200K Users, No Ad Spend: HeRA’s Figma-Play for Motion Graphics

YC to 200K users without a marketing budget? HeRA is trying to become the Figma of motion design and put After Effects on notice.

This is a builder’s story: fast pivots, AI-native product, and a bold bet to scale from Berlin, not SF.

In this episode, Chia, co-founder & CTO of HeRA breaks down how they pivoted into AI motion design, grew to hundreds of thousands of users, and why they’re betting on an onsite Berlin team post-YC.

We cover PMF vs. virality, the UI/UX of AI video, the Figma vs. Adobe playbook, and how HeRA wants to power every SaaS launch video.

You’ll learn:

- Why the motion graphics wedge beat “all-in-one” AI video editors

- The YC pivot moment: prototype in two days → interview in a week

- Berlin vs. SF: talent, costs, and staying plugged into the Valley

- PMF litmus test for AI video: “1 min product video in less than 30 minutes”

- How HeRA generates code to animate motion (and why time makes it hard)

- The Figma analogy: AI-native UX vs. legacy add-ons—and why Adobe should worry

📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews.

Chapters

00:00 The Origin of Hera: From Video Editor to Motion Graphics

00:29 Sponsorship Message: Stable's Virtual Address Service

01:28 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest

02:07 Chia's Journey with YC and Hera's Evolution

02:51 The Birth of Hera's Core Idea

05:25 Decision to Move Back to Berlin

14:53 Technical Insights: How Hera Works

19:46 Marketing Success and Product Market Fit

25:00 Creating Continuous Motion Graphics

25:22 Challenges in Long Video Generation

27:55 Competing with Adobe After Effects

30:28 The Future of Motion Graphics with AI

31:20 Collaborative Features and Market Vision

36:38 Trends in AI and Video Creation

43:23 Hera's Impact on the Industry

48:32 Closing Remarks and Future Outlook

🎧 Listen on the go:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP

Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm

My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercap

This podcast episode is sponsored by Stable. Click here to sign up for a virtual address:

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