The Story of PostNitro Embed: From a Tweet to a Carousel Generation SDK

Introduction:

As the co-founder of PostNitro, I've always been passionate about exploring new ways to promote our platform and reach a wider audience. Twitter has been a primary source of promotion for us, and subscribing to Twitter Blue opened up even more opportunities. Little did I know that a single tweet would lead to a game-changing collaboration and the birth of PostNitro Embed.

Discovering Opportunities through Twitter Decks:

With Twitter Blue, I gained access to Twitter Studio and started experimenting with decks. I created decks for different purposes, such as monitoring our target keywords, keeping an eye on competitors, and managing my account. The Marketing deck became my go-to for finding relevant content and engaging with potential users.

The Tweet That Started It All:

One fateful day, while browsing the Marketing deck, I came across a tweet by Circleboom promoting carousel posts on LinkedIn. Without hesitation, I replied to their tweet, showcasing how PostNitro could help users create stunning carousels and schedule them through Circleboom's platform.

To my surprise, Atakan, the co-founder and CTO of Circleboom, noticed PostNitro and suggested a collaboration. This was a huge moment for us, and I couldn't contain my excitement.

From APIs to a Canva-Style SDK:

Atakan and I moved our conversation to Twitter DMs to discuss the collaboration in detail. Initially, I had planned to create APIs that platforms like Circleboom could integrate, similar to BannerBear. However, after discussing with Atakan, we realized that making a Canva-style SDK would be a more seamless and user-friendly approach.

Building PostNitro Embed:

My co-founder, Seerat, and I got together to finalize the technical aspects of the SDK. We informed the Circleboom team that we were ready to start the project and received the green light. We sent the initial release, and the Circleboom team provided valuable feedback on the issues they encountered. We worked tirelessly to address each issue with every new release.

Collaborating with Kevin from Circleboom:

During this process, I spoke with Kevin, the co-founder, CMO, and Product Owner at Circleboom. Our call not only focused on the partnership but also on improving PostNitro as a whole. Kevin offered invaluable suggestions that enhanced the usability of our platform.

Beta Testing and Iterating:

While collaborating with Circleboom, we also sent our users the beta release of PostNitro Embed for testing. The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive, and users were excited to integrate PostNitro into their platforms. From March to the end of April, we continuously iterated on Embed based on the feedback from Circleboom and other users. Balancing feature development for both PostNitro and Embed was challenging as a two-person team. Still, we were determined to keep moving forward.

Launching PostNitro Embed:

By the end of April, PostNitro Embed was stable and production-ready. We had already integrated with five applications, including social media management platforms based in Vietnam and Indonesia and the notable ContentStudio. On May 1st, 2024, we launched our pricing plans. After working out some reservations raised by the Circleboom team, we officially launched PostNitro Embed on Circleboom on May 27th, 2024.

What We Learned from the Collaboration:

1. The power of social media in fostering partnerships:

• Engaging with relevant content on social media platforms like Twitter can lead to unexpected opportunities and collaborations.
• Proactively showcasing your product's value on social media can attract potential partners and open doors to new ventures.

2. The importance of open communication and feedback:

• Maintaining open lines of communication with your collaborators is crucial for the project's success.
• Actively seeking and incorporating partner feedback helps improve the product and ensures a smoother collaboration process.

3. Adaptability and flexibility in product development:

• Based on discussions with partners, being open to pivoting from the initial plan (e.g., from APIs to a Canva-style SDK) can lead to better outcomes.
• Embracing flexibility in product development allows for creating more user-friendly and seamless solutions.

4. The value of a dedicated and supportive partner:

• Having a partner who is invested in the collaboration and takes it seriously can be a significant driving force behind the project's success.
• A supportive partner who provides valuable insights and pushes you to improve can help elevate your product and your team's performance.

5. The importance of perseverance and determination:

• Building and launching a new product while simultaneously managing the core platform can be challenging, especially for a small team.
• Perseverance and determination are crucial to overcoming obstacles and pushing through difficult times to achieve the desired outcome.

6. The power of collaboration in expanding reach:

• Collaborating with established platforms like Circleboom can help introduce your product to a broader audience and expand your user base.
• Partnerships can be valuable for gaining exposure and attracting new users to your platform.

7. The benefits of a diverse skill set in a partnership:

• Collaborating with partners who bring different skill sets, such as technical expertise and product-oriented thinking, can contribute to the overall improvement of your product.
• Leveraging your partners' diverse knowledge and experience can help you make better decisions and create a more well-rounded product.

What is Circleboom?

Circleboom started out solely as a Twitter management tool. It offers advanced features for managing Twitter accounts, including unfollowing, unliking, deleting tweets, and deleting retweets, among others.

Then in 2021, Circleboom launched a publishing tool that lets users design and schedule posts for multiple social profiles at one go. The publishing tool also offers impressive features such as AI writing, Canva integration, Unsplash integration, RSS feeds, and content curation.

Shoutout to Atakan and Kevin:

I want to express my gratitude to Atakan and Kevin, the fantastic founders of Circleboom. Their dedication and investment in this collaboration were truly remarkable. Atakan's technical expertise and constant motivation pushed us to keep going. At the same time, Kevin's brilliant, product-oriented mind helped us improve PostNitro. Their commitment to the collaboration felt personal, inspiring us to give our 100% as well.

Conclusion:

The journey of PostNitro Embed, from a single tweet to a game-changing SDK, has been an incredible experience. The collaboration with Circleboom brought PostNitro to a broader audience and helped us grow as a company. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with such amazing people and witness the power of partnerships in the startup world.

As a special offer to our users, we are excited to announce that PostNitro users can now get a 30% discount on all Circleboom plans. To take advantage of this offer, subscribe to a paid plan on PostNitro, and we'll email you the exclusive discount code. This discount is our way of saying thank you for your support and encouraging you to explore the incredible features offered by Circleboom.

Timeline:

• January 6th, 2024: Circleboom tweets promoting carousel posts on LinkedIn.
• January 8th, 2024: I post about PostNitro on Circleboom's tweet, showcasing how users can create carousels on our platform and schedule through their platform.
• January 11th, 2024: Atakan, co-founder of Circleboom, likes our product and suggests a collaboration.
• January 12th, 2024: We discuss approaching the collaboration and finalizing the specs.
• January 18th, 2024: After working everything out internally, we sent an email to Circleboom confirming that we are kicking off the development of PostNitro Embed.
• March 21st, 2024: We built the initial version of PostNitro Embed and sent it to Circleboom for testing.
• March 22nd, 2024: Atakan replies with a list of errors they encountered while testing PostNitro Embed.
• March 26th, 2024: Kevin, co-founder and CMO of Circleboom, joins the conversation.
• March 28th, 2024 - May 29th, 2024: We constantly communicate with the Circleboom team, iterating and improving both PostNitro and PostNitro Embed based on their feedback.
• May 1st, 2024: We conclude the beta program and launch our pricing plans for PostNitro.
• May 10th, 2024: We worked with the Circleboom team to develop the PostNitro Embed functionality for free users.
• May 27th, 2024: PostNitro Embed officially launches on Circleboom.