I sold my first AI video for $500

If you’re new here, welcome to Lead with Tech — where I share AI-centered insights, news and fresh ideas gained through our work at Techery.

Now onto this week’s issue…

When I was a kid, I wanted to make ads. I started early by putting silly ideas and objects together. I created "magazine ads" for big brands I had access to as a 12-year-old kid living in Ukraine.

I made an ad for "Key" (I noticed their label on my underwear), "Sneakers", "Stimorol”, and "LG". The ads were terrible, of course. And the only person who has ever seen them was me.

Obviously, I didn't become a commercial director. I became a tech founder. And I retained my love for commercials, music videos, and videos in general. I always had ideas. But I never had the means and knowledge to take my idea from A to B until May of 2025.

That's when Google released their insane video-generating model VEO 3, available for $125 under the Ultra plan.

I knew immediately that this tool would change a lot of things when it comes to creative work. And of course, I couldn't resist diving all in myself.

During the first couple of days, I figured out how to make good videos with it. Then I created an ad for Techery. I posted it on Reddit, and it blew up. 300K views. 500+ comments. 1.6K upvotes.

But while most commentators were debating if my ad was total crap or creative genius, something else happened.

Random people started sending me direct messages. They wanted me to create a similar ad for their businesses. That was shocking.

I never say no to an opportunity. Especially, since this was pure creative work I so enjoy doing. So I said yes to this one guy first. He runs a Vietnamese coffee company out of Las Vegas. I said, “ I'll try to come up with something.” He said he would compensate me for my time. No terms. No ideation. Full freedom.

I came up with an idea, built it in mind, had VEO create the scenes, then stitched it all together in Final Cut Pro with added sound effects and music.

I liked the result, however imperfect it was. I shared the ad with Alex (the coffee guy's name).

And he loved it.

A few minutes later, he asked me for my Venmo account. A few more minutes later, my Venmo account flashed green. $500 in.

It took me about a week of scattered focus time to get to this level. And I have 5 more guys waiting for me to respond. 

Here’s the ad I crated for him (just click the image below to open the video):

What this is, guys, is a glimpse into the future of work. Creative work will always stay humans’ strong suit. AI will enable creative critical thinkers to build high-quality products much quicker. And this will enrich many industries and digital experiences.

The barrier of entry into the workforce has become extremely low. All you need is an idea and drive to learn how AI can help you reach your goal.

That’s all for this week…but one more thing. If you’re enjoying this, can you do me a favor and forward it to a friend? Thanks.

-Alex

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Let’s connect on Twitter/X: @pshenianykov

Or on LinkedIn: Alex Pshenianykov