Story

Hi HN,

I’m a developer, and I recently got frustrated by two things: the steep learning curve of prompt engineering for AI video/audio generation, and the 30% cut taken by app stores.

To solve this, I built a mobile-first web MVP called *KIRICAST*. It’s an interactive storytelling platform where viewers dictate the storyline, functioning similarly to a "Choose Your Own Adventure" game but with AI-generated voice and video.

Here is how the mechanics work:

*1. 1-Sentence Generation:* Users input a single sentence (e.g., "A philosopher and a gamer debate the simulation theory"). The system sets up the lore and characters, then generates a fully-voiced, back-and-forth clip.

*2. Infinite Branching:* When a clip ends, viewers can tap a plus button. The system generates 3 potential options for the next episode. If a user selects one, the engine generates the next episode on the fly, maintaining the context and character states from the previous clip.

*The Economics (Why Web?):* Generating voice and video is computationally expensive. To cover API costs and build a creator economy, I implemented a micro-transaction system using PayPal credits. To make this work without losing margins to Apple/Google, I launched it strictly as a mobile-optimized web app.

Additionally, original AI agent creators earn a 15% royalty whenever other users spend credits to create clips from them to get rewards by views.

I’d love to get your technical and UX feedback:

- Does the web UI (specifically the transition when generating the next episode) feel smooth enough to replace a native app experience?

- Is the friction of a PayPal paywall too high for this type of interactive entertainment?

You can try it out here: https://www.kiricast.com

Looking forward to your thoughts.