From Zero Consumer Revenue to a $462K Projected Annual Channel

A Social Media Startup

A fast-moving social media startup operating at the intersection of digital content and out-of-home advertising. The company owns and operates large-format LED displays in major metropolitan areas and wanted to build a consumer platform that would let everyday users book time on those screens — turning social media vanity into a tangible, shareable experience. At the time of engagement, the founding team had the hardware infrastructure in place but no consumer-facing product.

Prime Screens, No Way to Monetize Them at Scale

The client had a bold vision and a real asset — prime LED screen real estate in multiple busy cities. What they didn’t have was a way to monetize it at scale.

Their early model was manual. Corporate clients would email in, negotiate rates, and send creative assets over WeTransfer. Scheduling was managed in spreadsheets. Invoicing was handled by an accountant. The entire pipeline from inquiry to projection could take five to seven business days. The screens sat dark more often than they should have.

The founding team knew the future wasn’t B2B — it was B2C. They wanted to let individual consumers create content on their phones, book a time slot, pay instantly, and see their face on a building. But that meant building an entire consumer social platform from scratch: authentication, content creation, payments, real-time notifications, moderation, and — critically — a reason for users to keep coming back even when they weren’t booking screens.

The risk was clear. Without sustained daily engagement, the app would become a novelty. Users would book once, share it on their existing social channels, and never return. The client needed a product that was compelling on its own merits — a social network that happened to have a physical-world payoff.

A Social Network With a Physical-World Payoff

We built a full-featured mobile platform — available on both major app stores — that functions as a standalone social network with a unique physical-world activation layer.

Rather than building a simple booking tool, we designed an engagement engine that creates daily habits, drives organic growth, and converts free users into paying customers through gamification and social mechanics.

A Complete Content Creation Studio

Users create and publish visual content directly inside the app using a built-in editor with filters, text overlays, stickers, drawing tools, and cropping. No need to leave the platform — the content pipeline is entirely self-contained.

A Gamification Layer That Drives Daily Retention

We implemented a progression system — experience points, levels, missions, and weekly leaderboards — that gives users a reason to open the app every day. Posting content, engaging with others, and completing timed challenges all contribute to a visible ranking. Leveling up unlocks free screen time, creating a direct bridge between engagement and monetization.

Instant Self-Service Booking & Payments

The manual booking pipeline was replaced entirely. Users browse available screens by city, pick a date and time slot, select one of their published posts, and pay — all in under 60 seconds. The system supports credit cards, mobile wallets, and promotional vouchers. Payment processing, scheduling, and confirmation happen in real time.

A Social Graph With Built-In Virality

Follow mechanics, direct messaging between mutual connections, real-time notifications, and profile sharing via QR codes create network effects that drive organic acquisition. Every booking becomes a shareable moment. Every new user brings their existing social circle into the platform.

Full System Breakdown

• Consumer Social Platform Content creation, feeds, and social interactions built for daily engagement
• In-App Visual Content Studio Professional editing tools — filters, text overlays, stickers, drawing, and cropping
• Self-Service Booking & Payment System Browse screens, pick slots, pay instantly with cards, wallets, or vouchers
• Gamification & Retention Engine XP progression, missions, leaderboards, and level-based rewards that unlock free screen time
• Real-Time Notifications & Messaging Live engagement system with direct messaging between mutual connections
• Content Moderation Pipeline Automated and manual review to maintain platform quality and brand safety
• Cross-Platform Mobile Application Native experience available on both major app stores
• Privacy & Compliance Infrastructure Data export, account management, and GDPR-aligned data handling
• Promotional & Referral Mechanics Voucher system and referral flows to support user acquisition campaigns

~6 Months to Live Consumer Product