How to Start AI Chatbots & Voice Agents With AI, Step by Step
Built only from the steps described in 12 sourced AI Chatbots & Voice Agents cases. Each step is attributed to the case it comes from; we do not add steps of our own.
How they started
Launch on X
The launch tweet went viral.
From SiteGPT (Bhanu Teja Pachipulusu), step 1. $10,000 MRR, Self-Reported
Ship a simple version
Started as a solo project.
From Chatbase (Yasser Elsaid), step 1. $9M ARR, Self-Reported
Solve one client's problem
A skincare brand needed help answering repetitive questions.
From Unnamed marketing consultant (Side Hustle School episode 3075), step 1. $1,000+ by month two, Self-Reported
Pre-sell
A pre-launch page took 50 orders at $99.
From My AskAI (Mike Heap), step 1. $25k/mo, Self-Reported
Learn from failures
Two earlier products did not work out.
From FlowHunt (Yasha Boroumand), step 1. $10k/mo, Self-Reported
Automate your own business
He built AI systems for his Amazon, granite and paint businesses.
From Negodiuk AI Consulting (Dmytro Negodiuk), step 1. $11,000 revenue/mo, Self-Reported
Accept the shift
Generative AI made the old product outdated.
From Chatfuel Clinic Suite (Fedor Pak), step 1. ~$1M ARR, Self-Reported
Pick an ignored category
They built for trades and mechanics, a market few software founders target.
From Avenue (Tom and his brother), step 1. About A$85K a month, Self-Reported
Start from an agency pain point
He saw clients losing leads in their inboxes.
From DM Champ (Sohaib Ahmad), step 1. About $10K a month, Self-Reported
Start from your own pain
He saw how much time teams lose to repetitive communication.
From Snow Lee (Runbear), step 1. $400K ARR, Self-Reported
Hack it together
They built a first version themselves.
From Gemma Vincent and Jozef Maxted (Chat Thing), step 1. Nearly $12K MRR, Self-Reported
Upload knowledge
Add documents for the agent to use.
From OpenAssistantGPT (Marc-Olivier Bouchard), step 1. $1,747 MRR, Independently Documented
What they did next
Hacker News front page
The next day the product reached the Hacker News front page for several hours.
From SiteGPT (Bhanu Teja Pachipulusu), step 2. $10,000 MRR, Self-Reported
Product Hunt
The following day it was the #1 product of the day.
From SiteGPT (Bhanu Teja Pachipulusu), step 3. $10,000 MRR, Self-Reported
Add pricing early
The first payment came 30 minutes after pricing went live.
From Chatbase (Yasser Elsaid), step 2. $9M ARR, Self-Reported
Stay bootstrapped
Grew to a team of about 30 without outside funding.
From Chatbase (Yasser Elsaid), step 3. $9M ARR, Self-Reported
Offer free trials for testimonials
Local businesses tried it in exchange for feedback.
From Unnamed marketing consultant (Side Hustle School episode 3075), step 2. $1,000+ by month two, Self-Reported
Create industry templates
Simple templates for real estate and e-commerce.
From Unnamed marketing consultant (Side Hustle School episode 3075), step 3. $1,000+ by month two, Self-Reported
Build no-code
The MVP was built on Bubble in two weeks.
From My AskAI (Mike Heap), step 2. $25k/mo, Self-Reported
Launch and convert
They moved buyers to recurring plans to cover AI costs.
From My AskAI (Mike Heap), step 3. $25k/mo, Self-Reported
Build an agent builder
FlowHunt lets users chain AI into workflows.
From FlowHunt (Yasha Boroumand), step 2. $10k/mo, Self-Reported
Dogfood SEO
He used his own tool to scale search content.
From FlowHunt (Yasha Boroumand), step 3. $10k/mo, Self-Reported
Write vertical guides
He published 33 articles such as AI for property management.
From Negodiuk AI Consulting (Dmytro Negodiuk), step 2. $11,000 revenue/mo, Self-Reported
Sell the same systems
Readers emailed him asking for the same builds.
From Negodiuk AI Consulting (Dmytro Negodiuk), step 3. $11,000 revenue/mo, Self-Reported
Interview customers
Hundreds of interviews with real businesses.
From Chatfuel Clinic Suite (Fedor Pak), step 2. ~$1M ARR, Self-Reported
Pick a vertical
Focused on clinics and wellness practices.
From Chatfuel Clinic Suite (Fedor Pak), step 3. ~$1M ARR, Self-Reported
Sell in person
They went door to door to show the product.
From Avenue (Tom and his brother), step 2. About A$85K a month, Self-Reported
Show the product the right way
Switching to iPads made it clear the widget lives on a website.
From Avenue (Tom and his brother), step 3. About A$85K a month, Self-Reported
Prove it on old leads
The first clinic uploaded under 200 old leads and the AI followed up on WhatsApp.
From DM Champ (Sohaib Ahmad), step 2. About $10K a month, Self-Reported
Fix pricing early
An AppSumo deal brought 300 customers but 40 percent refunded.
From DM Champ (Sohaib Ahmad), step 3. About $10K a month, Self-Reported
Find the ICP
The first DevOps version competed with customers, so they changed focus.
From Snow Lee (Runbear), step 2. $400K ARR, Self-Reported
Raise revenue per account
They worked on growing value per customer.
From Snow Lee (Runbear), step 3. $400K ARR, Self-Reported
Keep up with AI changes
They adapted as models changed.
From Gemma Vincent and Jozef Maxted (Chat Thing), step 2. Nearly $12K MRR, Self-Reported
Tell a story
They sold through their story.
From Gemma Vincent and Jozef Maxted (Chat Thing), step 3. Nearly $12K MRR, Self-Reported
Configure the agent
Set it up for support or sales.
From OpenAssistantGPT (Marc-Olivier Bouchard), step 2. $1,747 MRR, Independently Documented
Embed it
Add it to a website.
From OpenAssistantGPT (Marc-Olivier Bouchard), step 3. $1,747 MRR, Independently Documented
How they grew
Add a retainer
$50 a month for ongoing updates.
From Unnamed marketing consultant (Side Hustle School episode 3075), step 4. $1,000+ by month two, Self-Reported
AI Chatbots & Voice Agents: common questions
How much do people make with AI Chatbots & Voice Agents and AI?
Across the 10 of our 12 sourced cases that report a monthly figure, amounts range from $1,747 to $750,000 a month, with a median of $12,000. These are what each source reports, not typical results.
How much does it cost to start?
Only one case discloses a startup cost: about $50 in software for an AI support chatbot built on Bubble. 1 of 12 cases disclose a startup cost.
How long until the first dollar?
From about 30 minutes after a pricing page went live to within the first month, in the cases that say. This comes from what our cases report.
Which AI tools do these cases use most?
ChatGPT (1 case), Botpress (1 case), Make (1 case), Bubble (1 case), Claude (1 case). Only tools named in the sources are counted.
How reliable are these income figures?
1 of 12 cases are independently documented, meaning a news outlet says it reviewed records. 11 are self-reported. Every case links its source.
What are the main risks?
Model providers and large platforms ship built-in chatbots. Wrong answers in front of customers can damage a client relationship. Usage-based model costs grow with every conversation.
How many of these cases say when they made their first dollar?
5 of 12 cases state a time to first revenue. For example: SiteGPT (Bhanu Teja Pachipulusu): "Within the first month"; Chatbase (Yasser Elsaid): "About 30 minutes after the pricing page went live"; Unnamed marketing consultant (Side Hustle School episode 3075): "First paid project ($300) shortly after a free test build". The rest do not say, so treat any single timeline as one example, not a norm.
What went wrong or held these cases back?
12 of 12 cases list limitations or risks drawn from their sources. Examples: SiteGPT (Bhanu Teja Pachipulusu): Growth relied on a rare viral launch week; Chatbase (Yasser Elsaid): Very competitive market for AI support agents; Unnamed marketing consultant (Side Hustle School episode 3075): Law firms raised privacy concerns. Each case page lists them in full.
Do I have to report this income to the IRS if I never get a 1099-K?
Yes. The IRS says that whether or not you receive a Form 1099-K, you must report all income from selling goods or services on your tax return. Payment apps and online marketplaces must send a 1099-K when payments for goods or services total over $20,000 in more than 200 transactions, but they may send one for lower amounts. Source: IRS, "Understanding your Form 1099-K" (irs.gov/businesses/understanding-your-form-1099-k), checked 2026-10-20. General information, not tax advice.
Do I owe self-employment tax on side hustle income in the US?
According to the IRS, you must pay self-employment tax and file Schedule SE if your net earnings from self-employment were $400 or more. The rate is 15.3% (12.4% Social Security and 2.9% Medicare), and you may need to pay estimated taxes quarterly. Source: IRS, "Self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare taxes)" (irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/self-employment-tax-social-security-and-medicare-taxes), checked 2026-10-20. General information, not tax advice.