Cristian Carp

changing the way video content production works / founder @getshortsapp

[Cristian Carp @Cristi_Carp]

We got in: Squid Games meets Shark Tank.

I got a call from @JayHoovy from @stanforcreators. He told me and @georgia_bucea that he wants us in their Launchpad accelerator program. The catch? Increase our traction substantially by the end of the 2 weeks or go home.

#launchpad

[Cristian Carp @Cristi_Carp]

I sold my home and booked a flight to SF. By July 2025: 40,000 users.

Business feels like skiing: you’re on the edge, learning to lean into it. And when you drop your bike, you get up and get back on track.

We’re at 200,000 users. Is this success? Not yet.

#stanlauchpad

[Cristian Carp @Cristi_Carp]

In 2012, I was 19 and my app had reached 20,000 users.

In 2024, I dislocated my shoulder: and launched Shorts AI. The first week brought 100 users and my first paying customer.

#stanlaunchpad

[Cristian Carp @Cristi_Carp]

@TawohAwa 2026 is the year of ‘Goodbye video editors’ titles

Yet video editors remain in high demand

[Cristian Carp @Cristi_Carp]

@paulg @georgia_bucea If a YC startup is having trouble fundraising… then fundraising is going badly indeed

[Cristian Carp @Cristi_Carp]

@georgia_bucea @fdotinc Can’t wait to have you there!!!!

[Cristian Carp @Cristi_Carp]

@eliana_jordan That’s what we’re doing❤️ dm me if you want early access

[Cristian Carp @Cristi_Carp]

Ahahahaha yeah I know… I like to keep it simple and as cheap as possible. I had an even simpler version of the script but I chose the ‘longer’ one instead, the narrative made more sense, but the risk was not getting the visuals right

I am kind of surprised too! It took 5 hours.

3 hours in the result wasn’t looking all that promising… but it all came together eventually!

at the end I thought 40s are too little… but it conveys the right message

[Cristian Carp @Cristi_Carp]

We won second place at @ycombinator’s and @MachineCinemaAI’s Uncanny Fest in San Francisco last weekend after an intense 12 hour hackathon with more than 200 participants!!!

With this video that I generated in 5 hours using AI and our own backend at @getshortsapp , while competing in the Product Launch category. Out of 28 submissions, we got second!

As @andrewchen recently said, you should invest $50,000 in a cinematic product launch to get people excited if you don't have anything else to show.

But we also have just reached 85,000 users, we have a comprehensive storytelling engine using generative AI, our revenue went 200% last month after launching a new feature, just got featured #4 in the Google Play Store market, and I personally invested over $100,000 in this product and vision. Thankfully, I only invested $50 in this video!

And this is the result of 4 hard months being in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, starting from scratch, with no network, and only in the last 2 months I've been commuting weekly on my motorcycle between SF and LA to spread the vision.

4 months in.
I came in as a 3-person team, now we're 7 core members + many support members! Kudos to Georgia Bucea for joining us full-time!
I came with 40k users, little revenue, grew to 85k, and tripled the revenue in a couple of months, all organic, while eating organic Tikka Masala from Trader Joe's
Won first place at Byron Miller's and Machine Cinema's first AI Music video competition in Los Angeles for the best Pop Music video!
We got into 2 LA-based accelerators
Pitching SF, pitching LA and pitching everywhere
Going to event after event
Pivoting to a more comprehensive product
...co-living with a mouse that doesn't want to pay rent,
and changing tires on my motorcycle, oil and lubing chain.

Huge thanks for everyone who was there for me! @frontiertower in SF and all my friends around the Bay Area and LA!

This is only the beginning!

Here’s my ask: If you know creators who want to stop editing and start living, we're explicitly looking for high-reach content creators and we're piloting this privately on an invite-only basis, please hit me up! LA or SF-based creators are preferred as I like to meet up with them, considering international creators as well!

[Cristian Carp @Cristi_Carp]

@faindly_io @1Umairshaikh 1 star reviews aren’t the end of the world. You can’t (and shouldn’t) please everyone :))

[Cristian Carp @Cristi_Carp]

@anithpatel1 @buddi_ai Shorts AI - the ultimate video content creator

[Cristian Carp @Cristi_Carp]

@JacquesThibs We will get there soon! Working on that

[Cristian Carp @Cristi_Carp]

@anithpatel1 Yeeees been waiting for this

[Cristian Carp @Cristi_Carp]

What my app thinks about me @getshortsapp

[Cristian Carp @Cristi_Carp]

Who here thinks prompting is bad for your mental health?

[Cristian Carp @Cristi_Carp]

NoCap said she liked me. What if she wants more than to invest in me?

[Audos.com @audos_com]

Human Proxy Zero aka Pat interviews founders on the streets in SF .@patonchain .@ProfDumpster

[Cristian Carp @Cristi_Carp]

@incdfp 5.6? L-am simtit de parca ar fi unul de 6+

[Cristian Carp @Cristi_Carp]

@RGP10512 @LastQuake We felt two while we were here, in Tanah Lot and in Ubud. Though the other one we felt less this one woke us up. People here are going about everything business as usual. Seems ok so far.

[Cristian Carp @Cristi_Carp]

The bed was bouncing for a lot of time @LastQuake in Tanah Lot, #indonesia #IndonesiaEarthQuake #bali

[Cristian Carp @Cristi_Carp]

@LastQuake felt in Ubud, Bali. Door and bed started shaking really badly. Woke me up and got panicked for a bit. #bali #earthquake