In the Pit with Cody Schneider | Marketing | Growth | Startups

from no app downloads for 2 years, to 100,000 in 14 days. this is how to find the shorts template for your product

Mar 25, 2025

Laurent Boulin, co-founder of FocusTree—a productivity app for students—shares how they achieved 100,000 downloads in just 15 days. He reveals his viral growth playbook, highlighting the shift to media-first strategies and utilizing TikTok for creator-led marketing. Laurent discusses sourcing international creators and the game-changing impact of a gamified onboarding process. He emphasizes the importance of validating ideas and creating habits similar to popular apps, all while targeting Gen Z and navigating a saturated market with innovative tactics.

46:57

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Episode guests

Laurent Boulin

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Prioritizing media engagement over product development, as seen in FocusTree's strategy, allows for rapid user acquisition through creator-led content.

A well-designed onboarding experience enhances user retention and ensures that the app delivers perceived value, promoting regular engagement.

Deep dives

Disruption Through Creator-Led Content

Small teams are currently disrupting established app categories by leveraging creator-led content, particularly through platforms utilizing For You Page algorithms like TikTok. This shift allows new applications, such as Focus Tree, to gain traction rapidly by focusing on organic growth through engaging media rather than traditional marketing methods. The app's approach is exemplified by its swift success, achieving 100,000 downloads within 15 days by prioritizing media engagement over product development initially. This strategy highlights a significant opportunity for app developers to capitalize on social media dynamics to drive user acquisition.

Intro

2min

Navigating Rapid Growth in App Development

1min

Revolutionizing App Development and Marketing

10min

Overcoming Geographic Boundaries in Content Distribution

2min

Strategic Creator Selection for Marketing

6min

Navigating User Acquisition and Engagement

20min

Navigating Opportunities in a Saturated Market

7min

In this episode of In the Pit, we sit down with Laurent, co-founder of FocusTree — a productivity app for students — to break down how he leveraged short-form creator-led content to explode the app to 100,000 downloads in just 15 days.

Laurent shares the tactical, step-by-step breakdown of his viral growth playbook, from sourcing international creators to creating a gamified onboarding experience that hooks users. This is a masterclass in thinking media-first, product-second — and building sticky consumer apps in the TikTok era.

This episode is sponsored by TalentFiber.com — the best way to hire vetted offshore talent that works in your time zone and speaks fluent English.

🔗 Guest Links

Twitter/X: https://x.com/iamlaurentbo
FocusTree App: https://focustree.app/

⏱️ Timestamps

(1:10) – Intro to FocusTree & hitting 100K+ users in 15 days
(4:37) – The TikTok revolution: why media-led growth works now
(9:09) – From paid ads to creators: 95% drop in CAC
(12:06) – How to source and manage creators outside the US
(16:01) – The key to finding “outlier” creators and winning formats
(22:00) – The origin story: fake product, Reddit post → validated idea
(26:51) – Beating legacy competitors by targeting Gen Z
(30:49) – Onboarding design, SMS > email, and viral loops
(34:53) – Product philosophy: build habits like Strava & Duolingo
(38:28) – Underrated niches, creator research, and reading comments for hooks

💡 Key Takeaways

Media Before Product: Laurent validated FocusTree’s concept with fake mockups on Reddit and TikTok — only building after demand was clear.
Creator-Led Growth: FocusTree works with 7+ international creators, paying ~$20/video with performance bonuses — resulting in ~12K daily downloads.
Hyper-Optimized Onboarding: From SMS login to school-based friend sync, every screen is engineered for retention.
Gamified UX: Users “grow a garden” by studying — a visual reward loop inspired by Strava and Duolingo.
Decentralized Creator Ops: Coaches manage onboarding, feedback, and best practices across WhatsApp and School.com.
Unlocking Virality: Winning TikTok formats last 2–3 weeks. Read comment sections for next-gen hooks.
Underserved Niches: Look for outdated categories with passionate audiences (e.g., astrology, study apps) and remix the experience.

🔥 Notable Quotes

“You didn’t really study if you didn’t turn on FocusTree.”
— Laurent Boulin“

If you want to win with creators, you need to know your media landscape like the back of your hand.”
— Laurent Boulin

“Our CAC dropped by 95% when we switched from ads to TikTok creators.”
— Laurent Boulin

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