instinct© is relevant to the AI agent ecosystem as a primary growth and marketing partner for the companies building agentic software. Their client list includes startups like Arcade AI and Cluely, which are active in the AI space. As AI agents increasingly take over tasks related to content creation and distribution, instinct© is building the "Methods" app, which likely represents an attempt to automate the viral marketing stack that they currently execute as a service.
They occupy the creative layer of the agent stack, focusing on how AI-driven products find their initial audience. Their use of "clipping" and "faceless pages" mirrors the way automated agents operate at scale on social media. For founders building agents, instinct© provides a blueprint for how to handle distribution in an era where content is increasingly generated and consumed through algorithmic feeds.
instinct©, legally incorporated as Viral Instinct Inc., is a creative and marketing agency that operates as a growth partner for technology companies. Based in San Francisco, the firm is led by Ben Aratame and Dris Elamri. The company specializes in a high-velocity production model that includes cinematics, User Generated Content (UGC), design, and "clipping"—the practice of extracting viral-ready segments from longer content to distribute across social platforms.
Before founding instinct©, Ben Aratame held growth and strategy roles at Arcade AI and Airchat, and worked as a consultant for Viral Development. His background is a mix of high-level competitive gaming and technical growth engineering. Dris Elamri provides the technical foundation for the agency, focusing on site development and internal tools. Together, they have built a service that is less about traditional brand building and more about the mechanics of distribution and RPM (Revenue Per Mille) optimization.
The company’s primary proof of work is its association with Cluely, a talent discovery platform. instinct© was responsible for the marketing campaigns surrounding Cluely’s Series A funding and various product launches. Their internal data suggests these campaigns generated millions of views—one specific entry for a Cluely Series A launch claims over 6.7 million views. Their service offerings, which include "clipping" and the management of "faceless pages," allow them to scale a client’s presence without the overhead of traditional talent-led content.
They operate with a small team, listed on LinkedIn as having between 2 and 10 employees. This lean structure is supplemented by a broad network of influencers and creators. While the agency side of the business handles high-profile launches, there is a developing software component to the company. Aratame and Elamri are currently developing the "Methods" app, which appears to be a internal tool or platform designed to systematize their marketing processes.
In a market where software companies increasingly rely on organic social reach rather than paid search, instinct© fills a specific gap. They act as the creative layer for companies that have strong technical products but lack the "viral" DNA required to break through on platforms like X or TikTok. Their strategy for "faceless pages"—where content is distributed via a network of themed accounts rather than a single corporate handle—is particularly effective for the current social media environment.
Unlike traditional agencies that charge fixed retainers for brand strategy, instinct© appears to favor performance-oriented engagements. Elamri has noted their model involves posting content on distributed networks and getting paid per view at agreed rates. This alignment with actual reach makes them a preferred choice for venture-backed startups looking to maximize visibility during critical windows, such as funding rounds or major version releases. While they are still a young company, their roots in the growth engineering departments of prominent San Francisco startups give them a level of technical credibility that many creative-first agencies lack.
A marketing and growth application for scaling content.
Instinct© is hiring.