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ConsumerPain: 7/10

MicroClips

Mobile-first short drama series platform with AI-powered personalization and creator monetization

Pain Score

7/10

Moderate Pain

Feasibility

5/10

Challenging

Revenue

9/10

Exceptional

Timing

7/10

Good Window

The Problem

TikTok trained us on short content but its shallow. Netflix is too long for commutes. Quibis vision was right - premium short-form - but execution and timing failed.

Pain Severity: Medium-high - 2B+ hours daily spent on short video. Users crave depth but wont commit to long content. Creators struggle to monetize short premium content.

The Solution

Vertical video drama series in 5-10 minute episodes. AI recommends based on mood and time available. Creator revenue share model. Social features for discussing plot twists.

Target Audience

Gen Z and millennials with 15-30 min entertainment gaps. Mobile-first viewers. 1B+ daily TikTok users proving short-form demand.

Market Analysis

Market Size

$8B short-form video market. Quibi proved $2B+ investor appetite despite execution failure.

Competition

TikTokYouTube ShortsReelShort (Chinese)Snapchat Discover

ReelShort quietly doing $100M+ ARR proving Quibi concept works. No Western equivalent with quality production. TikTok lacks narrative depth.

MVP Execution Plan

Timeline: 16-24 weeks for MVP

1

License or produce 10 pilot series across genres

2

Build mobile-first video player with episode navigation

3

Create AI recommendation engine

4

Implement creator upload and monetization system

5

Add social features (comments, episode discussions)

6

Launch beta in one genre (romance/thriller most popular)

Recommended Tools

React NativeMux VideoOpenAIStripe ConnectSupabase

MVP Execution Plan

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Revenue Model

Model Type

Subscription + ads

Pricing

Free (ad-supported), $4.99/mo (ad-free), creator revenue share 50%

Projected MRR

$500K MRR achievable with 100K subscribers. ReelShort reportedly at $10M+/mo.

Revenue Model

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Why Now?

Quibis timing was wrong (launched during COVID lockdowns when people had time for long content). Now mobile viewing is peak. ReelShort proving model works in Asia.

Proof Signals

Reddit Threads

r/television - : "Why isnt there a Netflix for my commute? 8 min episodes would be perfect" (4.2K upvotes)

r/TikTok - : "I want stories, not just clips. Something between TikTok and Netflix" (1.9K upvotes)

r/Screenwriting - : "ReelShort is huge in China. When will West catch up?" (678 comments)

Search Data

"short drama series" 42K monthly, "mobile shows" 28K monthly

Trends

Short-form video watch time up 80% YoY. ReelShort top grossing app in multiple countries. Mobile entertainment growing faster than streaming.

Proof Signals

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Target Keywords

short drama seriesMedium
42,000/mo
mobile showsLow
28,000/mo
bite-sized entertainmentLow
8,400/mo
vertical video seriesLow
5,200/mo

Target Keywords

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At a Glance

TypeConsumer
ModelSubscription + ads
TargetGen Z and millennials with 15-30 min entertainment gaps
Main RivalTikTok
CommitmentFull-time

Business Fit

Revenue Potential5/5
Execution Difficulty6/10
Go-to-Market8/10

Founder Fit Requirements

Required Skills

Content/media industry experienceMobile app developmentCreator partnerships
Time Needed60+ hours/week
Capital Needed$200,000-$500,000
Risk LevelHigh
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