He Built a 1,000,000+ User Startup with ONLY 3 People and AI

He Built a 1,000,000+ User Startup with ONLY 3 People and AI

Author: Cody Schneider July 15, 2025 Duration: 53:13
In the Pit with Cody Schneider | Marketing | Growth | Startups
BusinessEntrepreneurshipMarketing

https://www.graphed.com/ - AI data analyst to build dashboard and get insights

Join me as I chat with Yoann Pavy, the growth mastermind behind AI Apply and ex-Deliveroo & Depop head of growth.

Timeline
 00:00 – AI tooling’s golden age (and why it’s overwhelming)
 00:31 – Introducing Yo, the “most gangster” consumer marketer I know
 00:45 – What you’ll learn: short‑form content, paid ads, automations
 01:23 – Sponsor: Talent Fiber makes offshore hiring effortless
 02:12 – Yo’s creative AI spotlight: VO3 videos & gorilla vlogs
 04:46 – Humans vs. AI avatars in paid videos (spoiler: humans still shine)
 07:20 – Building your creator pyramid with Sideshift & Shortimize
 10:00 – Automating code changes via “Jarvis” in Slack
 14:38 – Scaling organic content: thousands of posts, not dozens
 18:00 – Product‑channel fit: build the media first, product second
 20:30 – Automating international growth: 20+ languages in weeks
 24:00 – Filtering AI noise: focus on what’s already working
 27:15 – The biggest gap: corporate brands vs. startup agility

Key Points
 • AI creatives are exploding—VO3 videos hit millions of likes fast.
 • Human spontaneity still outperforms AI‑only videos—for now.
 • Slack‑based AI agents (“Jarvis”) deploy code, update copy, spin up PRs.
 • Automate localization: add new languages weekly without human translators.
 • Scale organic distribution by multiplying creators and formats.
 • Product‑first mindset flips: media channel drives features.
 • Startups win by sprinting on AI while corporates stall in red tape.

Deep‑Dive Sections

  1. Creative AI in Paid Ads
     Verdict: 🔥 Underrated
     • VO3‑generated TikTok vlogs racked up 4M likes in days
     • AI statics (before‑after sliders) crank out ad assets at scale
     • Humans still lead on nuance—mix both and test relentlessly
  2. Automations & Internal AI Agent
     Verdict: 🚀 Game‑changer
     • “Jarvis” in Slack handles code tweaks, pull requests, image swaps
     • One‑line commands push new footer tabs and copy revisions
     • Frees marketers to iterate strategy, not deployments
  3. Scaling Organic Content
     Verdict: 💡 Must‑do
     • Move from 10 posts/month to 1,000+ by cloning formats across creators
     • Use Shortimize to track views cooking days after publish
     • Volume on TikTok & LinkedIn is the new SEO—play the numbers game
  4. Product‑Channel Fit Mindset
     Verdict: 🔄 Reversed logic
     • Prototype media hooks (e.g. resume‑kit demos) before building features
     • Validate with viral tests—first video hit 700K views in 24h
     • Bake winning social formats into product roadmap
  5. Future of AI‑Powered Growth
     Verdict: ⏳ On the horizon
     • Multi‑agent customer personas could replace focus groups
     • Meta’s AI for one‑to‑one ad creatives will upend engagement
     • Corporates risk being left behind as startups sprint

Notable Quotes
 “It’s never existed like it has now. But it’s extremely overwhelming.”
 —HOST

“I call it Jarvis because it’s sexy—I just ask Slack to add a tab and it’s done.”
 —Yoann Pavy

“Once you have two or three of these formats, you can go viral any given day.”
 —Yoann Pavy


Sponsor Block
 This episode is brought to you by Talent Fiber. Hire offshore full‑stack devs with 7+ years’ experience, US‑time‑zone availability, perfect English, and a solid replacement guarantee. Learn more at talentfiber.com or click the link below.

FIND ME ON SOCIAL
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/codyxschneider
X: x.com/codyschneiderxx

FIND Yoann PAVY ON SOCIAL
 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yoannpavy
 X: x.com/yoannpavy
 Website: aiapply.co


There’s a certain kind of clarity that comes from being in the thick of it, where theory meets the messy reality of building something. In the Pit with Cody Schneider is built on that premise. Host Cody Schneider creates a space that feels less like a formal interview and more like pulling up a chair next to someone who’s figuring it out as they go. You’ll hear his own unfiltered brain dumps alongside conversations with founders and marketing leaders who are currently on the front lines. The focus is relentlessly practical: how do you actually land those crucial first customers, then scale that growth without breaking everything? What does it take to move from scrappy tactics to building a marketing team that can sustain momentum? This podcast digs into the specific strategies and operational choices that make a difference when the pressure is on. It’s for anyone who prefers gritty, firsthand accounts over polished success stories. Tune in for a regular dose of actionable insight from inside the trenches of startups and growth marketing.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 65

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In the Pit with Cody Schneider | Marketing | Growth | Startups
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