But Ivan Peskov and Nick Tsvietkov, the team behind SteelAlive, pulled it off using an approach that sounds borderline insane—300,000 Instagram comments that generated 7,000 clicks in a single campaign.
In today's podcast interview recap, we'll break down their playbook. Ivan and Nick have spent eight years building technical infrastructure that automates social media distribution at a scale most teams can't touch—and they're refreshingly transparent about what actually works versus what's just noise.
Our host, Joseph, covered a ton of ground with Ivan and Nick. As always, if you haven't seen the interview yet, definitely check that out right here. For now, on to the recap:
The commenting strategy that actually works
Most people think app growth means posting content or running ads. Ivan and Nick flipped the script—they're posting comments on other people's content instead.
Here's how it works: they create branded accounts, configure them to look like official team pages for the apps they promote, and set up their "for you" feed to show trending content in specific niches. Then they unleash AI filters that analyze videos and determine which ones deserve engagement.
The comments aren't random spam. They're context-dependent—answering questions users ask in comment sections, sharing personal stories that naturally mention the app, or asking engaging questions that drive curiosity. The genius move? Every comment is crafted like UGC in text form.
One example that performed surprisingly well: "Once I tried working out by myself thinking I was an expert just because I watched a few videos. Let's just say I ended up with all my muscles sore and spent a week in bed 😂. It's wild how much I learned though. Now I use an app for my exercises."
That's it. No hard pitch. Just a story with a soft mention that makes people wonder—what app are they talking about?
The tech stack no one can copy
Here's where most people get it wrong: they think this is just hiring VAs to spam comments. Not even close.
Ivan and Nick automated physical devices using their own version of Android that can load and unload the ROM of an entire device. Translation? Each account gets its own unique phone identity. They can run 20 accounts per device on Instagram and up to 200 on TikTok—and the platform thinks each one is a separate, real person.
The system presses buttons, scrolls feeds, and engages with content in ways that are completely undetectable by algorithms. It's the same principle as cold email warm-up—you can't just blast 50,000 emails from one inbox. You need dozens of inboxes, each sending 15 emails per day, warming up gradually to avoid spam filters.
With just 60 phones, they're already generating massive results. But here's the kicker—they're scaling to 1,000 devices, which would pump out 21 million comments per month. That's enough to reply to every single person on a Mr. Beast Instagram reel within 30 days.
Why transparency wins
When you test these things, you find results that work surprisingly well. You might think being upfront about promoting your own app would harm engagement—but it does the opposite.
Ivan and Nick discovered that comments identifying themselves as founders or team members converted better than covert tactics. People like authenticity. They appreciate when someone's building something cool and isn't hiding behind fake accounts.
This goes against every growth hacking playbook. But it's backed by data. Comments that started with "my buddy recommended this app" or "I co-founded this app with my friends" consistently drove profile visits and link clicks at rates that shocked even them.
The interesting part? This applies across industries. The same psychology that makes authentic founder stories work on TikTok UGC applies to Instagram comments at scale.
The eight-year journey to overnight success
Ivan and Nick didn't start with Instagram comments. They've been working together since running a Minecraft server—learning tech, customer acquisition, and monetization through a gaming community.
After that? Private blockchain development. Then they built Passportal, an AI-native flight search app. That's when they discovered the power of TikTok automation. They generated 100 million views promoting music through meme content and UGC-style videos.
But content creation wasn't sustainable. It required constant client involvement, creative concepts, and iteration. So they pivoted to comments—because comments are easier to iterate, don't require video production teams, and scale way faster.
The lesson? Distribution is the new moat. And they're betting everything on it.
From agency to platform
Right now, Ivan and Nick run this as an agency service. But they're building a platform where anyone can manage a fleet of social agents.
The MVP launches within a week. It'll let users:
Monitor every account in real-time with detailed analytics
Customize branding, bios, and content for each agent
Type prompts in plain English to generate comment flows
Select from community-tested templates that already work
Export performance data in clean formats
Think of it as the Instantly.ai for Instagram comments. The logistics are automated—you just focus on copywriting and strategy.
The pricing model isn't finalized yet, but the vision is clear: democratize distribution for startups that can't afford massive production teams or agency retainers.
Practical advice for founders testing this
If you're considering Instagram comments for growth, here's what Ivan and Nick learned the hard way:
Start with storytelling, not pitches. The best comments read like personal anecdotes. Hook people with a relatable experience, then mention your app casually at the end.
Test angles aggressively. Their first attempts flopped. It took weeks of iteration to find that co-founder transparency worked. Don't expect instant results—commit to testing.
Focus on viral potential, not volume. Posting 300,000 comments sounds impressive, but only a small percentage drive real results. Find videos early, before they blow up, and get your comment in the top spots.
Warm up accounts like email inboxes. If you're using multiple accounts, don't blast promotional content on day one. Post harmless, engaging comments first to build trust with the algorithm.
Track profile visits and link clicks separately. A 15% clickthrough rate from profile to link is solid. Anything above 20% means your profile branding is dialed in.
Don't fight the platform—help it. Instagram and TikTok need content. If your comments drive engagement, you're solving their problem, not creating one.
Wrapping up
Ivan and Nick's success isn't about one hack. It's about technical depth, creative iteration, and understanding distribution at a fundamental level.
They spent eight years building infrastructure that most teams don't have—and they're making it accessible through a platform anyone can use. The tactics might evolve, but the principle stays the same: distribution beats content quality at scale.
If you're serious about organic growth and tired of the content hamster wheel, this strategy deserves attention. It's unconventional, but the numbers don't lie—300,000 comments generated 7,000 clicks. That's real distribution.
As always, if you're ready to test your paywall, run price tests and more for your app, then you're already in the right spot. Sign up for a free Superwall account today!