200K Users, No Ad Spend: HeRA’s Figma-Play for Motion Graphics
- S2E72
- 49:18
- December 2nd 2025
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:
https://dashboard.usestable.com/onboard/begin?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=influencer_lobster&promoCode=lobster50
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