I’m Here to Tell You How I Did It!

My AI Content Studio is Now Making $18,000/Month — And I’m Just a Solo Founder
Author: Ethan Tian

In 2024, I launched Textideo (if you want, please bookmark it 🙏)
👉 https://textideo.com?utm_source=prosperai351&utm_medium=indiahacker&utm_campaign=new1126

It’s a platform that combines AI video, AI copywriting, AI illustrations, and social media content all in one seamless editor.

Here’s the funny thing: AI tools are everywhere, but there wasn’t a simple, intuitive platform that could save creators real time across multiple AI models.

As a bootstrapped, solo founder, I set a few guiding principles:

• No forced subscriptions — pay only for what you use
• Integrate the best AI models but keep the interface simple
• Make cinematic-quality content creation accessible to everyday creators
• Always prioritize the creator’s time

Today, Textideo makes $18,000/month from paid credits and subscriptions.
My goal for the first half of 2025 is $30,000/month.

Here’s how I got here.

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1. List It Everywhere

The beauty of AI tools is that your audience isn’t confined to one place.

I listed Textideo on:

• Reddit (r/AI, r/aivideo, r/Marketing, r/ContentCreation)
• Dev.to
• Indie Hackers
• Product Hunt
• AI tool directories
• Niche forums and Telegram groups

These are places where people are actively searching for new tools, and being present there brings visibility and high-quality backlinks, which later help with SEO.

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2. Launch Small Updates Frequently

I don’t wait for “big releases.”

Every small feature counts:

• A new video template
• A new AI model
• A new illustration style
• UI improvements

Each one becomes an opportunity to post an update and stay visible.

If you disappear for a month online, it’s like you never existed.

Frequent updates = constant engagement.

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3. Listen to the Creator Community

My earliest users came from Reddit, Twitter, and creator groups.

They asked:

• “Can I use multiple AI video models at the same time?” → Built multi-model timeline editing
• “Can you offer pay-as-you-go credits?” → Implemented credit-based pricing
• “Can it generate TikTok copy, cover art, and voiceovers?” → Added one-click short video creation
• “Can I do copy, illustrations, and video all in one place?” → Launched AI Playground

Lesson learned: If you listen, your users will tell you exactly how to make your product better.

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4. Marketing Takes as Much Time as Coding

Many amazing tools fail — not because of the product, but because no one sees them.

I didn’t have a large social media following, so I focused on:

• Posting 60+ product updates on Reddit / Indie Hackers
• Sharing AI trend insights on X (Twitter)
• Collaborating with YouTube creators to showcase Textideo
• Reaching out to TikTok AI communities
• Sharing in entrepreneur and creator groups

I quickly realized: writing code builds features, marketing builds users.

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5. Find New Audiences Instead of Waiting

In late 2024, growth started to accelerate.

Why?

I noticed creators increasingly using:

• CapCut
• n8n
• Notion + automation
• Bulk social media content pipelines

They needed a platform that could integrate everything, so I shifted focus:

• Enhanced APIs
• Added automation templates
• Built TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube templates
• Partnered with creator communities
• Launched affiliate programs

This created a growth flywheel:

Creators → Templates → Video examples → Traffic → New users → Repeat

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6. Invest in SEO

Once you have exposure and backlinks, search traffic starts snowballing.

I focused on:

• Publishing tutorials (AI video, AI copy, AI illustrations)
• Creating 50+ model pages
• Getting affiliates to write reviews
• Encouraging user-generated content with backlinks
• Partnering with AI tool directories

Now, users can find Textideo directly via searches like:

• “AI video editor”
• “free Sora alternative”
• “AI short video generator”

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About Burnout

Growth came fast, but burnout hit even faster.

A year of 12-hour days, managing 10+ models, 500+ features, customer support, and bug fixes… it got intense.

There were moments I questioned whether I could keep going.

What kept me going were the messages from users:

“Thanks to Textideo, I made my first professional-looking AI video.”
“This feature saved me 4+ hours.”
“I gained 30k followers using it this month.”

It hit me: I’m not just building a tool; I’m helping people realize their creative dreams.

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Final Thoughts

Success doesn’t happen overnight.
Textideo had zero advantages at launch: no funding, no team, no capital.

But I had:

• The courage to keep experimenting
• The persistence to iterate constantly
• Users willing to give feedback

If you’re building your product, content, or business, remember:
Don’t stop. Slow progress is fine. What matters is showing up.

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For Creators, Developers, and Entrepreneurs

Check out Textideo:

👉 https://textideo.com?utm_source=prosperai351&utm_medium=indiahacker&utm_campaign=new1126

No AI expertise needed.
No hours spent switching between 10 tools.

Everything you need in one place:

• AI short video generation
• AI copywriting
• AI illustrations
• Multi-model video editing
• Batch content creation for social media

I hope it becomes the tool that helps you create your future, just like it’s helping me.

Good luck to everyone hustling out there.