Ben Aratame
currently spending most of my time on early-stage growth. i started methods with dris elamri, which grew to 300,000 users, #1 ugc app (top 26 app store in 3 months), & 2b+ views. previously, growth at cluely, airchat, arcade.ai, cal ai, & more. on the side: growth consulting, aratame fund, creator (350k+ followers), bodybuilding, angel investing, chopped vc, podcast. dropped out of college in 2025.
currently taking on projects with startups for ugc, x & linkedin consulting, content strategy, and influencer marketing. book a call.
I Started
methods app
- $3M ARR in 30 days, 220K+ users, 25K+ reviews (4.8 stars), #26 iOS business apps
- Fully bootstrapped, 2 people, no outside capital
- Ran campaigns for 20+ companies totaling 2B+ views, from pre-seed startups to $22B companies
- Helped multiple apps hit #1 on the App Store
Previous Roles
$15M Series A from Andreessen Horowitz. Started as growth intern, promoted to Head of Growth within two weeks. Built entire growth operation from scratch: UGC program (1B+ views total), influencer operation (100M+ views on $70K/mo spend), clipping program (700+ people, 50M+ views/mo). Billboards in SF + Times Square ($300K+). Ran merch line end-to-end,design, website, pricing, overseas manufacturing, promotional videos (2M+ views), ~$100K+ bulk order. Produced viral "Cluely Intern" video series (10M+ views on X). Booked CEO on podcasts. Managed creator partners and growth consultants.
Built automated influencer system → 50M+ views on $10K/mo spend. Managed publications and press coverage. Ghostwrote all launch and fundraise announcements. Set up and managed all social accounts. Managed 4 interns creating short-form content. Brought on a contractor who stayed for a full year.
Managed UGC programs and worked on influencer campaign system for the #1 AI note-taker.
Built entire influencer marketing system from scratch. Researched competitor physical postcard strategies and implemented into Retro. Hit #1 photo app in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Canada, and Taiwan. #5 in Japan, #8 in the US.
Managed 4 growth interns. Directed and filmed launch videos with CEO. Ran UGC programs.
Engineered influencer system → 100K+ new users, $1M+ in sales. 400 influencer outreach/day, negotiated $100K+/mo in deals.
100K users in first month. Grew socials to 40K+ followers. Optimized frontend export system. Worked directly with Naval Ravikant.
Bio
Ben Aratame is a 21-year-old entrepreneur, content creator, and podcast host based in San Francisco. He is the Co-Founder and CMO of instinct© and the creator of Methods app, a UGC marketplace with 210,000+ users, 25,000+ App Store reviews, and $3M ARR , fully bootstrapped. He also runs the Aratame Fund, a microgrant program for ambitious people starting from zero.
Content
350K+ followers across TikTok (200K+), Instagram (29K+), X (12K+), LinkedIn, and YouTube. Host of the Ben Aratame Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Investing
Founding Partner at CHOPPED VC ($6.7M AUM) investing in early-stage AI and consumer startups.
Early Career
Founded RankExchange at 15,the largest account marketplace Discord for competitive FPS games with 50K+ users and $200K+ in transactions. Peaked rank 8 in North America in Overwatch out of 200M+ players. Certified Personal Trainer through NASM. Licensed real estate agent in Georgia.