I built a YouTube to 10-platform content repurposing tool. Here's what I learned launching with zero users.
Hey đź‘‹
I'm a developer based in Saudi Arabia. I built RepostEngine as a side project while working full-time. The idea is simple: paste a YouTube link, get ready-to-post content for 10 platforms (Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, Quora, Blog, Newsletter, Facebook, Threads) in about 30 seconds.
The Problem I'm Solving
Content creators spend hours rewriting the same video content for different platforms. Each platform has its own format, tone, and audience expectations. A Twitter thread looks nothing like a LinkedIn post, which looks nothing like a Reddit post.
Most creators just skip platforms entirely because reformatting is too tedious. They're leaving reach and audience growth on the table.
What I Built
- Input: One YouTube URL
- Output: Platform-specific content for 10 different platforms
- How: Pulls the transcript, then uses AI to generate content tailored to each platform's style and best practices
- Pricing: Free tier (3 videos/month, Twitter only), Starter $19/mo (30 videos, all platforms), Pro $49/mo (unlimited)
Stack: Next.js, Supabase, OpenAI GPT-4o-mini, hosted on Railway. Cost per generation is about $0.01, so margins are solid.
What Actually Happened at Launch
I made a classic mistake. I built the product, got it working, then put up a landing page with a waitlist form instead of letting people use the live product. Every CTA said "Get Early Access" and collected emails instead of letting visitors sign up.
I also added fake testimonials ("Sarah M., YouTube Creator, 45K subscribers") and a "Trusted by 1,200+ creators" badge. With zero users. If anyone had checked, it would have destroyed all credibility instantly.
So I had a working product behind a wall that nobody could get through, decorated with social proof that didn't exist. Not my finest moment.
The Fix
I ripped out every waitlist form and fake testimonial. Replaced all CTAs with direct sign-up links. Replaced the fake testimonials section with a platform showcase showing all 10 output formats. Removed the fabricated trust badge.
Now when someone visits repostengine.com, they can actually try the product. Revolutionary concept, I know.
Current Numbers
- Users: 0 (just launched properly)
- MRR: $0
- Waitlist emails: 1 (my mom, probably)
My Plan for the First 10 Users
I have about 5 hours per week for marketing alongside my day job. Here's what I'm doing:
Direct creator outreach (3 hrs/week):
Finding 5 YouTube creators per week (5K to 100K subs) who also post on Twitter or LinkedIn. I run their latest video through RepostEngine and DM them with the pre-generated content. Not asking them to try something. Showing them value they can use immediately.
One blog post per week (2 hrs/week):
Targeting high-intent keywords like "youtube video to twitter thread" and "repurpose youtube video." SEO is slow but it compounds. Each article is a permanent asset.
That's it. No Product Hunt launch yet (need real users first). No paid ads ($19 ARPU can't support it). No Twitter #buildinpublic grind. Just outreach and content.
What I'd Do Differently
- Ship the live product from day one. Waitlists are for products that aren't ready. Mine was ready. I just got scared nobody would sign up.
- Never fake social proof. It felt harmless but it's a trust time bomb.
- Spend less time building, more time talking to potential users. I could have DM'd 20 creators in the time I spent perfecting the landing page animations.
The Tech (for fellow builders)
- Next.js 16 on Railway (~$5/mo)
- Supabase free tier for auth + database
- OpenAI GPT-4o-mini at ~$0.01 per generation
- Google OAuth for sign-in
- Total monthly cost: under $15
The on-demand generation pattern is key: Twitter generates on submit (instant value), other 9 platforms generate when the user clicks each tab. This keeps costs low since most free users won't need all 10 formats.
What's Next
Week 1 to 4 is pure outreach + blog content. If I get to 5 to 10 real users and hear what they actually want, I'll build Arabic dialect support (Gulf, Egyptian, Levantine) as a competitive moat. No English-first competitor can match native Arabic content generation.
Goal: 4 to 8 real users and 1 to 2 paying customers within 30 days.
Would love to hear from anyone who's done the "zero to first 10 users" grind. What worked for you?
Try it free: repostengine.com
The pre-generated content DM approach is the right call — you're removing the "imagine what this could do" mental leap entirely. You're not asking them to try something, you're handing them something they can paste and post today. That's how you get honest signal fast.
On the zero-to-10 grind: the thing that consistently works is narrowing the ICP earlier than feels comfortable. "YouTube creator" covers everyone from gaming channels to business coaches — but pain intensity varies wildly. The ones who'll convert fastest are those already trying to be on LinkedIn and in email too (consultants, coaches, educators). They know exactly how many hours they're losing each week. A gaming channel probably doesn't care about LinkedIn posts. A business coach with 8K subs definitely does.
Arabic dialect support is a genuinely smart moat. No US-based competitor can build that quickly. That's worth doubling down on once you have a few users validating the core.
Thanks Rohan, really sharp feedback.
You're right about narrowing the ICP. "YouTube creators" is too broad. Consultants and coaches with 5K-50K subs who already repurpose manually that's the real pain.
They're spending 2-3 hours per video doing it by hand.
Already testing the pre-generated DM approach this week: repurposing a creator's recent video into a thread + LinkedIn post and sending it cold. Instant value, zero friction.
Arabic moat stays phase 2. Prove the core loop in English first, then build the defensibility no US competitor will match.
Appreciate it. Updates coming.