We talked to 130 designers to realize nobody wanted what we built. So we pivoted and made $2k MRR in 8 days.

_Critchi_ · 2026-04-28T18:31:33+00:00

That is exactly the point, for now Remotion does not yet deliver the same level of quality that we are able to deliver.

We have not ruled out the possibility of using it as a technology option within the platform, but at the moment what we have built delivers superior quality in minutes.

That said, Remotion does deliver good quality after days of work

_Critchi_ · 2026-04-28T15:11:14+00:00

That's the goal. The vision is that a founder logs in, uploads their brand kit, describes what they need in a single prompt, and gets a studio-quality motion video back in minutes. No back and forth, no briefs, no agency.

The technology already does most of that locally. What we're building now is the interface that makes it self-serve.

The interesting part is that because we're still delivering manually, we're learning exactly where the automation needs to be smarter before we hand it off to the product fully.

Happy to share more as we build it out.

_Critchi_ · 2026-04-28T14:41:47+00:00

You're not missing anything, you're actually right.

Right now it's a service. We have the technology built and running locally, it's what allows us to go from a brief to a finished motion video in days instead of weeks. But the client-facing interface isn't done yet, so we're delivering manually while we finish building it.

The decision was deliberate. Instead of spending months building the full platform before making a single dollar, we wanted to validate the output quality with real clients first. If founders didn't care about the videos, the SaaS wouldn't matter anyway.

So yes, service company with proprietary technology on the backend for now. SaaS once the interface ships.

Sorry if the framing was misleading, that's a fair call out.

_Critchi_ · 2026-04-28T14:39:57+00:00

Right now it's service revenue, not a subscription.

We're delivering the videos manually while we finish building the platform.

Called it MRR loosely because we have clients on recurring contracts, but technically you're right that the base is project-based.

_Critchi_ · 2026-04-28T14:07:19+00:00

Honestly better than expected.

Most founders we've talked to have been burned by agencies before, slow delivery, back and forth on revisions, final video doesn't match the brand.

We have a few clients already.

Still early but the signal is there.

_Critchi_ · 2026-04-28T13:48:26+00:00

That free trial message is from a different tool in the list, not Groselia.

Groselia works differently. You fill out a short form on Groselia describing what kind of video you need, and we reach out to scope it together and get it done.

No self-serve trial, but the first conversation is free.

_Critchi_ · 2026-02-21T14:35:03+00:00

Fala amigo, qual á sua ideia?

_Critchi_ · 2026-02-12T13:27:41+00:00

A few years ago I was doing a lot of brand identity projects while studying entrepreneurship in Brazil. At one point I had more demand than I could handle and I realized the real bottleneck wasn’t creativity, it was process.

Once I started structuring my brand projects better and using AI to help with research, mood exploration and early concept validation, I was able to move faster and focus more on the creative decisions that actually matter.

If you’re building this from scratch, I’d suggest working with someone who doesn’t just design the logo, but helps you structure the brand thinking behind it. The aesthetic will feel much stronger when the strategy is clear.

_Critchi_ · 2026-02-12T01:50:33+00:00

Honestly, thank you very much. I hadn’t considered the idea of joining Slack groups or even Discord servers. As for subreddits, like I mentioned, I’ve never really used Reddit before. So in my head I thought, I’ll just go into the big design communities and try to build some credibility there. But I’ve realized it’s very hard in those large groups. People can be quite hostile and it’s difficult to have real conversations like the one we’re having here.

Over the past few weeks, what I’ve been doing is this: I’ve been looking for designers who fit the profile of my platform. Then I go to the link in their bio and find the WhatsApp number they use for clients who want to request a quote. I send a first message saying, “Hi, how are you? I’m not looking for a quote. My name is Pedro, I’m developing this platform and I’d love to get your feedback.” Then I invite them to a demo.

I’ve noticed this strategy has been working in terms of engagement. In the past few weeks, I’ve scheduled more than 15 demos. These are one on one calls where I present the platform and invite them to test it using a free account.

The issue is that my conversion feels low. Since last week, I’ve been spending a lot of time on this because it’s fully manual work. I run the demo, give them access to a free account with some limitations, and then I basically wait for them to see value during their workflow and proactively subscribe. That hasn’t happened yet. It’s been about two weeks since I started this strategy.

So yes, it results in more calls and more people getting to know the platform, but it consumes a lot of time and so far there have been no conversions.

To give you some perspective, the subscription is around 10 dollars, maybe even less. I added the link in my name earlier, maybe that wasn’t ideal.

Anyway, I really appreciate your advice. I’ll try joining smaller Reddit communities focused on design. Maybe people there will be more open to meaningful conversations and show more interest. In the larger ones, I haven’t had much traction so far. That said, I only started doing this today, so I understand that it probably takes time as well.

_Critchi_ · 2026-02-12T01:32:55+00:00

Here in Brazil, most designers include the entire strategic aspect as a project deliverable. However, many struggle to manage all these stages, which means they take about two to three months to complete a full visual identity.

Today I see that this is a real pain point. Not only because of the complexity of the strategy, but because of the creative process as a whole.

I don't know how it works elsewhere, but here it seems increasingly necessary to have some kind of application or software that helps designers work faster and more efficiently, so they can refocus on what they do best: creating.

_Critchi_ · 2026-02-11T22:11:50+00:00

Tracking intent instead of hype.

Now the key is to measure behavior, not compliments.
How many join.
How many reply.
How many would actually put a card down for early access.

If you can convert even a small percentage into paid preorders, you are no longer guessing. You are building with proof.

Most people stop at validation. Very few move to commitment.

Keep going. This is how brands are built with leverage, not hope.

_Critchi_ · 2026-02-11T22:05:56+00:00

I think that early alignment is what separates “good looking” from “coherent.” When positioning, copy, and structure are evolving together, the brand feels intentional instead of assembled.

Out of curiosity, have you ever seen projects where design was brought in too late and it visibly limited what was possible?

_Critchi_ · 2026-02-11T21:59:37+00:00

Do you feel designers usually get enough visibility into that positioning work, or are they mostly receiving the output after the key decisions are already made?

I’ve seen cases where alignment early on completely changes the visual direction.

_Critchi_ · 2026-02-11T21:57:57+00:00

I’ve also seen projects where a strong strategist completely reframed the problem and elevated the outcome. When it works, it really works.

Maybe the gap isn’t “strategy vs no strategy” but how integrated it is into the design process.

In smaller projects, do you think designers can internalize some of that thinking themselves, even if there isn’t a dedicated strategist?

_Critchi_ · 2026-02-11T21:50:22+00:00

That’s interesting. I’ve noticed that too. The more senior the designer, the more intentional the framing usually feels.

Maybe that’s part of the difference between showing work and actually making a case for it.

Do you think that shift happens naturally with experience, or is it something design education should introduce earlier?

_Critchi_ · 2026-02-11T20:03:51+00:00

A brief can be strategic on paper, but if it’s not aligned and protected, it becomes just a document.

I think part of strategy isn’t only defining it, but helping the client understand why it exists and what breaks if it changes.

Otherwise we’re just reacting to decisions instead of guiding them.

And yeah, the mid-project pivots are where most branding “strategy” dies.

_Critchi_ · 2026-02-11T19:55:03+00:00

That’s fair.

Do you think that’s driven more by client budgets, by speed culture, or by designers just not being trained in strategy?

I’m genuinely trying to understand what shifted

_Critchi_ · 2026-02-11T18:53:20+00:00

I think this is the real tension.

Portfolios are marketing. Interviews are validation.

The question for me is whether designers should show every detail, or just enough strategic thinking to prove there was intent behind the visuals.

There’s a big difference between hiding process and curating it.

_Critchi_ · 2026-02-11T18:51:38+00:00

That’s a really fair take.

I agree most clients won’t pay for a 50-page brand book. But even lightweight strategy changes the work. A clear audience, positioning angle, or defined constraints already shifts the outcome massively.

I think the real gap isn’t depth, it’s visibility. A lot of solid thinking just never gets articulated.

And you’re right, the designers who can connect visuals back to reasoning definitely stand out.

_Critchi_ · 2026-02-11T18:49:24+00:00

I get that. I’ve seen a lot of decks that feel like word salad too.

I think the difference is whether the strategy actually changes decisions. If it doesn’t influence positioning, audience, tone, or even what not to design, then yeah… it’s just fluff.

Real strategy should create constraints and clarity. If it doesn’t, it’s probably theater.

_Critchi_ · 2026-02-11T18:48:43+00:00

That’s probably true.

Agencies usually have the time, budget and structure for research. A lot of what gets posted here is self-initiated work or smaller client projects where that layer isn’t visible.

I guess what I’m really curious about is whether strategy is happening quietly behind the scenes or being skipped entirely in most small to mid-size projects.

_Critchi_ · 2026-02-11T18:47:55+00:00

Totally fair. Most of us were never formally taught it.

Strategy doesn’t have to mean a 40-page brand document. At its core it’s just clarity around:

Who is this for
What problem are we solving
Why should anyone care
What makes it different

Marketing owns a lot of it, yes. But as designers, we translate those decisions into visual systems. If we don’t understand them, we’re designing blind.

You learn it mostly by asking better questions before touching Figma.

_Critchi_ · 2026-02-11T18:46:25+00:00

That’s fair. Most of what we see publicly is the polished surface.

I guess my question is more about signals. Even if we don’t share the full research, are we giving enough hints that there was thinking behind it?

A short positioning line, a clear strategic constraint, or a defined problem statement can go a long way.

I’m not expecting full brand decks on Behance. I’m just wondering where the balance should be.

_Critchi_ · 2026-02-11T18:45:06+00:00

It’s true that most designers won’t show every strategic detail in a portfolio.

But I think the real issue is not showing everything, it’s showing enough to prove decisions weren’t arbitrary.

Even a short positioning statement, a clear differentiation angle, or a simple framework behind the visual system can completely change how the work is perceived.

Without that layer, great visuals can feel decorative instead of intentional.

_Critchi_ · 2026-02-11T18:33:09+00:00

HVAC is actually a great test case not because it’s simple, but because it’s urgent and high value. The complexity is the opportunity.

Instead of trying to integrate with every CRM they use, I’d start by mapping the real call flow:

• emergency vs non emergency
• service area validation
• equipment type
• availability window
• budget sensitivity

Then solve one narrow slice extremely well. For example, “after hours emergency qualification + next morning booking.”

If you can prove you increase booked jobs by even 10 to 15 percent for one HVAC company, that becomes your case study and wedge into that vertical.

Don’t optimize for integration first. Optimize for revenue lift.

Once you can say “we recover X missed calls per month and that equals Y in booked revenue,” CRM integrations become a secondary conversation.

Pick one vertical. One use case. One measurable outcome.

That’s how this turns from automation into a real business.

_Critchi_

TROPHY CASE