From Parks to Global Dreams: The Creative Odyssey of Arsalan HS

Introduction: A Corner with Curiosity

In this latest Cozy Corner episode, I sat down with Arsalan HS—one of the most recognizable faces of Iran’s digital content revolution. Many remember him as one of the pioneers of the viral Kings of the Parks videos, the so-called “cringy park guys” who once ruled Instagram feeds during the late 2010s. But beyond the memes and memories lies a story of transformation, resilience, and vision.

Arsalan’s journey is not merely a tale of internet fame. It is a blueprint for turning fleeting trends into long-term impact. From a top-ranked medical sciences student to a creator with millions of followers, Arsalan has built a career on reinvention, disciplined investment, and curiosity. His story demonstrates how creativity, even when born out of limitations, can evolve into structured artistry—and how resilience against backlash can fuel lasting growth.

This blog post retraces that odyssey, exploring Arsalan’s origins, rise, reinventions, financial philosophy, content innovations, and global ambitions. Along the way, it highlights lessons for creators navigating the volatile world of digital media.

Chapter 1: The Unexpected Detour

Arsalan HS did not set out to become a content creator. In 2019, he was a top student, admitted to Babol University of Medical Sciences with an impressive rank of 3,000 in Iran’s highly competitive entrance exams . For years, he had been defined by books, exams, and GPA scores that hovered near perfection. His early semesters even reflected a 19.70 out of 20 GPA—a symbol of his academic discipline.

But destiny had other plans. On campus, Arsalan met Mohammad Roshanfekr. They bonded over a mutual interest in the emerging world of video apps like Dubsmash and Likee. Soon, they grabbed a borrowed camera, stepped into local parks, and began filming short, silent slow-motion clips. What started as casual mimicry of foreign trends quickly snowballed into a viral phenomenon: Kings of the Parks.

The parks became their studios not by design but necessity. Unlike malls where filming was banned, parks gave them freedom. “If we had filmed in malls,” Arsalan laughed, “maybe we’d be called Kings of the Malls.” What set them apart was their localization of global trends. Instead of replicating Western tropes like kissing scenes, they infused Iranian sensibilities—gestures of protectiveness, giving flowers, or playful demonstrations of honor. These tweaks made the content both familiar and fresh for Iranian audiences.

Chapter 2: Viral Fame and the Meme Backlash

The timing was uncanny. COVID-19 lockdowns pushed millions of Iranians into their phones, and the Kings of the Parks clips filled the void of boredom. Within weeks, the group’s content went “insanely viral,” with reactions from established creators like Aria Keoxer and Farshad Silent.

But fame is fickle. What was once adored soon turned into a meme. Audiences began labeling them “the cringy park guys.” What followed was a cultural shift—one that every creator eventually faces: the transition from novelty to redundancy.

Arsalan, however, didn’t flinch. “I’ve never regretted it,” he told me. For him, those years were stepping stones—necessary bricks in the structure he was building. While others quit or emigrated, Arsalan embraced the criticism as feedback. “Even the labels helped us grow,” he reflected. His mindset was clear: a viral moment may expire, but the discipline of reinvention never does.

Chapter 3: The Power of Audience Love

What sustained Arsalan during the backlash wasn’t clicks or likes—it was handwritten letters. Teenagers who had once contemplated suicide wrote to him, saying his videos gave them reasons to keep going. Fans left flowers at his boutique with notes of gratitude. He kept a 200-page notebook filled with these letters.

For a 19-year-old creator, such confessions were overwhelming. But they also planted in Arsalan a deeper sense of responsibility: content was not just entertainment; it was influence. The realization pushed him to keep experimenting, to evolve beyond memes and short-lived trends.

Chapter 4: Trials, Losses, and Resilience

Behind the scenes, Arsalan faced hardships. His first Instagram page with over one million followers was hacked and deleted at a time when the platform lacked two-factor authentication. Strangely, the hacker later became his friend. He also endured financial losses, including a café venture that cost him nearly two billion tomans.

Yet Arsalan views these setbacks not as failures but as tuition fees for growth. “It’s better to lose two billion at this stage than two hundred billion later,” he reasoned . His ability to walk away from ventures that weren’t working reflected a mindset rare among young creators: accept reality quickly, minimize losses, and move forward.

Chapter 5: The 30-40-30 Rule

At the core of Arsalan’s resilience is his disciplined money mindset. Unlike peers who splurged on cars and houses, he reinvested earnings into growth. He followed a self-imposed “30-40-30 rule”:

• 30% on personal enjoyment (gadgets, clothes, small luxuries).
• 40% reinvested into work—gear, sets, production.
• 30% saved in long-term or short-term investments.

Additionally, he committed to giving 10% of his income to human and animal causes, quietly and without publicity. This philosophy of reinvestment became the engine that powered his leap from phone-shot vlogs to professional studio productions.

Chapter 6: Reinventing Content on YouTube

When Instagram began to fade as a platform, Arsalan pivoted to YouTube. Initially, his uploads were typical vlogs: trips, food challenges, gift exchanges. But he later archived most of them, leaving only a few as proof of his humble beginnings. “I wanted people to see that you can start with nothing,” he said.

The real breakthrough came with Eye to Eye—a studio-based competition where five boys and five girls faced off in games. Each episode garnered over 800,000 views, raising the bar for Persian YouTube productions.

Then came Find Me, a game show using live voice-changing technology. Its novelty captivated audiences, exploding from 80K to 140K subscribers in three months. The first episode reached one million views overnight, driven purely by word-of-mouth buzz. It remains one of Arsalan’s proudest achievements.

Chapter 7: Curiosity Over Creativity

Throughout our conversation, Arsalan resisted the label of “creative.” Instead, he called himself curious. For him, curiosity means constantly scanning global formats, testing feasibility, and localizing them for Iranian conditions. Whether adapting MTV’s Silent Library with mint extract shots instead of alcohol, or importing rare props from abroad, Arsalan’s work is fueled less by abstract originality and more by relentless experimentation.

“I think before bed, in the bathroom, in my cozy corners,” he confessed with a smile. “Ideas come, I write them down, then I ask: can this be done in Iran? Can it be Iranized? Can we afford it?” His process is pragmatic, but within that pragmatism lies a kind of creativity—creativity as structured curiosity.

Chapter 8: Building HS as a Brand

Today, Arsalan’s vision extends beyond videos. He dreams of building HS into a global brand, much like MrBeast with Feastables or KSI with Prime. For him, the ultimate goal is to create a product “Made in Iran” that can be sold worldwide.

“Iran isn’t my target,” he admitted. “I want us to also have something from Iran that we can sell globally.” Despite acknowledging Iran’s limitations, he insists on trying. His outlook is long-term, shaped by patience and persistence. “If MrBeast took 16 years to get here, maybe it’ll take me 15. That’s fine.”

Chapter 9: Lessons from Arsalan’s Odyssey

Arsalan’s story offers broader insights for creators and entrepreneurs alike:

1. Limitations fuel creativity: Without access to malls, they filmed in parks. Without cultural permission for kissing scenes, they swapped in protective gestures. Constraints birthed innovation.
2. Virality is temporary, vision is permanent: Trends fade, but strategic reinvestment sustains careers.
3. Audience connection matters more than metrics: Letters, not likes, gave Arsalan the will to continue.
4. Financial discipline builds resilience: The 30-40-30 rule enabled him to recover from losses and fund ambitious projects.
5. Curiosity drives reinvention: Copying sparked originality, experimentation led to innovation, and localization built relatability.

Conclusion: From Parks to the World

Arsalan HS’s odyssey is far from over. At just 24, he has already navigated viral fame, backlash, business ventures, financial collapse, and creative reinvention. From slow-motion clips in Tehran parks to million-view YouTube productions, his trajectory shows what is possible when curiosity, discipline, and resilience align.

As we ended our talk, Arsalan summed up his ethos: “Until my mind stays creative, I’ll keep going.” In other words, the boy from the parks is still building his structure—brick by brick, project by project, toward a global dream.