What happens when a product goes viral before it even exists?
In EP 63 of The Art of Commerce, Ajinkya “Jinx” Joglekar interviews co-host Anish Raul about the story behind First Figures. It started with an AI-generated reel featuring a collectible figure inspired by Hindu mythology. The first video reached nearly 2 million views, a follow-up reached 6 million, and within a week, Anish collected 8,500 email registrations for a product he had not yet manufactured.
This episode covers:
• Why the product idea, not simply the video, went viral.
• How Anish captured demand before the attention disappeared.
• Why he moved his audience from Instagram to an email list.
• How performance data helped the second reel reach 6 million views.
• The challenge of turning an AI concept into a physical product.
• How First Figures validated demand across 200 cities and 16 countries.
• What it takes to keep an audience engaged while a product is being developed.
• The most important lesson for creators who suddenly go viral.
With 500 confirmed orders and growing interest worldwide, Anish shares what he has learned about content, distribution, product validation and launching an e-commerce brand in 2026.
Connect with Anish Raul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anishraul
Connect with Ajinkya “Jinx” Joglekar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajinkyaj/
Explore First Figures: https://firstfigures.com
