How do I make a Founder Story Vlog?

Founder talks straight to camera about why they built it. Vulnerability converts where polish can't.

model⚡ HeyGen
agency would charge$3,000
you'll spend~$3
runs onTikTok · Reels · LinkedIn

THE REFERENCE — DOLLAR SHAVE CLUB — $4.5K VIDEO, $1B EXIT

THE PROMPT — COPY, SWAP THE BRACKETS, RUN

HeyGen build. AVATAR: founder type — mid-30s, plain tee or open flannel, slightly tired eyes, zero styling. SETTING: real-looking desk with honest mess — two coffee mugs, a notebook, the edge of a monitor in frame — soft morning window light from the left. FRAMING: chest-up, camera a touch below eye level, like a propped-open laptop. Delivery throughout: measured, quiet, a little tired, zero salesman energy — it converts because it does not perform. The word "embarrassed" in line 1 is the hook.

SCRIPT (word-for-word):
Line 1 (flat, confessional): "I built [PRODUCT — e.g. "Ledgr, a $9/mo budgeting app"] because I was embarrassed."
Line 2 (glancing down, then back up): "Every month I'd [PAIN POINT — e.g. "avoid opening my bank app"], and every month I'd tell myself it was fine."
Line 3 (small exhale): "It wasn't fine. It was costing me [REAL COST — e.g. "about $200 a month in forgotten subscriptions"]."
Line 4 (steadier now): "So I spent [TIMEFRAME — e.g. "a year of nights and weekends"] building the thing I couldn't find: [WHAT IT DOES, ONE SENTENCE — e.g. "an app that watches for waste and cancels it"]."
Line 5 (almost surprised by it): "[NUMBER — e.g. "Forty thousand"] people use it now."
Line 6 (half smile, small shrug): "If you're where I was, the link's below. If not — honestly, no hard feelings."

One-take feel; keep slight stumbles. No captions baked in, no music in-gen.

HOW TO RUN IT

  1. Use your own trained avatar (record 2 min of footage once) for authenticity
  2. LinkedIn version: same script, 16:9, subtitle bar
  3. The 'no hard feelings' close outperforms hard CTAs for founder-led brands
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