Notes from the operator behind Cal AI.

Weekly insights on AI and scaling consumer apps from Jake Castillo.

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Newsletter Archive

Jul 11, 2026

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1 min read

The ULTIMATE apple ads giveaway

one email to rule them all

Jake Castillo

The ultimate cheat sheet: influencer marketing edition

Jun 23, 2026

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2 min read

The ultimate cheat sheet: influencer marketing edition

read this or blow your budget

Jake Castillo

7 underrated app k*llers you need to know

Jun 20, 2026

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3 min read

7 underrated app k*llers you need to know

bookmark this

Jake Castillo

Jun 13, 2026

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1 min read

Why we let Cal AI bleed $$$

profit was never the point (at first)

Jake Castillo

Why we paid every influencer 100% upfront

Jun 2, 2026

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1 min read

Why we paid every influencer 100% upfront

it almost broke us, but it was the right move

Jake Castillo

The 20-second influencer test that saved us millions

May 27, 2026

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1 min read

The 20-second influencer test that saved us millions

stop building a case for bad creators

Jake Castillo

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I have an announcement

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Sep 22, 2026

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1 min read

Zach Yadegari Does It Again

dissecting the genius of his recent launch

Sep 19, 2026

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2 min read

Your App Retention Roadmap Is Hiding In Plain Sight

your users have already shown you what to improve

Sep 12, 2026

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2 min read

The Cheat Code To Market Research Is Sitting In Your Database

you need fast feedback loops

Sep 10, 2026

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2 min read

34 Truths Nobody Tells You About Scaling Consumer Apps

you’re going to want to read this

Sep 5, 2026

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9 min read