In the competitive realm of short-form video production, Toronto entrepreneur Tuan Le has turned a childhood promise into a thriving enterprise. At 25, the first-generation immigrant from Vietnam runs ShortsCut, a company that generated $1.08 million Canadian dollars in revenue during 2025 with a net profit exceeding $488,000, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It. Specializing in viral content for platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, ShortsCut serves 10 to 12 clients on retainer, including pet food brands, tech firms such as Replit, and Buldak ramen noodles.
Le’s path began in 2015 when his family sold everything in Vietnam to relocate to Toronto for better prospects. Struggling with English and culture shock, the teenager watched his parents toil relentlessly. His father, working grueling shifts until 7 a.m. and dropping five pounds in a week, prompted a pivotal vow from 15-year-old Le: “Give me 10 years, I’m gonna retire you guys.” That promise, born from an “awakening moment,” fueled a decade of hustle.
Le discovered video editing through gaming montages, charging $20 Canadian dollars for 20-minute clips for YouTubers in high school. After graduating in 2018, he enrolled at Toronto Film School in 2019, producing a short film about his parents that earned hall-of-fame status. But after four months, he dropped out, inspired by the notion: “If you’re the best in the room, then you’re in the wrong room.”
Early Gigs and Pandemic Blow
Self-taught via YouTube, Le cold-emailed every CEO, production house, and agency in Toronto but landed no jobs. He bartered videos for meals at local restaurants, starting with his phone before buying cameras on Facebook Marketplace. Year one brought $8,500, year two $17,400, as detailed in his viral Instagram graph shared widely by NDTV. Then COVID-19 struck, erasing most clients.
Year three opened in lockdown with just $12,350. Le poured everything back in, firing off thousands of cold emails. A TikTok pivot proved golden: He pitched $2,000 for 10 videos, guaranteeing virality or refunds—only one was issued. The first hit 700,000 views, the next 300,000, rocketing one client to 9,000 followers overnight. Revenue surged to $110,000 by year-end.
“The third year of this journey was hard. I tried so hard for so long, and nothing was working. I thought about giving up and going back to school,” Le posted on Instagram, as quoted by Hindustan Times. “But I’m glad I stuck it out long enough to get lucky. Running a business has been one of the hardest, yet most fulfilling, things I’ve ever done.”
Pivot to Retainers and Rapid Scale
ShortsCut officially launched in January 2023 after Le worked gratis for three months at a Toronto content firm, gaining skills in emails and negotiations. He hired his first employee in February. Retainers jumped from $2,000 monthly to $10,000-$16,000 as proof piled up. Year four hit $350,000; by 2025, a 15-person global team of creators, writers, and managers powered the million-dollar run.
Le now sends his parents $5,000 monthly, covering rent and expenses for their home outside Toronto—fulfilling his vow on schedule. They work part-time at his mother’s farmers market stall but “don’t have to.” On X, Le reflected: “Edited YouTube videos for $20. Dropped out of film school after 4 months. Shot videos for restaurants in exchange for free food. Lost everything to COVID. Depression hit hard. Slept on a couch for 2 years straight.”
The model thrives on solving a core pain: Brands crave snackable, viral social content amid algorithm shifts. ShortsCut delivers volume without guarantees post-track record, focusing on retainers for steady cash flow.
Delusional Ambitions in Viral Video Boom
Looking ahead, Le eyes $100 million revenue in five years. “I want [ShortsCut] to be doing $100 million [in revenue] in about five years. It’s a bit delusional, but … you’ve got to be a little bit delusional to play this game,” he told CNBC. His YouTube channel (@tuann_lee) chronicles the grind, from high school edits to cinematography mentorships.
For industry watchers, Le’s ascent spotlights self-taught skills trumping credentials in creator economy niches. Cumulative five-year revenue reached $1.4 million Canadian dollars, per his posts, blending grit with timing on short-form’s explosion. As X users note in reactions to his CNBC feature, persistence amid rejection defines such breakthroughs.
ShortsCut’s edge lies in viral engineering—hooks, pacing, trends—honed from Le’s gaming roots to brand deals. With clients like Stan Store and BuildnChill, the firm positions amid Toronto’s production hub, where firms charge $10,000-$50,000 per project. Le’s bootstrap path offers a blueprint: Start small, iterate on data, scale retainers.
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