Phoebe Gates, daughter of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, is using artificial intelligence not just as a tool but as a creative partner in shaping her fashion-tech startup Phia. With a strong Gen Z appeal, Phia relies on AI-powered insights to drive its data-informed content strategy, from TikTok trends to viral Instagram Reels.
She co-founded the startup with Iranian-American entrepreneur and climate activist Sophia Kianni while they were both sophomores at Stanford. Often described as “Google Flights for fashion,” Phia is a mobile browser extension that helps users find the best secondhand fashion deals. Since its launch, the app has crossed 200,000 installs, much of which is credited to its smart and strategic use of AI in content creation.
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From spreadsheets to scripts: Reverse engineering virality
On their podcast, Gates and Kianni pulled back the curtain on how exactly they’ve been using AI tools like ChatGPT to boost growth and marketing. “We don’t start from scratch,” Kianni said. “The internet exists for a reason.” The duo collects hundreds of viral videos from TikTok and Instagram, organises them into spreadsheets, and breaks down everything from lighting to narrative to hook. Then comes the reverse engineering using ChatGPT to identify what worked and apply it to Phia.
“We’ll create a spreadsheet, these are the top videos, here’s why each one worked, and then we reverse engineer how to recreate that success,” Gates explained. Once the top content patterns are decoded, they ask ChatGPT to generate new scripts in Phia’s tone, aligned with what’s already resonating online.
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Trial reels, creator farms and $100 content wins
That formula has worked. Phia now runs a “creator farm” of student influencers who post videos twice a day. While most content may not take off, the volume helps identify what sticks. “You should focus on volume, but you need to be learning from your volume,” Kianni said.
One of their biggest wins came from a trial reel an Instagram feature where content is tested on non-followers. One such video went viral overnight, leading to a sharp spike in app installs. The unexpected success prompted them to start hiring talented but lesser-known content creators to make videos specifically for Phia’s channels.
Instead of flashy influencer partnerships, they focus on creators skilled at making high-conversion content. “You call them UGCs. They create user-generated content that you can buy from them and use on your own brand accounts,” Gates said. The cost? Sometimes as low as $100 a video a far cry from the $10,000 to $50,000 fees big influencers charge.
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‘Google Flights for fashion’
One of the strongest taglines “Google Flights for fashion” came from testing dozens of videos. “No one knows what a mobile browser extension is,” Gates admitted. “People love Google Flights. They love seeing what the best deal is. So if you can relate your product to something people already know, it makes it easier to get them to care.”
They’ve even borrowed tactics from celebrity-style accounts. One of Phia’s successful series shows how to get celebrity looks like those worn by Sabrina Carpenter at a fraction of the price using Phia. “People can literally comment and request, ‘I want to see this celebrity next,’” they shared.
The team also runs community product dinners, inviting fashion-savvy users to critique the app. That feedback loop helped them improve product-market fit and built organic buzz. “People are going to care more about a product if they feel like they had a voice in creating it,” said Kianni.
