How My Generative 3D Modelling Tool Got 3,000 Users On Launch Day

Hammer Jan

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Published: March 22nd, 2024

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Hammer Jan

Founder, 3D AI Studio - Hammer Creations

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3D AI Studio - Ha...

3daistudio.com

from Stuttgart

started December 2023

Founders

Employees

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Imagine needing just seconds to create what once took hours in 3D design. That's the service my SAAS platform offers.

Hey! I'm Jan, a 3D artist and developer who's been in the space for about 5 years, working with some big names like the Sidemen, Tfue, and MontanaBlack.

Seeing a gap in the market, I launched a SAAS platform that generates 3D models from text or images, making life a lot easier for 3D artists, developers, and anyone into 3D printing.

In February, I kicked off, and the response was wild! 5,000 users signed up in the first four days!

It's been a game-changer for reducing the time and money spent on modeling and buying 3D models.

We offer free access to everyone, and for those who need more, we have subscription plans.

Just one month in, and we're already seeing growth and positive feedback, which is super encouraging. I'm excited to keep improving, collaborating, and connecting with more people in this space!

I paid for all of this myself, using the money I'd saved from making animations over the years.

After the initial setup, the monthly running costs settled at around $150, mainly for server and GPU expenses to keep everything running smoothly.

What's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?

Back in January 2020, I started my journey by founding a 3D animation company. (It was just me.

I've always loved video games, which is how I got into 3D animation. I used to make edits on YouTube, pulling 3D models from games and turning them into animations for my YouTube.

Eventually, I got so good that Gaming YouTubers wanted me to make stuff for them, like intros or scene changes for their videos.

I mainly got in touch with influencers on Twitter, sharing my animations and even doing some for free to show off my skills and get attention.

One day, I tweeted at MontanaBlack, a huge name in Germany, because he needed a new intro. He liked my tweet, we chatted, and I ended up making it for him, earning 3.000$!

Over the next few months, I was making Animations for some of the biggest names in the influencer space such as the Sidemen, Tfue, or MontanaBlack with a combined reach of over 100 Million.

Some of my Work from that time.

As time went by, I realized how much I was struggling with finding affordable 3D models.

Sometimes I would model the 3D Assets myself, which took hours, sometimes days. All of that just for the asset to show up for less than a second in animations… It sucked.

This was taking the fun out of my creative work.

In 2021, I dipped my toes into 3D printing and with my experience in 3D Animations and modeling, I saw a huge gap in the market for easy-to-get, good-quality, and reasonably priced 3D models.

So, I decided to fix this problem myself, and that's how my platform came to life.

High quality assets and quick generation were a big deal for me, especially getting the details right for 3D printing and animation. I'm still working on improving this, but the feedback from my launch has been amazing.

Old colleagues and 3D artists I've worked with before reached out to say how useful they found it, and it just confirmed I was onto something great.

Take us through the process of building the first version of your product.

When I set out to build the first version of my product, I leaned on my background in 3D animation, website development, and what I'm learning in my software engineering studies in Germany.

I knew how the site should work for users but had to learn about AI models from scratch since they were key to generating 3D models.

I started designing with Figma, creating concepts for how the site and 3D model generator would look and function.

Some of those first Designs:

Then, I shared these designs with friends, and on tech forums. The feedback I got was incredibly helpful, allowing me to refine and improve the platform into what it is today.

I spent 38 days getting the first version of my product up and running.

When it comes to money, the whole thing cost me about $200 to start.

This covered everything from the server costs to paying for Vercel (which helps host and run websites) and the GPU power needed to run the AI model, which is the brain behind creating the 3D models.

I paid for all of this myself, using the money I'd saved from making animations over the years.

After the initial setup, the monthly running costs settled at around $150, mainly for server and GPU expenses to keep everything running smoothly.

We're doing great, with around 400 new sign-ups every day, and have been profitable since day one. Our main focus now is on improving the AI model for generating 3D models.

Describe the process of launching the business.

Launching my business was a mix of excitement and being scared it wouldn't do well. I wasn't sure if people would be interested, but connecting with other founders helped a lot. My friend Usama was a huge help with the backend work, which sped up the process significantly.

I remember setting up late-night coding sessions with a couple of friends who were also into tech. It wasn't just about building the platform; it was about sharing ideas and learning from each other.

The site went live in February, and within a few minutes, the first users were generating 3D models. That moment was electric, a sign that all the hard work and sleepless nights might just pay off.

I set up a feedback page from the start. This was super helpful for quickly finding out what users liked, and what was missing, and fixing any bugs.

This was how it all began, some features were still missing but the site was up and working, that was my main goal!

One interesting challenge was figuring out the pricing model. I wanted to make sure it was accessible to hobbyists while still offering the advanced features that professional designers and artists would need.

After a lot of back and forth, I settled on a tiered model that seems to be a good fit for now. The most popular model is the “Standard Model” which costs $10 a Month.

With this, the users can generate 35 models a month which is enough for anyone doing 3D printing or animations as a hobby.

To promote my business, I primarily focused on Twitter, where I have a good following and a lot of Friends from my 3D Animation Past for whom the Tool could be very useful.

I also explored using TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to reach a broader audience which has also worked quite well. I’m posting short videos showing 3D Models I’ve generated!

Currently, I'm venturing into email marketing. No big wins there yet, but I'm hopeful and keeping at it!

Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?

Since launching, my approach to attract and retain customers has been straightforward.

I kicked off by offering free trials to first-time users, giving them a sneak peek of our tool's potential. I also took to Twitter to engage with both developers and artists, gathering their feedback and fostering a community around our product.

Engaging with Users on Reddit and Twitter has been key, the Product was so good it was selling itself through word of mouth.

Fun Fact: This User bought a Studio Subscription after our Conversation, engaging with Users is key!

Lastly, regularly rolling out new features and actively talking about them across various platforms has kept my users engaged and excited about what's coming next.

I got off to a great start, attracting about 3,000 registered users in just the first few days after launching.

I’m very excited to use what I've learned to grow even more.

How are you doing today and what does the future look like?

We're doing great, with around 400 new sign-ups every day, and have been profitable since day one. Our main focus now is on improving the AI model for generating 3D models. Just yesterday I added remeshing to the features as well as multi format exporting to make sure it's easily 3D-printable and usable for Rigging or Animations!

My goals are to become the go-to tool for 3D Artists, Hobbyists, Animators, and more.

I also want to expand my team (which is currently just me lol) to speed up new feature releases.

Right now, I have 284 paying customers, and they're bringing in about $3,500 each month.

My business uses a freemium model, so people can try out making a few models for free. If they want more features or the ability to generate more models, they can make a one-time payment or choose from two subscription options.

At the start, my conversion rate was around 0.3%, which isn't great, but I was still pretty happy since it's my first product. I've been looking for ways to make it better, and it's working—the conversion rate has gone up to 1% in the last few weeks.

I experimented with several changes to the platform's design and user interface. By adding more call-to-action (CTA) buttons, clarifying the subscription options with simpler descriptions, and changing the button texts from "Buy" to "Unlock," I aimed to make the Tool more intuitive and engaging. I'm aiming to keep improving this rate.

Looking to the future, I'm excited about the possibility of integrating VR and AR with our platform. Imagine being able to step into the 3D worlds you create. It's a big step but I think it would be an amazing addition!

Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?

Starting the business, I’ve learned two major lessons:

First, listening to user feedback is crucial for continuous improvement and adding necessary features. Early on, I received a lot of feedback about the user interface of our platform.

Some users found it a bit complex to navigate

Taking this feedback to heart, I decided to overhaul the UI, making it more intuitive and user-friendly. I changed the UI three times in just one month, all in an effort to optimize the conversion rate.

It was a bit daunting at first, but the positive response I received afterward was incredibly affirming.

Second, taking breaks is essential; working non-stop isn't sustainable for creativity. Engaging with other developers for fun, rather than just for work, has also been beneficial.

It's easy to forget to take a step back. I've started setting aside time for hobbies outside of tech, which has surprisingly sparked new ideas for the business. Simply reading a book for a day instead of working for 12 hours (yes it can be tech related) gave me so many new ideas!

One thing I didn't anticipate was how much I would learn about customer service. Responding to queries, solving issues, and just being there for our users have taught me the importance of building strong relationships with your community.

Additionally, I got into the habit of sharing progress updates and little victories on social media.

Talking about the good and bad times openly. I've even made friends with some awesome developers I met through this journey.

What platform/tools do you use for your business?

Payment Processor: Lemon Squeezy
Microsoft Clarity for User Behavior
Hugginface for AI Models
Fiverr for Logos/Designs
Trello for To-Do’s (use this, it's great!)

What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?

The most influential resource for me has been YouTube, especially for learning about backend development quickly. It helped launch my backend in less than 48 hours, crucial for keeping pace in the fast-moving AI world.

Additionally, "Million Dollar Weekend" by Noah Kagan was helping me stay motivated as well as teaching me how to launch a successful business rapidly!

Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?

For new entrepreneurs, the key is to start now without overthinking. Use available tools to quickly test your idea. Your first project doesn’t need to be perfect. Just launch it.

You are always going to have problems. Connect with other developers to learn from them and discover what tools they use. Doing that was a major factor in my success, validating ideas, getting help with problems, etc.

Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?

A Therapist for all the Nights I had to spend on Backend Development :’)

Jokes aside - I am looking for a Backend Developer who wants to help me ship more Features faster! I’m using Python and Django at the moment!

Where can we go to learn more?

If you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below!