| name | viral-startup-launch-video |
| description | This skill should be used when the user asks to plan, script, audit, rewrite, storyboard, or optimize a startup launch video, product demo video, founder launch clip, X/Twitter launch video, Product Hunt launch asset, or short video meant to make viewers try a product. Trigger on phrases like "launch video", "startup launch", "viral launch clip", "make this demo punchier", "audit this product video", "write a founder launch video", "turn this product into a video that gets clicks", or "make people want to try this". |
Viral Startup Launch Video
Use this skill to turn a startup launch into a short video that earns attention by showing the outcome immediately, proving the product works, and making the viewer think: "I need to try this."
Treat the playbook as a retention and conversion lens, not a guarantee of virality. Preserve product truth, legal accuracy, accessibility, platform rules, and user trust. Do not fabricate customer quotes, revenue, usage metrics, endorsements, or demo behavior. If proof is missing, mark it as a needed asset or use a clearly labeled placeholder.
Inputs
Ask only for missing details that materially change the output:
- Product name, category, and one-sentence promise.
- Target viewer and the pain, desire, or job that makes them care.
- Biggest concrete outcome: time saved, money made, quality improved, risk reduced, status gained, confusion removed, or a visible before/after.
- Available proof: real demo, screen recording, founder clip, customer quote, metric, waitlist number, usage clip, case study, or beta result.
- Launch surface: X/Twitter, Product Hunt, LinkedIn, TikTok, Reels, YouTube Shorts, landing page embed, investor update, or internal launch.
- Target duration, aspect ratio, voiceover/on-camera preference, brand constraints, and CTA.
When the user provides partial information, proceed with labeled assumptions and leave exact proof claims as fill-in slots.
Core Playbook
1. Win The First 3 Seconds
Open with the biggest outcome, result, or transformation immediately.
Avoid:
- Founder introductions.
- Logo-only intros.
- Abstract product category claims.
- "We built..." setup lines.
Prefer:
- The result screen.
- A before/after.
- A shocking time comparison.
- A user task completing faster than expected.
- A specific promise that a viewer can value in one glance.
If the first three seconds do not make the target viewer care, rewrite the video before polishing anything else.
2. Sell What Changes
Translate features into changed reality.
Use this conversion:
Feature -> user outcome -> visible proof
Examples:
- Weak: "We built an AI CRM."
- Strong: "Your sales team gets 12 hours back every week."
- Weak: "It has automatic meeting summaries."
- Strong: "Every follow-up email is drafted before the call ends."
Keep claims specific enough to be remembered and honest enough to survive scrutiny.
3. Show Live Proof
Make the video feel like evidence, not a presentation. Use screen recordings, real clicks, real inputs, real output, founder narration over a demo, customer snippets, or a simple visible metric.
Polish helps only after proof exists. A slightly rough real demo usually beats a beautiful animation that never proves the product works.
4. Make Every Shot Earn Its Place
For every shot, answer: "Why should the viewer keep watching?"
Keep shots that create:
- Curiosity.
- Surprise.
- Recognition of a painful problem.
- Visible progress toward an outcome.
- Proof that the product works.
- Desire to try it.
Cut shots that only decorate, repeat, explain obvious UI, list features, or make the viewer wait for value.
5. Use The Reliable Structure
Default to:
Hook -> Problem -> Solution -> Proof -> CTA
Use this timing for a 20-35 second launch clip:
| Beat | Target | Job |
|---|
| Hook | 0-3s | Show the outcome or sharpest promise. |
| Problem | 3-8s | Name the pain quickly and concretely. |
| Solution | 8-18s | Show the product changing the situation. |
| Proof | 18-28s | Show demo evidence, customer evidence, or metric evidence. |
| CTA | final 2-5s | Make the next action obvious and low-friction. |
Shorter clips can compress problem and solution. Longer clips still need the first three seconds to carry the whole piece.
6. Leave Curiosity
Do not explain every feature. A launch video should create enough desire to click, try, reply, or book the demo. Documentation belongs after interest, not before it.
Aim for one core promise, one visible product path, one proof moment, and one CTA.
7. Prefer Authenticity Over Decoration
Use a real founder, customer, user workflow, messy screen recording, beta result, or rough demo when it makes the product more believable. Clean editing should clarify proof, not replace it.
8. Optimize For "I Need To Try This"
Judge the video by whether the target viewer wants the product in their own workflow. "Cool editing" is not the win. Desire to try is the win.
Workflow
- Define the viewer and the single change the product creates for them.
- Choose the first-frame proof: result, before/after, metric, customer moment, or fast demo action.
- Write the hook as an outcome, not a product intro.
- Map the video into Hook -> Problem -> Solution -> Proof -> CTA.
- Cut every feature that does not strengthen the one core promise.
- Replace abstract claims with visible proof or clearly labeled proof gaps.
- Write on-screen text first, then voiceover or founder lines. Most viewers should understand the point muted.
- Produce a shot list with timecodes, visuals, on-screen text, spoken line, and retention reason.
- Add 2-3 alternate hooks if the launch surface rewards testing.
Launch Video Scorecard
Score each item from 0 to 2:
| Criterion | 0 | 1 | 2 |
|---|
| First 3 seconds | Intro/logo/category setup | Promise appears but slowly | Outcome or proof appears immediately |
| Outcome clarity | Feature list | Benefit is implied | Clear changed reality |
| Proof density | No demo or evidence | Some demo/proof | Real, specific proof drives the video |
| Curiosity per shot | Filler shots | Mixed pacing | Every shot creates a reason to continue |
| Structure | Wanders | Mostly structured | Hook/problem/solution/proof/CTA is clear |
| Feature restraint | Explains everything | Some unnecessary details | One core promise, no clutter |
| Authenticity | Overproduced or generic | Some human/product reality | Real founder/customer/demo energy |
| CTA | Missing or vague | Present but generic | Specific next action tied to desire |
Use the score to prioritize fixes. Start with first three seconds, outcome clarity, and proof density before adjusting editing style.
Output Formats
When Creating A Video Concept
Return:
- One-line launch promise.
- First 3 seconds: opening frame, on-screen text, and spoken line if any.
- Scene table:
| Time | Visual | On-screen text | Voiceover/founder line | Retention reason |
|---|
- Proof assets needed, clearly marking missing proof.
- Final CTA and launch caption.
- Two alternate hooks for testing.
- Notes on what to cut if the video runs long.
When Auditing Or Rewriting A Video
Return:
- 3-second verdict: pass, weak, or fail, with the specific reason.
- Top retention leaks, ordered by severity.
- Shots to cut or replace.
- Rewritten Hook -> Problem -> Solution -> Proof -> CTA structure.
- Replacement first frame and opening line.
- Proof gaps or risky claims to verify.
- Final CTA recommendation.
When The User Wants Current Viral Examples
If the user asks for "latest", "this month", "current", "trending", platform-specific examples, or named recent launches, use live search/browsing when available and cite sources. If live access is unavailable, say the trend claims are unverified and work from the supplied examples only.
Adjacent Skills
- Use
script-to-short for general short-form scripts that are not specifically startup launch or product-demo conversion assets.
- Use
short-video-assembly when the user wants the MP4 assembled from clips, captions, music, and narration.
- Use
video-render-qa when a rendered video needs visual/audio QA.
- Use
social-video-publishing only when the user explicitly asks to publish, schedule, upload, or dry-run a post.
- Use
viral-product-landing-page when the launch asset is a page, hero section, CTA, pricing section, or OG image rather than a video.
- Use
ai-ugc-production-pipeline or content-rewards-viral-app-campaign when the task is a scalable creator campaign rather than one launch video.
