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

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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  • Underserved Niches: Look for outdated categories with passionate audiences (e.g., astrology, study apps) and remix the experience.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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What is In the Pit with Cody Schneider | Marketing | Growth | Startups?

In the Pit shares what founders and marketers are seeing from the front lines. Join host Cody Schneider for personal brain dumps and conversations with business leaders to learn the strategies and tactics being used to acquire first customers, scale growth, and build thoroughbred marketing organizations. Listen down. Level up.