How do you go from $9 in your bank account to building and selling a company in just 15 months? In this episode, Jake Castillo, co-founder of Cal AI, breaks down how they built and scaled one of the fastest-growing calorie-tracking apps using speed, influencer marketing, UGC, and relentless execution. Instead of relying primarily on paid ads, Cal AI built a massive distribution engine around 300+ influencers, 20+ TikTok accounts, and a high-volume content strategy, eventually leading to the company being acquired by MyFitnessPal. Jake shares what actually worked, including why giving creators more creative freedom can produce better-performing content, how to scale content across multiple accounts, and how Cal AI used App Store optimization to stand out in a crowded category. If you're building a consumer app, startup, or brand, or trying to figure out how to make influencer marketing actually work—this episode is packed with practical growth lessons you can apply. You will discover: ✅ How Cal AI scaled with 300+ influencers ✅ Why speed is becoming a major competitive advantage in the AI era ✅ How Cal AI used 20+ TikTok accounts to expand distribution ✅ Why letting creators control the content can outperform heavily scripted campaigns ✅ How to build a high-volume UGC engine without relying entirely on paid ads ✅ The App Store growth strategy that helped Cal AI stand out ✅ What Jake learned from taking Cal AI from $9 to acquisition in 15 months Learn More: Notes from the operator behind Cal AI: https://operatorsnotebook.beehiiv.com/ ********************************************* SPONSORS The app growth playbook is changing fast. AppsFlyer’s State of eCommerce App Marketing Report 2026 breaks down the latest trends, benchmarks, fraud insights, and market-by-market data every app marketer should know before planning Q4. Download it free from the link below: https://bit.ly/4uvoHGM ********************************************* Join the App Founder’s Community: https://appfounders.co/ Get your app audited: https://appmasters.com/audit/ CONNECT WITH US: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevepyoung/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stevepyoung Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevepyoung Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AppMastersCo/ Blog: http://www.appmasters.com/blog ***************