I launched an AI ad creative tool 2 weeks ago — here is what actually happened

Two weeks ago I launched Silo on Product Hunt. It is an AI tool that generates ad creatives — you drop in a brand URL, it analyzes the brand, and generates batch ad creatives in proven formats.

I want to share what actually happened because most launch stories either sound like humble brags or leave out the messy parts.

The idea

I was running ads for clients and kept hitting the same wall: creating ad variations is tedious, expensive, and slow. You need a designer, a copywriter, and a strategist just to test 5 different angles. Most small businesses and solo founders cannot afford that.

So I built a tool where you paste a URL, it pulls the brand identity automatically (colors, tone, audience), and then generates ad creatives using templates based on formats that actually perform — UGC style, pain-solution, social proof, etc.

What went well

• Product Hunt launch got solid visibility
• Got my first paying customer within the first week (a real one, not a friend)
• Directory submissions are slowly driving organic traffic
• The core product works — people paste a URL, get ads, and some of them are genuinely good

What did not go well

• Conversion from free to paid is lower than I expected. People try it, like it, but do not upgrade
• I underestimated how much time marketing takes vs building. I am spending maybe 70% of my time on distribution now
• Some of the generated creatives need more polish — the AI is good but not perfect yet
• Cold outreach has been mostly a waste of time

What I learned

1. Distribution is the actual product. Building the tool was the easy part. Getting people to find it, try it, and pay for it is a completely different skill set.

2. Free tiers are tricky. Generous enough that people see value, strict enough that they want more. Still tuning this.

3. Directories are underrated. Getting listed on niche AI directories has driven more qualified traffic than any social media post.

4. Talk to your users. The best feature ideas came from the 3 people actually using it, not from my roadmap.

What is next

Focusing on making the free experience so good that people naturally want more. Improving the creative quality. And honestly just showing up every day in communities like this one to learn from other founders going through the same thing.

Happy to answer any questions about the technical stack, the launch process, or anything else. Building in public means actually being public about it.