How Vidalgo Reached 400 MRR by Automating Faceless Vertical Videos

Hey, hey, it’s Mehdi !

Today, we’re taking a look on the beginnings of a tool born out of necessity, how it survived a messy MVP, and the smart moves that turned it into a revenue-generating SaaS.

Let’s jump in!

The Frustration That Sparked the Idea

Back in November 2023, the Vidalgo team faced a problem that would soon become their mission to solve. The TikTok monetization wave was taking off, and creators were scrambling to churn out AI-generated content faster than ever. For the Vidalgo team, this meant spending endless hours editing faceless vertical videos manually—a process that quickly became exhausting.

At first, they hacked together a solution just for themselves. By connecting OpenAI’s API with tools like Make and Google Docs, they managed to automate the scriptwriting, image generation, and even the hashtags.

But when it came to video editing? Nothing quite fit. Every tool they tried fell short, leaving them more frustrated than ever.

Instead of settling, they decided to build their own tool—not for a market, not for profit, but simply to solve their problem. Little did they know, this would mark the beginning of something bigger.

Building a Messy MVP

The first version of Vidalgo wasn’t pretty. In fact, calling it an MVP might be generous.

The team didn’t understand backend or frontend development, so everything ran on the client side. Bugs were constant, APIs were barely functional, and connecting them often took weeks. And the UI?

Let’s just say it was so bad they almost hired a freelancer on Upwork to handle it.

Even payments were a headache. They started with LemonSqueezy, but it only worked half the time. Most users had to have their credits manually added after payments failed.

Yet somehow, amidst all the chaos, the tool worked well enough for people to try it.

The First Customers

The team found their first customers in an unlikely place: Reddit.

They started posting in niche subreddits, sharing video demos that showcased what Vidalgo could do. The strategy worked brilliantly. The videos drew attention immediately, allowing users to see the tool in action without needing to leave the post. Curious viewers began reaching out via private messages, asking how they could try it for themselves.

Within days, Vidalgo had its first paying user.

Breaking Through to 400 MRR

Early growth wasn’t easy. The team initially tried B2B marketing strategies, which failed to resonate with their audience. They were weeks away from shutting everything down when they pivoted to influencer marketing.

Most influencer campaigns didn’t deliver much. ROI was negative more often than not. But then, one video hit the jackpot. It performed far better than expected, driving a wave of traffic that brought them past $400 in monthly recurring revenue.

To sustain the momentum, they introduced an affiliate program with an unusually high lifetime commission of 50%. This bold move attracted motivated affiliates who helped spread the word and brought in steady new customers—all without requiring additional marketing spend.

The Tools Behind Vidalgo

Vidalgo didn’t grow alone. It leaned on an ecosystem of tools that made it all possible. Customer support ran through Crisp, while Stripe handled payments. Posthog provided analytics, and Formbricks powered their marketing surveys and attribution. For the landing page, they used Framer, while email campaigns went out via Loops. And Notion? That kept the entire project organized and on track.

Where to Find Them

Vidalgo’s website : Take a look on them

Want more stories like this? Stay tuned for the next case study!