Zach Yadegari, the 19-year-old founder of Cal AI, has achieved viral success with his calorie tracking app. Since founding Cal AI in 2024, the company has amassed over $30 million in revenue and was recently acquired by MyFitnessPal. His secret? A well-funded army of influencers.

At TechCrunch Disrupt, Yadegari revealed that his early success came from an influencer’s post that attracted a thousand new users in two days. He and his team quickly ramped up their influencer strategy, paying as many as possible to post about Cal AI. The model worked, and his company saw linear growth in user acquisition.

Yadegari, a Forbes 30 Under 30 alum, explained that his strategy involved negotiating with influencers, many of whom are “broke college kids” eager for cash. He identified influencers with tight communities as key, ensuring a higher conversion rate. For Cal AI, the influencer strategy was not just a short-term boost but a core component of their success.

Yadegari’s next venture, Persona, is an AI agent startup aiming to make computing seamless with human life. The company plans to have an AI assistant live anywhere with an internet connection, including iMessage, app, email, and phone calls. This assistant will be part of a hardware ecosystem, setting it apart from other AI solutions.

Does his success come from his genius or his savvy business moves? Whatever the case, it’s clear that in the tech world, a well-choreographed influencer campaign can be just as effective as groundbreaking technology.