The Guys That Cracked Short-Form Viral Growth: 0 to 300K in 2 months

Dylan Jardon and Henry Belcaster didn't go viral by accident. They had a strategy that helped them go viral in just 3 months.

From Broke Agency Owners to Viral Sensations in Just 3 Months

Their agency Clipt, known for producing highly animated clips, first gained traction by working with well-known figures like Naval Ravikant, All-In Podcast, and My First Million Podcast.

Their approach was straightforward: do free, high-quality work that looked so impressive, people assumed they were already getting paid by top clients.

Their initial work with Naval Ravikant was done purely out of admiration and ambition. They didn’t charge Naval a cent, but their visuals were so captivating that others believed they were officially hired by Naval.

They called this approach “squatter marketing”.

Squatter marketing involves proactively creating content for potential clients without their explicit permission, essentially "squatting" on their platform with valuable content. The expectation was that either the target would be impressed and hire them, or their audience would take notice and reach out. The key is to do the work first, demonstrate value, and then worry about getting paid.

Their method of “squatter marketing” was instrumental in their growth. Instead of asking for permission, they created free content for high-profile clients and let the work speak for itself.

This strategy led to significant contracts, including work from Tim Ferriss and David Sacks, and established their reputation as creators who deliver results.

The pair’s agency work continued to gain attention. They produced clips for podcasts like All-In and My First Million, featuring high-profile figures like David Sacks and Sam Parr.

However, despite the high-profile associations, their agency was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. With a payroll of $80,000 per month and revenue of only $70,000, they were losing money every month.

The Desperate Pivot That Turned Dylan and Henry into Personal Branding Powerhouses

Dylan and Henry’s shift from agency work to personal branding was driven by necessity and a relentless drive to stand out.

Their situation was so dire that Dylan had to go into “monk mode” for a month to figure out how to make their own content go viral. His decision to isolate himself from the agency and focus purely on cracking the viral code proved to be a turning point.

He started by studying successful long-form videos and condensing them into engaging 60-second clips. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, he looked at viral stories and told them better, faster, and more visually appealing.

Dylan and Henry’s viral formula is built on simplicity, precision, and calculated creativity. Their goal was not to reinvent content creation but to streamline and enhance what already worked.

How Repackaging Old Stories Created New Viral Hits

The duo’s breakthrough was rooted in the realization that most viral content already exists—it just needed to be told better. Rather than trying to come up with original stories or concepts, they focused on identifying long-form videos, articles, and narratives that had already gone viral and repackaging them for short-form consumption.

Their process starts with hunting for highly engaging, long-form stories. They would study viral videos that had garnered millions of views over several years. These sources could be from YouTube documentaries, trending news stories, or even podcasts featuring famous personalities.

Dylan drew inspiration from creators like Wait But Why, Vox, and Big Weird World, examining how they structured narratives and engaged audiences.

By analyzing the elements that made these pieces successful, Dylan and Henry established a blueprint for their own creations.

Cutting the Fluff and Injecting Energy In Stories

The difference between their approach and the original content was the pacing and energy. Most viral content was engaging but overly long. They compressed these stories into 60-second clips while preserving the core message and emotional impact.

Dylan emphasized the importance of energy in storytelling. While most creators delivered information in a dull, monotonous style, Dylan and Henry approached each clip like a performance.

Their delivery was high-energy, fast-paced, and designed to hook viewers within the first few seconds.

Henry successfully applied this formula himself when Dylan taught him the approach. His first two videos after learning the formula amassed over 15 million views each, validating their process. Their method was not only replicable but also scalable.

Mastering Visuals Through High-Quality Animation

What truly set their content apart was the animation. Dylan and Henry invested heavily in building a team of 60 animators from the Philippines.

The low production costs allowed them to produce polished, sophisticated animations that other creators couldn’t afford.

Their animation style was inspired by creators like Vox and Visualize Value.

However, they put their own twist on it by making the visuals faster, punchier, and more visually dynamic. Visualize Value only uses 2 colors: black and white.

While other creators might spend days or weeks producing a single video, Dylan and Henry’s team could produce polished animations in a fraction of the time.

Their clips featured smooth transitions, bold typography, and vibrant color schemes. They avoided the typical talking-head format that dominates short-form content, choosing instead to convey ideas through animated storytelling.

This approach gave their videos a distinct aesthetic that immediately stood out on platforms like YouTube and TikTok.

The Hook Formula That Grabs Attention Every Time

Dylan and Henry recognized that the most critical aspect of a viral clip is the hook. In the endless scroll of social media feeds, viewers make split-second decisions about whether to keep watching or move on.

They discovered that starting a video with a personal story or obscure reference was a mistake. Instead, they relied on recognizable figures and cultural moments to immediately capture attention.

Their most successful clips began with phrases like:

• “Here’s how Naval Ravikant responded when we hit $100,000 in revenue…”

• “These guys crashed a party full of billionaires and realized something shocking…”

• “This is how the creators of My First Million became the biggest podcast on YouTube…”

They also understood the value of storytelling structure. Their videos were never just a collection of flashy animations and random statements. Every clip followed a coherent narrative arc—introduction, conflict, resolution.

How Viral Clips Became Their Most Powerful Business Card

Their strategy worked. In just 2 months, Dylan’s YouTube channel grew to 285,000 subscribers, while Henry’s reached 90,000.

Currently, Dylan sits at 690K subscribers with 605 videos and Henry sits at 3.03M subscribers with 808 videos.

They achieved this by releasing videos consistently, each tailored to capitalize on existing viral topics.

One of their clips, featuring Henry’s animated storytelling about Nike, was praised by Casey Neistat as “the best short video he had ever seen on YouTube.” Such endorsements only fueled their momentum, drawing in more clients and growing their audience.

What made their growth particularly impressive was how they pivoted from chasing clients to attracting them.

Their viral clips were now acting as business cards, drawing in clients who were desperate to have their content produced in the same style.

The 5-Step Viral Content Blueprint Anyone Can Replicate

Unlike most creators who attribute their success to personal charisma or originality, Dylan and Henry designed a replicable process. They built a system that any client could follow—as long as they were willing to adopt their methodology.

They offered clients the same process they used for their own content:

1. Source Proven Viral Content: Identify long-form viral content that had already resonated with audiences. Instead of creating original concepts, they looked for existing viral content from other sources.

2. Condense the Story: Retell these stories with sharper editing, higher energy, and streamlined visuals. Strip away unnecessary details and focus on the core narrative. They amplified the entertainment value by combining clear storytelling with high-energy visuals.

3. Add Energy: Deliver the content with charisma and urgency.

4. Animate to Perfection: Use visually engaging animations to enhance storytelling. Their team of animators from the Philippines turn concepts into visually striking pieces that felt unique.

5. Craft the Perfect Hook: Always begin with a compelling, culturally relevant opening.

Their method didn’t just work for them. They trained their clients to apply the same process, allowing anyone willing to follow their formula to achieve similar results.

The results were staggering. While Dylan worked in isolation, he began producing videos that slowly caught the algorithm’s attention. It took weeks before the clips started gaining traction, but when they did, the growth was exponential.

Abandoning the Agency Model: Turning Viral Content into a Client Magnet

With this newfound success, Dylan and Henry were able to shift their agency model entirely. Instead of reaching out to potential clients, they focused on building their personal brands, allowing clients to come to them. The viral content became their primary lead generation tool.

Their decision to move away from the traditional agency model was further reinforced by their disdain for Hollywood-style bureaucracy.

When working with high-profile clients like Will Smith and Hasan Minhaj, they found the processes inefficient and frustrating. Dylan and Henry were determined to create a leaner, more efficient operation focused solely on results.

The journey from struggling agency owners to viral content creators happened in just three months.

But it wasn’t luck—it was a calculated approach that involved ruthless prioritization, relentless experimentation, and an unwavering commitment to improving their storytelling.

Their most effective clips followed a structure of opening with familiar figures or cultural moments to hook the audience, then delivering the core message through compelling storytelling.

Scaling Beyond Traditional Creators

Dylan and Henry committed to doing things differently. They stripped away inefficiencies and doubled down on what worked: creating content that went viral. They also embraced the concept of anti-goals—identifying what they hated and running in the opposite direction.

Dylan and Henry believe their model can outpace even Mr.Beast. By hiring a large team of talented animators from the Philippines, they scaled their content production to levels most creators can’t reach. Their workflow is optimized for speed, creativity, and impact.

Their primary bottleneck now is writing. While their animation process is streamlined, crafting compelling narratives still requires their direct involvement. Yet, they continue refining their approach, looking for new ways to eliminate friction and improve efficiency.

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