How to Start AI Productivity & Note-Taking Apps With AI, Step by Step
Built only from the steps described in 10 sourced AI Productivity & Note-Taking Apps cases. Each step is attributed to the case it comes from; we do not add steps of our own.
How they started
Solve a problem you watched happen
He built the first version as a fun tool for his dad, who typed slowly.
From Voicy (Kourosh), step 1. $16K to $20K a month, Self-Reported
Build fast at a hackathon
The first version was made in about half a day.
From AudioPen (Louis Pereira), step 1. $15K to $20K a month, Self-Reported
Learn distribution on an earlier product
His hardware product taught him how to sell with organic short-form video.
From ParakeetAI (Jure Sotosek), step 1. More than $1 million a month, Self-Reported
Build fast
He coded the first version himself for under $10.
From Talknotes (Nicolas Jeanne), step 1. ~$5,000 per month, Self-Reported
Solve your own study problem
Built a note-taker for their own classes.
From Turbo AI (Rudy Arora and Sarthak Dhawan), step 1. $13M+ lifetime revenue, Self-Reported
Scratch your own itch
Built the assistant he wanted.
From Inbox Zero (Elie Steinbock), step 1. $10K+ MRR, Self-Reported
Solve your own planning pain
He built for people who capture ideas on the move.
From Voiset (Denis Kirichenko), step 1. 5,000 euros MRR, Self-Reported
Launch quickly
They reached $250K ARR fast.
From Ulric Musset (Marblism), step 1. $250K ARR before a pivot, Self-Reported
Build fast with Lovable
He built a first version over a weekend.
From Giovanni Brees (Meet Oscar), step 1. $45,000 MRR, Self-Reported
Enter early with a clear use case
He says there were few AI note-taking apps in the App Store when he launched.
From Wave AI (Josh Mohrer), step 1. About $7M ARR, Self-Reported
What they did next
Ship a tiny MVP
A Chrome extension went from idea to MVP in about two weeks, written by prompting ChatGPT.
From Voicy (Kourosh), step 2. $16K to $20K a month, Self-Reported
Follow organic demand
When people downloaded it without marketing, he turned it into a side project.
From Voicy (Kourosh), step 3. $16K to $20K a month, Self-Reported
Keep improving one product
He kept growing the same tool for two years.
From AudioPen (Louis Pereira), step 2. $15K to $20K a month, Self-Reported
Sell longer plans only
Only annual and two-year subscriptions are offered.
From AudioPen (Louis Pereira), step 3. $15K to $20K a month, Self-Reported
Build quickly and test
ParakeetAI began as a weekend project.
From ParakeetAI (Jure Sotosek), step 2. More than $1 million a month, Self-Reported
Charge early
The interview outline lists charging early as a key step.
From ParakeetAI (Jure Sotosek), step 3. More than $1 million a month, Self-Reported
Validate with a free tier
1,000 free users and 7 yearly subscriptions came in the first week.
From Talknotes (Nicolas Jeanne), step 2. ~$5,000 per month, Self-Reported
Launch on Product Hunt
It became product of the day and reached $1,000 MRR.
From Talknotes (Nicolas Jeanne), step 3. ~$5,000 per month, Self-Reported
Pay small creators
Paid $5 per video, with viral bonuses, for short-form content.
From Turbo AI (Rudy Arora and Sarthak Dhawan), step 2. $13M+ lifetime revenue, Self-Reported
Stay lean
About 10 employees and bootstrapped, with a small investor round.
From Turbo AI (Rudy Arora and Sarthak Dhawan), step 3. $13M+ lifetime revenue, Self-Reported
Enter early
At first there were no competitors.
From Inbox Zero (Elie Steinbock), step 2. $10K+ MRR, Self-Reported
Carve a niche
Now focuses on a niche as competitors arrive.
From Inbox Zero (Elie Steinbock), step 3. $10K+ MRR, Self-Reported
Prototype with one button
The first version turned one spoken sentence into a task.
From Voiset (Denis Kirichenko), step 2. 5,000 euros MRR, Self-Reported
Test with small businesses
He tested with small business owners who run operations in messengers.
From Voiset (Denis Kirichenko), step 3. 5,000 euros MRR, Self-Reported
Pivot hard
They changed the offering and rebuilt.
From Ulric Musset (Marblism), step 2. $250K ARR before a pivot, Self-Reported
Educate users and fix pricing
They worked on user education and the pricing model.
From Ulric Musset (Marblism), step 3. $250K ARR before a pivot, Self-Reported
Test many audiences
Over 200 landing page variations for 15 customer profiles.
From Giovanni Brees (Meet Oscar), step 2. $45,000 MRR, Self-Reported
Scale what converts
He focused spend on the profiles that worked.
From Giovanni Brees (Meet Oscar), step 3. $45,000 MRR, Self-Reported
Build with AI coding tools
He works in Cursor across the app and web app repos and has added Claude Code.
From Wave AI (Josh Mohrer), step 2. About $7M ARR, Self-Reported
Buy installs with search ads
He uses Apple Search Ads for iOS and Google Ads for Android, at about 800 to 1,000 installs a day.
From Wave AI (Josh Mohrer), step 3. About $7M ARR, Self-Reported
How they grew
Expand to every platform
He added Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android apps using AI coding tools.
From Voicy (Kourosh), step 4. $16K to $20K a month, Self-Reported
Serve an overlooked customer
He focuses on older users and people with disabilities and offers a 20% disability discount.
From Voicy (Kourosh), step 5. $16K to $20K a month, Self-Reported
Grow by word of mouth
The interview lists social media and word of mouth as growth channels.
From AudioPen (Louis Pereira), step 4. $15K to $20K a month, Self-Reported
Scale organic content
He says the content engine now draws roughly a billion views a month.
From ParakeetAI (Jure Sotosek), step 4. More than $1 million a month, Self-Reported
Scale with ads
Ads became the main channel at about $50 per customer.
From Talknotes (Nicolas Jeanne), step 4. ~$5,000 per month, Self-Reported
Add free SEO side projects
He built small free tools whose saved summaries bring a couple thousand search visits a day.
From Wave AI (Josh Mohrer), step 4. About $7M ARR, Self-Reported
AI Productivity & Note-Taking Apps: common questions
How much do people make with AI Productivity & Note-Taking Apps and AI?
Across the 5 of our 10 sourced cases that report a monthly figure, amounts range from $5,000 to $1,000,000 a month, with a median of $45,000. These are what each source reports, not typical results.
How much does it cost to start?
Under $10 in the one case that discloses a cost. 1 of 10 cases disclose a startup cost.
How long until the first dollar?
Seven yearly subscriptions in the first week, in the one case that says. This comes from what our cases report.
Which AI tools do these cases use most?
Claude (2 cases), Cursor (2 cases), OpenAI API (2 cases), ChatGPT (1 case), Product Hunt (1 case). Only tools named in the sources are counted.
How reliable are these income figures?
0 of 10 cases are independently documented, meaning a news outlet says it reviewed records. 10 are self-reported. Every case links its source.
What are the main risks?
Large platforms keep adding built-in AI notes and email features. AI model costs grow with usage. Crowded market with many similar apps.
How many of these cases say when they made their first dollar?
1 of 10 cases state a time to first revenue. For example: Talknotes (Nicolas Jeanne): "Seven yearly subscriptions in the first week". The rest do not say, so treat any single timeline as one example, not a norm.
What went wrong or held these cases back?
10 of 10 cases list limitations or risks drawn from their sources. Examples: Voicy (Kourosh): The figures are self-reported; AudioPen (Louis Pereira): Self-reported range with no records reviewed; ParakeetAI (Jure Sotosek): Self-reported figure with no records reviewed. 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.