million users. He didn’t do it with a massive sales team or a multi-million dollar venture capital round; he did it by mastering short-form video distribution on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
This isn't just about "going viral" by accident. It is a systematic, repeatable framework designed to turn attention into a massive revenue-generating machine. Whether you are building the next big LLM wrapper or a niche SaaS tool, the Jenni AI playbook offers a masterclass in modern AI startup marketing and go-to-market execution. By the end of this guide, you will understand the exact steps to identify your audience, source influencers, and squeeze every cent of value out of every single view.
The Three Pillars of SaaS Growth
David Park’s approach to scaling Jenni AI is built on a simple yet profound three-pillar model. Before diving into the tactical details of filming and posting, every founder must understand where growth actually comes from. If one of these pillars is weak, the entire structure collapses.
- Distribution: This is the top-of-funnel activity. It involves getting your product in front of the right eyes. How can you get users to land on your page or watch a video about your tool on Instagram?
- Conversion: Once the traffic arrives, can you turn it into revenue? This involves optimizing your landing page, free trial experience, and onboarding flow to ensure visitors become paying subscribers.
- Retention: After the purchase, how long do they stay? Delivering on the value promised in your marketing is critical to maintaining a healthy LTV (Lifetime Value) and minimizing churn.
While all three are essential, David argues that for early-stage AI startups, distribution is the most critical lever. You can have a perfect conversion rate, but if only ten people see your product, you won't build a $10M business. By focusing on a high-volume, organic SaaS growth strategy, Jenni AI created a persistent influx of users that fueled the rest of their operations.
"Growth is simply having more users today versus yesterday, and more users tomorrow versus today. Distribution is the fuel that makes that happen."
The Ingredients Phase: Market Research on Autopilot
Most founders start creating content based on what they think is cool. This is a mistake. The first step in David’s playbook is the "Ingredients" phase—a research period designed to eliminate the guesswork. You must figure out exactly what your target demographic is already watching and why they are watching it.
To do this, David suggests creating a new profile on TikTok or Instagram. Follow the influencers your target users follow. For a student-focused tool like Jenni AI, this meant following edtech creators and "study-gram" influencers. Within 5 minutes, the algorithm will start serving you exactly what is working in your niche. You’ll see the hooks, the music, and the editing styles that are currently capturing attention. This phase allows you to skip months of iteration by identifying the "winning" templates before you even press record.
Finding and Vetting Influencers
Once you have a list of influencers that your audience loves, you need to filter them. David looks for "High Ceiling" creators. These are individuals who have proven they can go viral, even if their average views are modest. If a creator has one or two videos with 2 million views, they know how to hit the algorithm's sweet spot. This is much more valuable than a creator who consistently gets 50,000 views but never truly explodes.
Sourcing these creators manually can be a bottleneck. This is where platforms like Stormy AI streamline creator sourcing and outreach. Instead of scrolling for hours, you can use AI-powered search to find creators in specific niches—like "college productivity" or "PhD researchers"—and instantly see their engagement rates and audience quality reports. This helps founders avoid influencers with fake followers or declining reach before they spend a single dollar on a partnership.
Outreach That Actually Gets Replies
The biggest barrier to AI startup marketing is often just getting someone to say "yes." David’s strategy for outreach is built on persistence and personalization. He recommends a two-pronged approach: Emails and DMs. Many creators aren't "business people" and might ignore their inbox, but they live in their DMs.
When reaching out, avoid cold, corporate language. Don't talk about your employee count or your latest funding round; creators don't care. Instead, show them you are a genuine fan. Reference a specific video they made and explain why their audience will benefit from your tool. For example, if you are using Stormy AI to manage your outreach, you can use AI to generate personalized emails at scale that still feel human and tailored to each influencer's specific content style.
"The hardest part of influencer marketing was always yesterday. Every failure is just data that helps you write a better email today."
Structuring Deals and Negotiating for ROI
Negotiation is where many startups lose their budget. David advocates for aligned incentives. Instead of paying a flat fee upfront, try to split the payment. Offer a base fee plus a bonus for conversions, which you can track via UTM links in their Shopify store or landing page. If they aren't open to performance-based pay, offer bonuses based on view milestones (e.g., $100 extra if the video hits 100k views).
Another powerful tactic is bundle purchasing. Instead of buying one video for $500, offer $1,200 for three videos. This lowers your cost-per-video and gives you three chances to go viral. Even if the first video flops, the second or third might pay for the entire campaign ten times over. Always negotiate for usage rights so you can take their best-performing content and run it as TikTok Spark Ads or Meta Ads later.
| Strategy Type | Typical Cost | Main Benefit | Risk Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Sponsored Post | $500 - $5,000 | Quick reach to existing audience | High (if the video flops) |
| Bundle Deal (3+ Videos) | $1,200 - $10,000 | Lower cost per video; multiple shots at virality | Medium |
| UGC Creator (In-House) | $2,000/mo base | Consistent daily volume (30 videos/mo) | Low |
| Affiliate / Performance | $0 upfront + commission | Perfect ROI alignment | Low (harder to recruit) |
The User-Generated Content (UGC) Loop
Once you find creators who understand your brand, consider moving them from one-off sponsors to in-house UGC creators. Jenni AI’s success relied on posting at least one video per day. This is difficult to maintain with expensive influencers, but affordable with dedicated UGC partners. David suggests paying a base salary (around $2,000/month) for a set number of videos, plus performance bonuses.
This approach allows you to "farm hooks." You can test 30 different opening lines in a month. When one hits, you don't just move on—you pull on that thread until it breaks. This consistency is what builds the brand presence necessary for long-term app marketing success.
The Squeeze: Turning One Viral Hit into Millions
The "secret sauce" of the Jenni AI playbook is what David calls "The Squeeze." Most people go viral and then try to come up with a completely new idea for their next video. David does the opposite. If a video goes viral, he turns it into a series.
For Jenni AI, this was the "POV: You have a paper due" series. They filmed a character realizing they had an essay due and then rushing to use the AI tool. It was simple, relatable, and low-budget. They didn't just post it once; they posted variations of it twice a week for six months. This single series generated hundreds of millions of views and over half a million dollars in direct revenue.
To maximize this, David uses a multi-account strategy. They created different accounts for different regions (Jenni AI USA, Jenni AI Germany, Jenni AI Mandarin). At one point, they had 15 videos going out every single day across platforms like YouTube Shorts and TikTok. Interestingly, David found that an account with 48 followers would sometimes get more views than their main account with 55k followers. The algorithm treats every video as a new opportunity, so having multiple "lottery tickets" in the form of different accounts is a winning SaaS growth strategy.
"You don't need 100 viral ideas. You need one viral series that you can milk into 100 videos."
Conclusion: The Founder Advantage
Scaling to $10M ARR with short-form video requires more than just a camera; it requires the extra effort and creativity that most corporate marketing teams lack. As a founder, you have the advantage of being "in the arena." You can communicate your mission more authentically than any agency ever could.
Start by identifying your ingredients, testing hooks relentlessly, and building genuine relationships with the creators who speak to your audience. Don't be afraid of the "cringe" of your first few videos—they are the tuition you pay for the skills that will eventually build your empire. With the right distribution framework and tools like Stormy AI to automate creator outreach and discovery, your AI startup can achieve the same explosive growth that David Park realized with Jenni AI. The for-you page is waiting—go claim your spot.