Tinder for clothes hit 100K downloads with this hilarious viral series

The Styl app is one of the best examples of everything to do right with consumer app marketing. From first building a viral product that funneled directly into their core app to then figuring out a scalable TikTok format that went absolutely viral overnight, Dhruv has mastered what it takes to achieve exponential growth. Here are some of Styl's best videos and how he has been able to hit 100K downloads with $0 in ad spend.

Here are some of his most successful videos and how he did it 👇:

Background 📓

The idea for Styl began when Dhruv was in a lecture and noticed that over half of the girls in his class were shopping on their laptops, completely zoned out. In that moment, he realized how big this market really is and questioned whether he could design a more personalized, modern shopping experience. He started off by testing with classmates during dining hall and when they started calling his app “Tinder for clothes” he knew they had something special. The only problem now was figuring out how to mass market their app for viral adoption. This is when Dhruv thought of an insane viral series.

🎬 Day “x” of not shaving my mustache until 100K girls download my app: 1.1M Views, 10K Likes, 929K Shares

Hook: “Day 0 of not shaving my mustache until 100K girls download my app”

Format: Conversational shot + product clips

Why this video worked:.

• scalable format

• controversial take = shaving upwards

• people like relating with a face, not brand

• Natural conversational format… similar to how girls on TikTok have their “come with me while doing their makeup format

🎬 I’m the older sibling, of course I___: 6.7M Views, 286K Likes, 24.6K Shares

Hook: “I’m the older sibling, ofc I went to medical school so my younger brother could be unemployed”

Format: POV conversational shot

Why this video worked:

• Popular tend = “I’m the ___ sibling, ofc I ___

• Behind the scenes argument = hilarious

• Engagement with comments. One of the comments he responded to was super controversial and made his video pop off more.

🎬 Freshman blasting his music in class: 1.8M Views, 58.7K Likes, 3K Shares

Hook: “This freshman walked in blasting his music”

Format: Third person shot + natural app setting

Why this video worked:

• Nightmare scenario for students

• Feels like a real life situation = natural

• Illusion of popularity, everyone in class using the app

Key takeaways from Styl 💡

• People love comedy.

  Obviously Dhruv has insane comedic timing and even got called Indian Mario at one point. Embrace that and use that to your advantage.

• Found a scalable format and rolled with it.

  He knew he needed something that could be replicable and wouldn’t need much brain power. “Day x of doing ___ is something that you could continue infinitely.

• Stayed on top of TikTok trends.

  I’m the older sibling ofc I ___, is something so many people can relate to. It’s a free format thats proven to go viral.

• Associating a face with a brand was pivotal.
  For the longest time Dhruv was opposed to showing his face. Fact of the matter is gen z’s would rather tust a face than a faceless voice over video.

What you can replicate from this format 💰

• Engaging hooks he used in other videos:

  “If you’re one of those [girls] that keeps [shopping in class] then listen up…”

  “We did it! We actually did it!!”

  “[Pinterest] and [Tinder] just had a baby and its called _____”

• Market your product in its natural environment.

  What is the setting you would imagine your customers using your app? Film there.

• Controversial takes.

  Use controversy to your advantage. Do something in your videos that obviously is wrong. People love correcting others.

• Associate your app with a popular brand.

  This can help easily explain your app idea if done right.
  

Know a founder that could use some help creating content? Feel free to share!

That’s all I got for this one. If you have any other viral consumer products you want me to break down my DM’s are always open.

Cheers!

Nick 🤝