Soylent, creator engine

Ten creators for Soylent complete meal

Seven videos a week per creator on Soylent's complete meal, coffee and protein, checked against a claims sheet. Two creators a week, ten in six weeks.

creators live by week six: 10
creator videos a month at the full roster: 303
weeks from the first creator to the full roster: 5

Mocha at my desk: coffee that acts like a healthy breakfast.

Illustrative creator post: Soylent complete coffee - mocha poured over ice, label read aloud, price on screen as $48.00.

Illustrative post

Part 1 of 15

Summary

Creator engine summary
Roster	Ten creators, live over six weeks	Two creators a week. Live by week: 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 creators.
Who	Desk-lunch, coffee and gym-bag creators	People who already drink a shake, a coffee or a protein in their day. Six personas below.
Production	Seven videos a week each	Ten creators at seven videos a week is 303 creator videos a month.
Pay	Fee plus cap, three bands	Starter $300 fee, $600 cap; Standard $500 fee, $1,000 cap; Premium $800 fee, $1,500 cap.
Bonus	Bonus at the cap, plus $50 flat	At the cap: Starter $300, Standard $500, Premium $700. $50 flat past 100,000 views, once a month.
Compliance	Every video checked against a claims sheet	The sheet opens with the coffee line from the Soylent site. Anything outside it goes back.
Rule for the category	Food claims stay on the sheet	No weight, appetite, recovery or medical promises, even though the site menu lists those topics.
Goal	Target $1 per 1,000 views	The inputs land at $5.74 against the $1.00 target. The simulator shows what has to change.
Report	A Monday report, by creator and format	Views, spend and cost per 1,000 views against the target, plus the formats being killed.
Decision	You approve the sheet and the pay bands	Before the first creator goes live: one claims sheet, a yes on the bands, a ceiling of $15,000.

Part 1 of 15, continued

The program in numbers

Creators live at full roster: 10; Proposed
Videos per creator per week: 7; Proposed
Creator videos a month: 303; Calculated
Base pay per creator: $1,000; Proposed
Bonus past 100,000 views: $50; Proposed
Bonus at the top cap of the highest band: $700; Calculated
Program cost a month, bonuses included: $10,050; Calculated
Views a month at the assumptions: 1.8M; Calculated
Cost per 1,000 views: $5.74; Calculated
Target cost per 1,000 views: $1; Proposed

Part 2 of 15

Track record

Former COO of Tabs. I built its creator program to 100M monthly social impressions, and the paid ad engine alongside it. The numbers below come from videos that program produced.

At Tabs I ran this playbook: a creator program with the paid ad engine built alongside it. Soylent is a different category, meal replacement drinks, and I have not run it. So the first weeks test the claims sheet and the hooks before they test any scale.

monthly social impressions at Tabs: 100M+
views on one reel: 17.7M
views on one video: 8M
views on one video: 6.5M

Part 3 of 15

Why Soylent

over 18,000
Reviews on the home page
The Soylent home page says over 18,000 reviews. That is proof a creator can point at without inventing anything.
Published
4.6
A star rating on the page
One rating on the site reads Rated 4.6 out of 5 stars. A creator can read it on camera exactly as the page prints it.
Published
25%
A first-order offer
The site offers 25% off your first order for newsletter sign-ups. A first-time viewer gets a clear next step after the video.
Published
$50
Free shipping over a threshold
The site says to get free shipping on orders over $50. A 36 bottle bundle or a protein powder pack clears it, and a creator can say so once the brand confirms it.
Published

Part 4 of 15

Principles

One number to protect
Cost per 1,000 views, target $1. The simulator sits at $5.74 on $10,050, so the first job is the median video, not the budget.
One variable per test
Same creator, same bottle, one hook changed. Mocha coffee or strawberry complete meal, we change the opening line and nothing else.
Losers killed early
A creator or format that trails after the first two tests gets cut, and the slot goes to the next candidate. The ramp stays at two creators a week up to ten.
One workspace for the work
Briefs, claims questions, drafts and reports live in one team workspace, with the claims sheet pinned. A creator never guesses what Soylent allows.

Part 4 of 15, continued

One channel for everything

#briefs

Briefs, drafts, reviews and the weekly numbers

Illustrative

MayaMon morning
This week's brief: Soylent complete coffee - mocha. Open on "coffee that acts like a healthy breakfast." Show the bottle, say the price once, link in the caption.
JordanMon afternoon
Can I say the strawberry shake keeps me full until dinner?
No, that is a health outcome. Stay on the sheet: 20g protein, 28 vitamins & minerals, only 1g of sugar.
Weekly botAppMon morning
Monday report: ten creators, 303 videos a month pace, cost per 1,000 views against the $1 target. Two formats flagged to kill, one hook added to the library.
MayaWed morning
Draft back to you, Priya. The muscle line is off the sheet. Reshoot the opener with the strawberry bottle and keep everything else.
Reshot, new version is in #drafts.
Weekly botAppFri evening
Dev's mint chocolate video passed 100,000 views, organic only. The $50 flat bonus is logged for this month.
Weekly botAppThu afternoon
Pre-post check: claims sheet read, bottle on screen, price matches the product page at $48.00, partnership label on. All four before you post.

The messages illustrate the working channel, with invented people: briefs go out on Monday, claims questions get an answer the same day, and nothing posts without the check.

Part 5 of 15

Formats

Brief 01
Mocha at the desk
“coffee that acts like a healthy breakfast.”
Handheld at the desk: pour Soylent complete coffee - mocha over ice, read the label aloud, show the $48.00 price.
Brief 02
We hacked food
“we hacked food.”
Lay the complete meal lineup on a kitchen counter, pick one flavor, drink it, say only what the label lists.
Brief 03
Nerd label read
“nutrition nerd approved.”
Close-up of the back label. Read 20g protein and 28 vitamins & minerals, then pour. No health promises.
Brief 04
Lab to living room
“from lab to living room.”
Work-from-home lunch: a chocolate complete meal shake at the laptop, one take, no cuts, label visible.
Brief 05
Flavor taste test
“delicious and nutritious. the world's most perfect food.”
A friend tries strawberry, then mint chocolate, and reacts on camera. Say only what the label and sheet say.

Every product line in a video comes off the claims sheet word for word, for example “coffee that acts like a healthy breakfast.”, “real science. real nutrition. real food.”, “20g protein, 28 vitamins & minerals, slow burning carbs, healthy fats, and only 1g of sugar. nutrition perfected. balanced. delicious. complete.”. Product names are said as printed.

Part 6 of 15

Recruiting

Four sources in

Soylent buyers who already post
The over 18,000 reviews on the site are the warmest list. I would ask the brand to invite reviewers who already film, and vet each one.
Desk-lunch and gym-bag creators
People who film their workday, their coffee run or their training bag. I search by real use: a shake at the laptop, a mocha before the commute.
Label-reading nutrition channels
Creators who read labels on camera suit "nutrition nerd approved." and the 20g protein line. They stay on the sheet more easily.
Affiliate or ambassador page
I found no affiliate or ambassador page on the site, only a Discount Programs link in the menu. I would ask whether a program exists before building one.

Five filters, fewer each step

1Real use
Already drinks a shake, a coffee or a protein most days, not only for the shoot.
2Reads a label
Can say what is on the label without adding promises. Test: one take with the strawberry bottle.
3Hook sense
Recent videos open on a line in the first seconds, not on an intro or a logo.
4Audience fit
Followers ask about food and routines, not about medical conditions or diets for illness.
5Takes direction
Accepts a sent-back draft and a partnership label without argument.

Part 7 of 15

Who fits

Desk-lunch worker
Eats at the laptop and wants lunch in one step. Films the workday, bottle on the desk.
Likely product: Soylent complete meal - mint chocolate
Coffee-first commuter
Morning routine creator whose coffee run is already the video. Mocha fits the cup in hand.
Likely product: Soylent complete coffee - mocha
Gym-bag lifter
Training-day creator who mixes a protein powder in a shaker after the session.
Likely product: Soylent complete protein powder - chocolate
Chocolate loyalist
Dessert and flavor reviewer who ranks chocolate everything and will happily rank a bundle.
Likely product: Soylent complete meal chocolate lover's 36 bottle bundle
Flavor taster
Taste-test creator: chocolate, strawberry and vanilla in one pack, ready for a reaction video.
Likely product: Soylent complete meal neapolitan variety pack
Subscription saver
Routine and budget creator who walks through subscribe and save up to 29% once terms are confirmed.
Likely product: Soylent complete meal powder starter pack

Left off, every time

Always out: anyone who promises weight, appetite, recovery or medical results; anyone who compares Soylent with a rival; accounts aimed at minors; creators who will not use the partnership label on a food and drink product.

Part 8 of 15

First twenty

Desk-lunch vloggers who film a full workday
Remote workers showing a home-office routine
Coffee-first morning-routine creators
Gym-bag and training-day eaters
Label-reading nutrition explainers
Students filming exam-week meals
Night-shift workers who eat on the clock
Frequent travelers who film airport and hotel food
Creators who joke about hating meal prep
Taste-test and flavor-ranking creators
Chocolate-obsessed dessert reviewers
Budget and subscription-saver creators
Plant-based eaters who read ingredient lists
Gluten-free creators who check every label
Busy parents filming their own quick breakfast
Commuters who film the drive-in coffee run
Desk-setup creators who show the bottle on the desk
Comedy creators doing skits about skipping lunch
Home cooks who set a real meal against a quick shake
Podcasters and streamers who drink between segments

Part 9 of 15

Claims sheet

Approved, word for word

Quoted exactly as the brand publishes it.

“coffee that acts like a healthy breakfast.”
Mocha and chai coffee videos
“20g protein, 28 vitamins & minerals, slow burning carbs, healthy fats, and only 1g of sugar. nutrition perfected. balanced. delicious. complete.”
Complete meal videos, label-read format
“delicious and nutritious. the world's most perfect food.”
Flavor taste test videos
“real science. real nutrition. real food.”
Any video, as the closing line
“nutrition nerd approved.”
Label-reading videos
“we hacked food.”
Lineup and counter videos

Never said

Each one with the reason it stays out.

Never say it helps you lose weight
A health outcome. Weight topics sit in the site menu, but no creator may promise a result.
Never say it suppresses your hunger
A health outcome the claims sheet does not give creators.
Never say it speeds up your muscle recovery
A health outcome. Protein videos stay on the label numbers only.
Never say it works as a medical diet
A medical promise. Creators are not clinicians and the sheet holds no such line.
Never say it beats another shake brand
A comparison. Nothing collected from the site supports one.
Never say a study proves it works
A study figure. A clinical trials link exists on the site, but no results were collected.
Never say it is safe for everyone
A medical promise covering every viewer, including minors and people with conditions.

To confirm with the brand

Held until someone on the brand side signs off.

25% off your first order
An offer, not a product claim. Terms change, so the brand confirms the current wording before a creator quotes it.
Free shipping on orders over $50
A shipping threshold that can move. The brand confirms it before it enters a script.
Subscribe and save up to 29%
An offer that varies by product and plan. Confirm the exact wording per video.

Part 10 of 15

Pay

Starter
$300–600
a month, by band
New creators with small audiences: a lower fee and cap while we test their hooks on mocha coffee.
Bonus at the cap: $300
Standard
$500–1,000
a month, by band
Creators with steady views on food or routine content: a middle fee and cap, same sheet.
Bonus at the cap: $500
Premium
$800–1,500
a month, by band
Proven performers who hit the cap and keep the sheet clean: top fee, top cap, biggest bonus.
Bonus at the cap: $700

Under 100,000 views
$0
The base pay covers the work.
100,000 views
+$50 flat
Whatever the band.
1,000,000 views
Top-up to your cap
Bonus = band cap − base pay.

One bonus per creator per month, no stacking, however many videos pass 100,000 views.
The bonus is per video: a single video has to pass 100,000 views. Views from several videos do not add up.
Organic views only. Views from boosted or paid posts do not count toward the bonus.
No bonus on a video that broke the claims sheet or the category rule, even past 100,000 views.

Starter: $600 cap − $300 fee = $300 bonus; Standard: $1,000 cap − $500 fee = $500 bonus; Premium: $1,500 cap − $800 fee = $700 bonus.

The bonus pays for reach after the work is done, never instead of it. One bonus per creator per calendar month keeps it an incentive and keeps the program cost predictable.

Part 11 of 15

Simulator

The monthly run of ten creators is 303 videos and 1.8M views for $10,050: $5.74 per 1,000 views against $1.00. It takes 4.2% of videos going viral or a median of 21,711 views.

Program facts

Soylent creator engine, per month

Monthly cost: $10,050
Base pay: $10,000
Est. bonuses: $50
Videos / month: 303
Est. views / month: 1.8M
Cost per 1,000 views: $5.74

Above the $1 target at these inputs.

To hit $1, the roster needs about 10.1M views a month. That means about 4.2% of videos going viral, or a median near 22K views per video. That is why the day-90 gate exists: keep the accounts that clear it, replace the rest.

Proposed, not measured. Views = videos × median, breakouts at 10× the median, viral at 750K. Bonus: +$50 for a viral video, one per creator per month.

Part 11 of 15, continued

What moves the result

Cost per 1,000 views by median views per video
If the median is	Views / month	Monthly cost	Cost / 1K	Hits target
750	1.4M	$10,050	$6.96	No
1,500	1.8M	$10,050	$5.74	No
3,000	2.4M	$10,050	$4.24	No

Cost per 1,000 views by share of viral videos
If the viral share is	Views / month	Monthly cost	Cost / 1K	Hits target
0.3%	1.2M	$10,000	$8.44	No
0.5%	1.8M	$10,050	$5.74	No
1%	2.9M	$10,150	$3.52	No

The math. Videos a month = 10 creators × 7 a week × 52 ÷ 12 = 303. Views per video = (1 − 4% − 0.5%) × 1,500 + 4% × 10 × 1,500 + 0.5% × 750,000 = 5,782.5; 303 videos × 5,782.5 = 1.8M views a month. Cost = 10 × $1,000 = $10,000 base + 1 bonus × $50 = $10,050. Cost per 1,000 views = $10,050 ÷ 1.8M × 1,000 = $5.74 against a $1.00 target. To hit the target, either 4.2% of videos go viral or the median video reaches 21,711 views, other inputs held.

Move the sliders and the label recalculates. The result is only as good as the guesses behind it, so the median views, the share of breakouts and the share of viral videos are marked as Assumptions until the first month of posts replaces them.

Part 12 of 15

Phases

Creators live by week (proposed): 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10

0Wk 1
2Wk 2
4Wk 3
6Wk 4
8Wk 5
10Wk 6

Creator ramp by week
Item	Wk 1	Wk 2	Wk 3	Wk 4	Wk 5	Wk 6
Creators live	0	2	4	6	8	10
Videos a week	0	14	28	42	56	70
Base pay a month	$0	$2,000	$4,000	$6,000	$8,000	$10,000

Warm-up
Sheet, links, first briefs
Week 0: no creators live. The claims sheet is signed off, tracking links are built and the mocha coffee brief is written. No spend before the sheet is approved.
First month
Ramp to ten
Two creators a week up to ten over six weeks. One variable per test, losers killed early, and a hook library started from the five formats.
Second month
Cut and move up
Cut the bottom of the roster, move strong creators up a band, and test the complete meal against the protein powder with the same hooks.
Third month
Winners into paid tests
Videos that clear 100,000 views organically go into paid tests. I report cost per 1,000 views against the $1 target every Monday.
Day ninety
Keep, resize or stop
You decide: keep the roster, resize the bands, or stop. The simulator shows what would have to be true to reach $1.
Monthly ceiling
The most it can cost
All ten creators at the top cap, bonuses excluded, comes to $15,000. That is the ceiling on base pay for the whole program.

$15,000 Monthly ceiling, all 10 creators at the top cap, bonuses excluded Proposed

The roster grows by two creators a week, so hook performance can be read week over week instead of by anecdote.

Part 13 of 15

Weekly report

Every Monday: views, spend and cost per 1,000 views by creator and format against the $1 target, plus the formats I am killing and the hooks that earned a place.

Creator engine, last 4 weeks

Target $1 per 1,000 organic views Illustrative

Creators reporting: 5
Posts last week: 32
Avg cost per 1,000 views: $8.94
Bonuses owed: $0
Keep / Watch / Replace: 1 / 1 / 3

Per-creator results, last four weeks, sorted by cost per 1,000 views
Creator	Band	Format	Posts	Median	Best	Cost / 1K	Bonus	Flags	Call
Creator A	Starter	Mocha at the desk	7	2.1K	25K	$3.37	$0	None	Keep
Creator B	Standard	We hacked food	7	1.4K	8.4K	$9.83	$0	Claim check	Replace
Creator C	Premium	Nerd label read	6	1.8K	54K	$7.94	$0	None	Watch
Creator D	Starter	Lab to living room	5	900	3.6K	$12.99	$0	Over cap?	Replace
Creator E	Standard	Flavor taste test	7	1.2K	11K	$10.59	$0	Release missing	Replace
All creators	not applicable	not applicable	32	1.5K	54K	$8.94	$0	not applicable	not applicable

Illustrative rows with invented creators, coherent with the pay bands above. Keep means the cost per 1,000 views is at or under the program average, Watch is up to half again over it, and Replace is anything higher.

Part 14 of 15

Organic to paid

From organic to paid

Pick the winner
Videos that pass 100,000 views organically are flagged first. Only organic views qualify.
Get the rights
The creator agrees in writing to paid use of the video before anything is boosted.
Test one variable
Run the winning video as it is, then change one thing, the hook, against it.
Scale or stop
Keep what holds cost per 1,000 views near $1. Stop what does not.

From the video to the checkout

Send coffee videos to the complete coffee page and protein videos to the complete protein page.
Link free shipping on orders over $50 once the brand confirms the wording.
Use the 25% off first order offer for first-time viewers once confirmed.
Point subscription-saver videos to subscribe and save up to 29%.
Point comments asking where to buy to the Store Locator.

Part 15 of 15

Category rules

Food and drink rules for Soylent creators

Soylent sells meal replacement drinks and powders. Every video follows these six rules, and the claims sheet is the final word.

Stay on the sheet
Say the approved claims as written. If a line is not on the sheet, ask in #claims-sheet before filming, not after.
No health outcomes
No weight, appetite, muscle recovery or medical-diet promises. The site menu lists those topics; a creator video does not make them.
Name the product exactly
Say Soylent complete coffee - mocha or Soylent complete meal - strawberry and show the price as the site shows it, for example $48.00.
Disclose every post
Partnership label in the caption and on screen. A video without it is pulled and earns no bonus.
No comparisons
Do not compare Soylent with another shake, a meal or a doctor's advice. Nothing on the sheet supports a comparison.
Read the coffee label as printed
The coffee line lists 150mg caffeine with l-theanine. Read it exactly as printed and never recommend it to minors.

The brand’s legal team sets the final rules. This is the operating floor I’d start from, not legal advice.

Want to see the first briefs?

Grab a time here

Reviews on the home page

A star rating on the page

A first-order offer

Free shipping over a threshold

One number to protect

One variable per test

Losers killed early

One workspace for the work

Mocha at the desk

We hacked food

Nerd label read

Lab to living room

Flavor taste test

Four sources in

Five filters, fewer each step

Desk-lunch worker

Coffee-first commuter

Gym-bag lifter

Chocolate loyalist

Flavor taster

Subscription saver

Left off, every time

Approved, word for word

Never said

To confirm with the brand

Starter

Standard

Premium

Sheet, links, first briefs

Ramp to ten

Cut and move up

Winners into paid tests

Keep, resize or stop

The most it can cost

From organic to paid

From the video to the checkout

Food and drink rules for Soylent creators

Stay on the sheet

No health outcomes

Name the product exactly

Disclose every post

No comparisons

Read the coffee label as printed

Want to see the first briefs?