Below, I break down why “better Loom” is not a strategy, and what Supercut needs to do to feel clearly different fast 👇
Supercut.ai is a really good product.
That might be the problem.
The video messaging market is brutal.
Loom is good.
Vidyard is good.
A dozen others are good.
When a market commoditizes, “good” disappears. You don’t win by being slightly better.
You win by being clearly different.
If you’re competing in a crowded, commoditized space, this is classic “red ocean” territory (worth skimming: Red Ocean Companies: Surviving in a Sea of Competition).
The promise: AI-powered video messaging
Supercut opens strong:
“Blazing fast AI-powered video messaging that makes busy teams look pro.”
Sounds great. But it immediately raises the only question that matters in a mature category:
How is this different?
If you say “AI-powered,” but Loom can also say “AI-powered,” then you’re playing the perceived-better game. And perceived-better rarely creates switching behavior.
Different does.
What Supercut actually does (and why it’s compelling)
Once I dug in, Supercut’s differentiator became clear:
- It auto-edits your videos
- Removes filler words
- Polishes your delivery
- Helps you look sharper on camera
- Adds stronger branding and layouts
That’s compelling.
Because the product isn’t just helping you record. It’s helping you show up better.
But here’s the issue: I had to watch the demo video to fully understand that.
Differentiation should be obvious in five seconds.
The onboarding: strong PLG fundamentals
Credit where it’s due. The onboarding is smooth.
I went from signup to recording in minutes:
- Create workspace
- Download the app
- Grant permissions
- Hit record
There’s a clear checklist after your first video. The UI is clean. The experience feels polished.
If you want a solid reference point for what “effortless onboarding” looks like in PLG terms, this pairs well with How to create an effortless user onboarding experience for your product-led company.
The missing “Supercut” moment
Then I recorded a short video filled with “umm” and “uh.”
I was waiting for the Supercut moment.
The visible before-and-after.
The “whoa.”
Instead, nothing changed.
Auto-editing is locked behind Pro.
And that’s the strategic tension.
In competitive markets, your free plan has one job
In a crowded category, your free plan has one job:
Prove your thesis. Not tell it.
You can:
- Limit usage
- Cap edits
- Add a watermark
- Restrict exports
But you cannot hide the transformation.
Because transformation is what makes someone switch tools.
Right now, Supercut risks being interpreted as:
“A slightly more polished Loom.”
And that’s not enough to break habit.
Habit is the real competitor in mature categories.
The homepage problem: better isn’t positioning
Above the fold, I should instantly understand:
- Why this is different
- Who it’s for
- What transformation happens
Instead, it reads like better video messaging.
But better isn’t a strategy in a commoditized market.
Supercut’s real edge is that it improves the person on camera, not just the recording.
That needs to be unmistakable.
The AI gap: where’s the magic?
If you position as AI-powered, AI should remove work for me.
When I created a workspace, I had to manually choose colors and upload branding.
Why didn’t the product:
- Pull my logo automatically?
- Grab my brand colors from my website?
- Pre-style everything based on my company name?
Those small “how did it know?” moments are what create product-led momentum.
Instead, I was doing the work the AI could have done.
What Supercut gets right
This is still a strong product.
- Fast time to value
- Clean interface
- Thoughtful onboarding flow
- Strong emphasis on branding
- Clear team use case
The foundation is solid.
The unlock is making the differentiator unavoidable.
The PLG reality in the AI era
PLG in the AI era has a higher bar.
It’s no longer:
“Does it work?”
It’s:
“Did I become better within minutes?”
If your product improves how I look, sound, or perform, I need to experience that immediately.
Not read about it.
Not upgrade to see it.
Experience it.
Final take
Supercut.ai is really good.
But in this market, good is invisible.
Make the differentiation obvious in five seconds.
Show the before-and-after in the first session.
Let free users taste the transformation.
Do that, and Supercut stops being “a better Loom.”
It becomes something people switch for.
Want to apply this teardown to your own onboarding?
Supercut is a perfect example of the new PLG bar in AI.
It’s not enough to say “AI-powered.” Users need to feel the transformation in their first session.
If your activation is stuck, your onboarding is bloated, or users aren’t hitting that first win fast enough, don’t guess.
Here are a few ways to tighten the path to value and build a smoother product-led growth engine:
- Get hands-on help: Book a Free Growth Session and we’ll diagnose where users are dropping, what’s delaying the first win, and what to fix first.
- Level up as a PLG operator: Become a Top PLG Operator with the ProductLed MBA™, built as a practical blueprint for mastering product-led growth.
- Start with the fundamentals: Grab the ProductLed Playbook (Free) to lock in the core PLG principles before optimizing the details.
- Keep improving weekly: Sign up for the Newsletter for practical tips, teardown-style insights, and ideas you can apply immediately.
AI is raising the bar for onboarding.
Your activation experience needs to keep pace.
