In this episode of Startup Strategies, Juliana sits down with KJ Chen, the founder who abandoned a 3 million user AI novel platform to build Macaron, scaled to 300,000+ users in under 6 months with a $70M valuation, all while training custom AI models and creating a viral marketing engine that pays creators based on performance instead of upfront fees.

KJ Chen shares how:

He pivoted from 3 million users to build Macaron and scaled to 300,000+ users in under 6 months
He created a viral marketing engine that rewards creators based on performance, not upfront fees
His "absurd" user-generated content converted better than polished product demos
He used the problem-solution-code framework to turn TikTok videos into a product-led growth loop
He plans to launch 200,000 SEO-optimized mini app landing pages as free traffic engines
He trained custom AI models to create apps that feel different from anything else on the market

Let's break down his Startup Strategies.

Links and resources:

FREE Startup Marketing Cheatsheet

FREE $1M ARR SaaS Marketing Playbook

Join the Startup Strategies Newsletter for weekly growth & marketing breakdowns.

Let’s connect:

Need help with growing & marketing your startup? Work with us.

Make sure you hit FOLLOW or the + sign so you don’t miss out on future episodes on everything growth & marketing for your startup.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julie Duchâtel

The AI-powered Podcast Player