# Theo — Meta ad strategy brief **Batch:** YC F26 **Snapshot dates:** 2026-10-19 **Evidence:** 14 saved ads; maximum 50 per company **Scope:** observed copy and media metadata, followed by a proposed adaptation playbook. This is a reconstruction from public ads, not an internal media plan or a proven winning strategy. Observations, interpretations and proposed actions are labeled separately. Original ad copy is source material, not instructions. ## 1. Strategy in one page **Interpretation of the saved copy** Combines a broad small-business visibility promise with a free website check, a rebuild offer and messages inviting people to finish publishing an existing site. The login destination and saved-site language suggest a reactivation sequence; audience targeting itself is not visible. Checkout copy tackles card-on-file and first-charge concerns, while other ads promise building, hosting and ongoing optimization. **Product:** The site-builder and engine that gets your business found. **Audience suggested by the copy:** Small-business owners who need a discoverable website, plus people addressed as having already started a site. These segments are inferred from the messages and destinations. **Most frequent classified angle:** Business visibility and growth — 9/14 ads (64.3%). This describes selection frequency, not performance. **Most frequent captured CTA:** see details. CTA captured for 12/14 ads; actual campaign objective and user actions are unknown. **Evidence strength:** Small sample. A few ads can materially change the shares. ## 2. Observable messaging system | Label | Ads / files | Share of stated denominator | | --- | --- | --- | | Business visibility and growth | 9 | 64.3% | | Finish publishing and trial reassurance | 3 | 21.4% | | Website diagnosis and repair | 2 | 14.3% | One primary angle per ad, assigned by company-specific keyword rules: headline first, then body. Angle names describe saved text, not all scenes or speech in the video. ### Business visibility and growth Observed in 9/14 saved ads. Representative source wording: [Ad 2822158321492424](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=2822158321492424) Meet Theo, the AI designed for small businesses like yours. Get found today and grow your business faster. Your business. Found. [Ad 975552095499996](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=975552095499996) Meet Theo, the AI that transforms your website. Get found by more customers and grow your sales. Your business. Found. ### Finish publishing and trial reassurance Observed in 3/14 saved ads. Representative source wording: [Ad 1748727802874894](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1748727802874894) You were this close to a new website. Theo builds it for you in minutes, and keeps working after launch so customers actually find you. Come see what it can do with your business. Finish what you started [Ad 1735741447504883](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1735741447504883) You were one step from live. Your card goes on file, nothing is charged today, and you get a reminder a week before the first charge. One step from live ### Website diagnosis and repair Observed in 2/14 saved ads. Representative source wording: [Ad 1081669264673600](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1081669264673600) You saw what's holding your website back. Theo can fix all of it: rebuild, publish, and keep optimizing so customers actually find you. You saw the problem. Want the fix? [Ad 1448390937432954](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1448390937432954) Still wondering if customers can find your site? Theo checks it free in 30 seconds and shows you exactly what to fix. See if Google can find you ## 3. Offers, proof and conversion path **Observed text signals** | Label | Ads / files | Share of stated denominator | | --- | --- | --- | | Free offer / free start | 2 | 14.3% | | Numerical promise | 1 | 7.1% | Denominator: 14 ads. Signal labels overlap and can miss implicit offers. Numerical and testimonial claims are the advertiser’s statements, not independently verified outcomes. **Observed CTA labels** | Label | Ads / files | Share of stated denominator | | --- | --- | --- | | see details | 8 | 57.1% | | learn more | 4 | 28.6% | | Not captured | 2 | 14.3% | **Observed landing domains** `app.theo.site` The links identify destinations only. Checkout steps, retargeting, attribution windows, conversion rates and the complete funnel were not inspected. **Proposed landing-page handoff** - Repeat the tested angle in the page headline; start with “Business visibility and growth” as a research direction, not a required final headline. - Show the same product action or deliverable demonstrated in the ad. - Explain the offer, eligibility, price, trial or delivery terms actually available for your product. - Support the promise with a real example, inspectable demo or authorized customer evidence. - Align the next action with the intended outcome: A relevant business publishing its site, then remaining active after the free period. - Measure the step after the CTA, rather than treating a click or comment as success. ## 4. Creative production pattern **Formats — observed, by saved ad** | Label | Ads / files | Share of stated denominator | | --- | --- | --- | | Images | 14 | 100% | **Video duration — observed, by unique measured file** No measured videos in this sample. Measured 0/0 unique video files. Median: Unknown. Multiple saved images do not establish a carousel format. **Copy and media reuse — observed** - 9 distinct texts across 14 ads with saved copy. - 11 distinct exact media sets across 14 ad IDs. - The most repeated text appears in 4 ads with 4 distinct media sets. - Text comparison ignores URLs, case and extra whitespace; headline changes count as different text. Media identity uses exact file hashes, not perceptual similarity. - Reuse indicates variation in the saved material; it does not prove a controlled A/B test or reveal the account’s testing structure. ## 5. Launch timing | Label | Ads / files | Share of stated denominator | | --- | --- | --- | | 0–6 days | 1 | 7.1% | | 7–13 days | 5 | 35.7% | | 14–29 days | 4 | 28.6% | | 30–89 days | 1 | 7.1% | | 90+ days | 3 | 21.4% | Known start dates: 14/14. Median age: 18 days. 6 started less than 14 days before observation; 4 started at least 30 days earlier. Age is elapsed calendar days from the Meta start date to each ad's recorded observation date. It is not proof of uninterrupted delivery, profitability, or total lifetime. These observations cannot establish shutdowns, turnover or growth. ## 6. Adapt the strategy to your product **Proposed creative direction — not an observed script** **Hook template:** Can customers find your business online? Start with one specific fix. **Sequence to produce:** Show a small-business website, a verifiable visibility issue and the resulting rebuild. Use a separate return-to-publish sequence for unfinished sites, showing the saved work and accurate trial, card and billing terms. Route each message to the relevant offer or login step. **Intended downstream outcome:** A relevant business publishing its site, then remaining active after the free period. Replace bracketed terms with your product, audience and a demonstrable outcome. Use your own footage, brand, customer permission and evidence. Borrow the communication structure; keep all claims true for your product. **Brief to hand to a creator or designer** - Reference company: Theo; use the source ads below as evidence, not as a performance ranking. - Audience hypothesis: Small-business owners who need a discoverable website, plus people addressed as having already started a site. These segments are inferred from the messages and destinations. - Research starting point: Business visibility and growth. - Opening line to adapt: Can customers find your business online? Start with one specific fix. - Demonstration sequence: Show a small-business website, a verifiable visibility issue and the resulting rebuild. Use a separate return-to-publish sequence for unfinished sites, showing the saved work and accurate trial, card and billing terms. Route each message to the relevant offer or login step. - Deliver one concise message per creative. Keep the offer and next step consistent across the first angle test. - Produce a master asset plus placement-appropriate crops; verify all important text and the product action remain readable. - Asset checklist: product demonstration, proof source, offer terms, CTA, captions if needed, and a matching destination. ## 7. A concrete test plan **Company-specific hypothesis** Separate first-visit acquisition from return-to-publish messaging. For acquisition, compare a specific website-audit finding with the broad visibility promise; for returning users, compare a publishing walkthrough with transparent trial and billing information. Measure published sites and later paid retention. **Proposed sequence** 1. Write down your product, one audience, the demonstrated benefit, a truthful offer, your destination and the conversion event. Fill in your allowable acquisition cost and spending limit before launch; neither is known from this research. 2. Build a baseline around “Business visibility and growth” and a challenger that implements the hypothesis above. Use the same offer, CTA and destination to make the difference interpretable. 3. Make two execution variants per concept. Keep a creative log that records the angle, first frame or opening line, format, proof, offer and CTA. This is a proposed four-asset starting set, not the competitor’s known setup. 4. Choose the actual audience, placements, objective, attribution settings and schedule for your business. Keep relevant delivery conditions comparable and record changes. None of these settings can be copied from the saved public evidence. 5. Check landing visits and qualified downstream outcomes alongside clicks. Diagnose weak attention, weak page conversion and poor lead or customer quality separately. 6. Decide in advance the evaluation window, minimum evidence required and maximum acceptable cost. Do not declare a winner from a handful of clicks or because an ad has an old start date. 7. Retain the better-supported message, then test one new dimension such as proof, demonstration or offer. Re-test with your own data before scaling. **Measurement sheet** | Field | What to record | | --- | --- | | Creative ID | Your asset version and source inspiration ID | | Hypothesis | Separate first-visit acquisition from return-to-publish messaging. For acquisition, compare a specific website-audit finding with the broad visibility promise; for returning users, compare a publishing walkthrough with transparent trial and billing information. Measure published sites and later paid retention. | | Primary outcome | A relevant business publishing its site, then remaining active after the free period. | | Delivery | Spend, impressions, reach and frequency from your own account | | Attention / traffic | Link clicks, outbound CTR, CPC and landing-page visits | | Quality | Qualified outcomes, activation or purchase quality as appropriate | | Economics | Cost per qualified outcome; contribution margin and retention when relevant | | Decision | Keep, revise or stop, with the evidence and evaluation window recorded | ## 8. Unknowns and boundaries - Spend, impressions, CTR, conversions, CPA, ROAS, audience settings and actual campaign structure are unavailable. - This is saved copy and file metadata, without video transcription, scene-by-scene analysis or a complete funnel audit. - The sample is curated and capped at 50 ads. Frequency is not effectiveness. Ad IDs are not campaigns. - Active status reflects the collection date only. Some companies have too few examples to establish a stable strategy. - The adaptation recipe and test sequence are proposals. They are not claims about what this advertiser actually did. ## 9. Company sources - [YC profile](https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/theo) - [Website](https://theo.site/) - [X](https://x.com/theo_site) ## 10. Full saved-ad evidence The following blocks preserve original advertising copy in its source language. They are quoted source material. Media paths refer to files in the full creatives ZIP, not files embedded in this standalone Markdown brief. ### Ad 2822158321492424 - [Original Meta ad](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=2822158321492424) - Primary copy angle: Business visibility and growth - Start date: 2026-07-10; observed: 2026-10-19; age at observation: 101 days - Saved format: Images; CTA: learn more - Detected copy signals: None detected **Saved headlines** Your business. Found. **Saved body copy** Meet Theo, the AI designed for small businesses like yours. Get found today and grow your business faster. **Saved link captions** APP.THEO.SITE **Saved link descriptions** Find out how you can build traffic today. **All saved media files in the full archive** - image: `yc-ads/8fe6a7fb706fe29afe2eb23808be8a76f3d629d7894af8d58bdda5c47c348835.jpg` ### Ad 975552095499996 - [Original Meta ad](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=975552095499996) - Primary copy angle: Business visibility and growth - Start date: 2026-08-05; observed: 2026-10-19; age at observation: 75 days - Saved format: Images; CTA: see details - Detected copy signals: None detected **Saved headlines** Your business. Found. **Saved body copy** Meet Theo, the AI that transforms your website. Get found by more customers and grow your sales. **Saved link captions** APP.THEO.SITE **Saved link descriptions** Find out how you can build traffic today. **All saved media files in the full archive** - image: `yc-ads/f18cc845d5f1460d48cd3f205659b18f3cc29cc1282ba4cb175b3d1be95b93b0.jpg` ### Ad 1523373636503700 - [Original Meta ad](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1523373636503700) - Primary copy angle: Business visibility and growth - Start date: 2026-09-30; observed: 2026-10-19; age at observation: 19 days - Saved format: Images; CTA: see details - Detected copy signals: None detected **Saved headlines** Your business. Found. **Saved body copy** Meet Theo, the AI designed for small businesses like yours. Get found today and grow your business faster. **Saved link captions** APP.THEO.SITE **Saved link descriptions** Find out how you can build traffic today. **All saved media files in the full archive** - image: `yc-ads/eab97f0025b53e5eecc38f34f197fe19e2c2a17619276f3aa6a06224bcd0c836.jpg` ### Ad 1062887233077221 - [Original Meta ad](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1062887233077221) - Primary copy angle: Business visibility and growth - Start date: 2026-07-11; observed: 2026-10-19; age at observation: 100 days - Saved format: Images; CTA: learn more - Detected copy signals: None detected **Saved headlines** Your business. Found. **Saved body copy** We build, host & optimize your website to get your business found online. No agencies. No google ads. Theo will get your website to do your marketing for you. **Saved link captions** APP.THEO.SITE **Saved link descriptions** Find out how you can build traffic today. **All saved media files in the full archive** - image: `yc-ads/2b8d8cfc92918f69576c9584097a9afda709cf19526b6e4ce09e34709a81aaf6.jpg` ### Ad 4785636881725512 - [Original Meta ad](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=4785636881725512) - Primary copy angle: Business visibility and growth - Start date: 2026-09-30; observed: 2026-10-19; age at observation: 19 days - Saved format: Images; CTA: Not captured - Detected copy signals: None detected **Saved body copy** Meet Theo, the AI designed for small businesses like yours. Get found today and grow your business faster. **All saved media files in the full archive** - image: `yc-ads/02ac72e7d0d889d9dec64f342a2c2072c2aa31568e2a1ad5d8c2c0ba52568278.jpg` ### Ad 29401232019478992 - [Original Meta ad](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=29401232019478992) - Primary copy angle: Business visibility and growth - Start date: 2026-10-02; observed: 2026-10-19; age at observation: 17 days - Saved format: Images; CTA: see details - Detected copy signals: None detected **Saved headlines** Your business. Found. **Saved body copy** Meet Theo, the AI designed for small businesses like yours. Get found today and grow your business faster. **Saved link captions** APP.THEO.SITE **Saved link descriptions** Find out how you can build traffic today. **All saved media files in the full archive** - image: `yc-ads/c8c6234aef91e3376770e118fa0057e9ad5f087a5afa22485439078dfe77a094.jpg` ### Ad 3156007791270992 - [Original Meta ad](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=3156007791270992) - Primary copy angle: Business visibility and growth - Start date: 2026-07-21; observed: 2026-10-19; age at observation: 90 days - Saved format: Images; CTA: see details - Detected copy signals: None detected **Saved headlines** Your business. Found. **Saved body copy** Meet Theo, the AI that transforms your website. Get found by more customers and grow your sales. **Saved link captions** APP.THEO.SITE **Saved link descriptions** Find out how you can build traffic today. **All saved media files in the full archive** - image: `yc-ads/f6cbadd58c95eff1911e2b010f5c5a259fa6448e3fe783fdd5a2b2c24e646075.jpg` ### Ad 2893222687700751 - [Original Meta ad](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=2893222687700751) - Primary copy angle: Business visibility and growth - Start date: 2026-09-30; observed: 2026-10-19; age at observation: 19 days - Saved format: Images; CTA: see details - Detected copy signals: None detected **Saved headlines** Your business. Found. **Saved body copy** Meet Theo, the AI designed for small businesses like yours. Get found today and grow your business faster. **Saved link captions** APP.THEO.SITE **Saved link descriptions** Find out how you can build traffic today. **All saved media files in the full archive** - image: `yc-ads/7e2745cad9a9825967d6f67b501fd06f3582915e27863cc39b73d352a9be7663.jpg` ### Ad 1430583395066445 - [Original Meta ad](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1430583395066445) - Primary copy angle: Business visibility and growth - Start date: 2026-10-14; observed: 2026-10-19; age at observation: 5 days - Saved format: Images; CTA: Not captured - Detected copy signals: None detected **Saved body copy** Meet Theo, the AI designed for small businesses like yours. Get found today and grow your business faster. **All saved media files in the full archive** - image: `yc-ads/5ce44fb942aab02bc6c5e97f2d2ab1ad7fd389dfe60f49111f92c80f42a457ca.jpg` ### Ad 1081669264673600 - [Original Meta ad](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1081669264673600) - Primary copy angle: Website diagnosis and repair - Start date: 2026-10-10; observed: 2026-10-19; age at observation: 9 days - Saved format: Images; CTA: learn more - Detected copy signals: None detected **Saved headlines** You saw the problem. Want the fix? **Saved body copy** You saw what's holding your website back. Theo can fix all of it: rebuild, publish, and keep optimizing so customers actually find you. **Saved link captions** APP.THEO.SITE **Saved link descriptions** Free to try. Minutes to build. **All saved media files in the full archive** - image: `yc-ads/53ed84214edbff25af1158c54a30c8805bda5fd2c76da499dcc28dc2cbdb48d7.jpg` ### Ad 1748727802874894 - [Original Meta ad](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1748727802874894) - Primary copy angle: Finish publishing and trial reassurance - Start date: 2026-10-09; observed: 2026-10-19; age at observation: 10 days - Saved format: Images; CTA: learn more - Detected copy signals: None detected **Saved headlines** Finish what you started **Saved body copy** You were this close to a new website. Theo builds it for you in minutes, and keeps working after launch so customers actually find you. Come see what it can do with your business. **Saved link captions** APP.THEO.SITE **Saved link descriptions** Your new site is minutes away. **All saved media files in the full archive** - image: `yc-ads/5cab7861537eccad367a3beef975de67c5b9478fdc6c23e9704a47fb3a3bf9b8.jpg` ### Ad 1735741447504883 - [Original Meta ad](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1735741447504883) - Primary copy angle: Finish publishing and trial reassurance - Start date: 2026-10-06; observed: 2026-10-19; age at observation: 13 days - Saved format: Images; CTA: see details - Detected copy signals: None detected **Saved headlines** One step from live **Saved body copy** You were one step from live. Your card goes on file, nothing is charged today, and you get a reminder a week before the first charge. **Saved link captions** APP.THEO.SITE **Saved link descriptions** Log in and publish. **All saved media files in the full archive** - image: `yc-ads/f6cbadd58c95eff1911e2b010f5c5a259fa6448e3fe783fdd5a2b2c24e646075.jpg` ### Ad 1448390937432954 - [Original Meta ad](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1448390937432954) - Primary copy angle: Website diagnosis and repair - Start date: 2026-10-10; observed: 2026-10-19; age at observation: 9 days - Saved format: Images; CTA: see details - Detected copy signals: Free offer / free start, Numerical promise **Saved headlines** See if Google can find you **Saved body copy** Still wondering if customers can find your site? Theo checks it free in 30 seconds and shows you exactly what to fix. **Saved link captions** APP.THEO.SITE **Saved link descriptions** Free to try. Minutes to build. **All saved media files in the full archive** - image: `yc-ads/2b8d8cfc92918f69576c9584097a9afda709cf19526b6e4ce09e34709a81aaf6.jpg` ### Ad 1473490901500900 - [Original Meta ad](https://www.facebook.com/ads/library/?id=1473490901500900) - Primary copy angle: Finish publishing and trial reassurance - Start date: 2026-10-10; observed: 2026-10-19; age at observation: 9 days - Saved format: Images; CTA: see details - Detected copy signals: Free offer / free start **Saved headlines** Your site is waiting **Saved body copy** Your site is built and saved. Publishing starts your free 30 days, and nothing is charged that day. Cancel anytime. **Saved link captions** APP.THEO.SITE **Saved link descriptions** Log in and publish. **All saved media files in the full archive** - image: `yc-ads/eab97f0025b53e5eecc38f34f197fe19e2c2a17619276f3aa6a06224bcd0c836.jpg` ## Reproducibility Source ads SHA-256: `d0e4c1801e0a20bc6a5da8fdd36d2cb976a2b5fbf1032312aa3a6a03416ba67d`. Regenerate from saved data with `python3 scripts/analyze-yc-meta.py` followed by `python3 scripts/export-yc-strategies.py`. The strategy brief includes the company-specific interpretation and proposed recipe maintained in the repository.