Attention Idea: He taught himself how to code with ChatGPT...

Pat Walls

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Updated: September 9th, 2025

The Post

Title/Hook: He taught himself how to code with ChatGPT...
Format: Full YouTube Video Repurpose
Impressions: 800000
How many followers they had at the time: 30000

Check out the post ->

Why it works

1. Hero Story Hook

“He taught himself how to code with ChatGPT… Then built 3 iPhone apps. Made \$10M in revenue.” That’s a movie trailer opener. It combines:

AI trend (ChatGPT)
Underdog story (self-taught, not elite coder)
Big outcome (\$10M revenue)

It’s inspirational + specific, making it instantly shareable.

2. Authority + Transparency

“We called him up and asked him to break it all down.” Sets Starter Story as the insider source. You’re the bridge between this success story and the audience, and you filtered the noise (“cut out all the fluff”)—that builds trust.

3. Value Tease (Timestamped Bullets)

This is the genius part. Instead of vague “check the interview,” you literally list the highlights with timestamps:

why apps are lucrative (2:08)
\$1M business ideas (6:43)
sweet spot pricing (12:33)

This does a few things:

Makes the video feel packed with alpha (people save/share because it looks like a “cheat sheet”)
Reduces friction (“I don’t have to commit 20 mins—I can jump straight to the juicy parts”)
SEO / keyword fuel (“\$1M business ideas,” “tools for mobile apps,” etc. all trigger interest).

4. Format & Flow

Short, punchy lines with breaks = easy skim.
Bullets = clean structure (different from the storytelling in the first post).
This balance of “hook + bullet index” makes the post both viral and functional.

5. Visual

The thumbnail works because:

Dark room, glow of monitors → hacker/maker vibe.
On-screen text “after learning how to code” reinforces the underdog story.
It screams “this could be you”.

6. Engagement Triggers

Plays into aspiration (10M revenue).
Plays into trend (ChatGPT coding).
Plays into utility (timestamped learning).
Tone: not preachy, but like a friend giving you insider notes.

✅ Why this works overall: It takes a massive outcome (10M) and breaks it into digestible, actionable pieces. People follow because they want the playbook, not just the story. This post nails the formula: big hook → insider access → structured alpha → easy to consume.

meet the author

Pat Walls

I'm Pat Walls and I created Starter Story - a website dedicated to helping people start businesses. We interview entrepreneurs from around the world about how they started and grew their businesses.

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