The Long Game in UGC: Building Trust Between Creators and Brands | Elijah Khasabo | 371

Episode notes

What happens when a bored teenager starts a Discord trading group and accidentally discovers the power of video? For Elijah Khasabo, co-founder of Vidovo, it became the foundation for a bootstrapped UGC and influencer platform now serving over 200 brands and 20,000 creators. In this episode, Elijah shares the unfiltered origin story of Vidovo — from running negative for the first six months to crossing 20,000 organic creators without spending a dollar on paid acquisition. He breaks down why building for creators (not brands) is the real flywheel, how AI is actually strengthening the case for real human content, and what it means to stay gritty when the Stripe dashboard shows zero day after day. This is a masterclass in marketplace strategy, relationship-driven growth, and the kind of founder mindset that turns dark days into fuel. Key Takeaways 3:52 — **The Origin Story:** Elijah explains how a Discord trading community led to TikTok affiliates generating 100M+ views, sparking his obsession with video and UGC.