Founder Playbook · Starter Story
8 tactics from Samuel Rondo
I Cloned 3 Apps and Now Make $35K/Month
Watch the full episode“I have one rule that is really crucial for me is to never build something that doesn't already exist and isn't already successful or at least getting some traction so this way I reduce my chance of failure and I increase my chances of success”
Never Build Something That Doesn't Already Exist and Work
Samuel frames his entire strategy around eliminating the idea-risk that kills most indie projects. Rather than validating a hypothesis, he only enters markets where someone else has already done that work. This one rule is the foundation all three of his $35K/month businesses were built on.
“I analyze how they are getting their customers so I use href to check their traffic sources so are they getting customers only from ads or are they also ranking on SEO if they are growing with both ads and SEO that's a very good sign because it shows a strong demand and it's usually easier to replicate their success”
Find a Proven App Then Check Its Traffic Source Before Cloning
Samuel describes his exact validation checklist beyond just checking MRR screenshots. He digs into traffic sources using Ahrefs to understand whether demand is sustainable and replicable. An app growing on both paid and organic signals is easier to clone because the paid channel can be turned on immediately.
“launch as soon as possible skip the boring parts of building a SAS like the password reset pages setting pages just launch the minimal basic products and run ads to test demand right away”
Skip the Boring Pages and Launch the Minimal Product Immediately
Samuel explicitly names the pages most founders spend weeks on — password reset, account settings — as launch killers. His philosophy is to get users into the core value loop first, then backfill infrastructure. This keeps early cohorts small, feedback tight, and time-to-market short.
“I always start by running ads it's always the first thing I do so I do it on Google and meta depending on the product sometimes it's better on Google sometimes it's better on meta it's the fastest way to validate and test the market and as soon as I get some traction with ads I move to the second part of the growth which is SEO”
Run Ads First to Validate Fast Then Compound With SEO
Samuel sequences his growth channels deliberately: paid ads give immediate signal on whether people will pay, and only after that signal arrives does he invest in the slower-compounding SEO channel. This order prevents wasting months on SEO for a product that never converts.
“the best signal you can find on Twitter is when founders share their MR screenshot or stripe screenshot uh I know that sounds basic but honestly it's the ultimate proof that the tool is working and that people are paying for it”
Target Founders Sharing Revenue Screenshots on Twitter to Find Ideas
Samuel's first validation filter is finding public proof of payment before investing any time building. He scours Twitter communities like solopreneur and building-in-public specifically for MRR and Stripe screenshot posts. This eliminates the guesswork of whether real demand exists.
“the really good thing with this one is all the traffic was from Facebook ads which means I can replicate it literally in a week because Facebook ads you just have to start it and you have the traffic”
Use Ad Traffic as a Shortcut When SEO Would Take Too Long
When analyzing a competitor app, Samuel checks Ahrefs to understand where traffic comes from. If a competitor relies solely on ads, he sees it as a fast-entry opportunity — he can clone the ad strategy and get customers within days rather than waiting months for SEO. Ad-dependent competitors signal an immediately exploitable channel.
“the idea is that story short will automatically publish daily UGC style video about your product on YouTube channels Tik Tok and Instagram you can create multiple channel that talk about your product every day on autopilot so depending on your niche this can bring crazy results over time”
Build Faceless YouTube Channels That Auto-Publish Daily Product Videos
Samuel uses his own product, Story Short, to run faceless video channels that continuously promote his apps without manual effort. Rather than relying on a single branded channel, he creates multiple channels per product to maximize reach. This compounds over time and works in parallel with his paid ads and SEO efforts.
“not only does it bring clients at a fixed cost but it also create virality because I have many people doing a YouTube video about story short writing articles so it bring a zero results and people are more likely to share your product if they earn a commission”
Use Affiliate Commissions to Turn Customers Into Long-Term Vocal Advocates
Samuel runs affiliate programs across all three apps, noting they do double duty: they cap customer-acquisition cost while simultaneously incentivising existing users to publish content about the product. The commission aligns the affiliate's financial interest with continued product promotion, creating durable word-of-mouth without ongoing effort from Samuel.