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Should SaaS Companies Pay Creators a Cut of Ad Spend? · Lenny's Podcast: Product | Career | Growth

Lenny's Podcast: Product | Career | Growth

How a 19-year-old intern built the growth engine behind this $2B AI company | Hector Serrano

Hector Serrano runs one of the most innovative and successful paid growth programs in Silicon Valley. As Head of Content at Wispr Flow, a leading AI voice-to-text tool, he built a roster of 50 creators who drive 500 to 600 paid user-generated content (UGC) ads every month. The creators are paid a cut of ad spend, and the best of them earn over $13,000 a…

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Notes

  1. When Should a SaaS Company Start Running Ads? at 3:24

    Hector Serrano says a SaaS company should turn paid ads on early, once the product is already growing by itself. Wispr Flow's pace came from the product. Full answer

  2. What Is Organic User-generated Content? at 8:46

    Hector Serrano says organic user-generated content is a group of creators who film a product and post the videos on their own TikTok or Instagram accounts… Full answer

  3. How Many Creator Ads Does Wispr Flow Launch a Month? at 11:13

    Hector Serrano says Wispr Flow launches about 500 to 600 creator ads every month. Full answer

  4. Should SaaS Companies Pay Creators a Cut of Ad Spend? at 13:45

    Hector Serrano says a SaaS company should pay creators a cut of the ad spend their video drives, not a flat fee, and should put a floor under that pay so a… Full answer

  5. What Makes a Good Marketing Hire? at 20:37

    Hector Serrano says a good marketing hire is a hardworking person who has grown an account and made content, not the best grades or the best school. Full answer

  6. Why Should Founders Hire Young People for TikTok? at 26:34

    Hector Serrano says a 30 or 40-year-old founder does not understand what an 18-year-old in Discord chats, or scrolling Instagram and TikTok every day, already… Full answer

  7. How Did Hector Serrano Join Wispr Flow at 19? at 28:23

    Hector Serrano joined Wispr Flow three days after he turned 19, and three days after he quit Division I soccer. Full answer

  8. How Do You Find Creators to Make Your Ads? at 31:09

    Hector Serrano says a new brand should not wait for the best creators to apply. On Trybe, a company with no history is easy to skip. Full answer

  9. Why Do Ugly Ads Work for Technical Buyers? at 39:58

    Hector Serrano says a technical buyer should not be sold by an 18-year-old who is not technical. User-generated ads are not college kids with a camera. Full answer

  10. Why Do Meta Ads Burn Out Faster Now? at 52:10

    Hector Serrano says a Meta ad at Wispr Flow's spend is often finished once it has spent about $100,000, and that can take a month or just two or three weeks. Full answer

  11. Why Do Unknown Creators Beat Influencers in Ads? at 55:19

    Hector Serrano says a creator with almost no following is often a better ad than a famous influencer. Full answer

  12. Why Are the Best Marketers Allergic to AI? at 1:03:52

    Hector Serrano says the best marketers are allergic to AI because the ad a person actually sees should still be made by people. Full answer

  13. How Does a Founder's Story Make Paid Ads Cheaper? at 1:13:23

    Hector Serrano says a founder who tells a compelling story makes paid ads cheaper. Full answer

  14. Why Does a Bad Thumbnail Hide a Great YouTube Video? at 1:16:20

    Hector Serrano says the YouTube team matters more than the quality of the video. Full answer

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