How to Start Micro-SaaS & AI Products With AI, Step by Step
Built only from the steps described in 121 sourced Micro-SaaS & AI Products cases. Each step is attributed to the case it comes from; we do not add steps of our own.
How they started
Build a narrow product fast
The first version took four days and cost $185.
From DimeADozen (Sal Aiello and Monica Powers), step 1. $66,000+ in about 7 months, Independently Documented
Test demand cheaply
A $2,000 marketing test came before heavy investment.
From Cal AI (Zach Yadegari and Henry Langmack), step 1. About $1.4M/mo gross profit, Independently Documented
Launch on X
The launch tweet went viral.
From SiteGPT (Bhanu Teja Pachipulusu), step 1. $10,000 MRR, Self-Reported
Solve your own problem
He wanted to search past chats, which the default app did not allow.
From TypingMind (Tony Dinh), step 1. 4,000+ paying users; $3,500 MRR from custom deployments, Self-Reported
Build a basic version
About 30 days of development.
From Buildpad (Felix Heikka and his brother), step 1. $2,700 MRR, Self-Reported
Learn from failed projects
Three earlier products did not take off.
From BoltAI (Daniel Nguyen), step 1. $10,000/mo one-time sales + $5,000 MRR, Self-Reported
Pick an underserved niche
Mobile app design had fewer AI tools than web design.
From Sleek (Mattia Pomelli and two co-founders), step 1. $10,000 MRR, Self-Reported
Build on earlier experiments
Levels previously launched AI avatar and interior design products.
From Photo AI (Pieter Levels), step 1. $105,000/mo revenue ($80,000/mo profit), Self-Reported
Target a clear buyer
Professionals and teams who need headshots without a photo shoot.
From HeadshotPro (Danny Postma), step 1. $10,000,000+ since launch, Self-Reported
Ship a simple version
Started as a solo project.
From Chatbase (Yasser Elsaid), step 1. $9M ARR, Self-Reported
Learn a narrow skill fast
Learned extension development and shipped in days.
From Superpower ChatGPT (Saeed Ezzati), step 1. $20,000 to $30,000 MRR, Self-Reported
Build with coding agents
Wrote specs and let agents produce most of the code.
From Vaultaire (Rasty Turek), step 1. $41,425 gross in August, Self-Reported
Start from a problem you know
He spent 20 years in payments and first tried to solve payment processing for founders in the Balkans.
From AgentOS (Panche Isajeski), step 1. $9.5K MRR, Self-Reported
Build from your own pain
As a filmmaker he was paying for a dozen separate AI tools that did not work together, so he built one place for the whole workflow.
From Kolbo.AI (Zohar Vanunu), step 1. About $60K a month, Self-Reported
Pick a problem you live with
He spent 20 to 30 hours researching each Amazon product idea by copying data into spreadsheets.
From Launch Fast (Hasaam Bhatti), step 1. $30K MRR, Self-Reported
Pick a proven market
He saw clips everywhere in his feeds and chose clipping because demand already existed.
From Vugola (Vadim, @VadimStrizheus on X), step 1. About $11K MRR, Self-Reported
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 a prompt-to-app tool
He built a platform where plain text becomes a full working application.
From Base44 (Maor Shlomo), step 1. $189,000 profit in one month, Partially Verified
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
Validate before building
He ran the idea through his own checklist before writing code.
From Lancer (Ivan Nedelkovski), step 1. $20K MRR, Self-Reported
Turn a personal lesson into a product
The idea came from their own shift in identity while growing the agency.
From MyFutureSelf (Giancarlo Sarti), step 1. $12.9K revenue in one month, Self-Reported
Pick a clear niche
He built for Christian users who want to pray more and scroll less.
From Prayer Lock (Mau, @maubaron on X), step 1. $21,000 in sales in one month, Self-Reported
Notice a repeated client problem
Clients kept struggling to make sense of their data in spreadsheets.
From Profit AI (Jack, @jackdoesecom), step 1. $147,000 total since launch, Self-Reported
Pick a narrow job
They focused on helping creators make strong LinkedIn content.
From Stanley by Stan (Vitalii Dodonov), step 1. $50,000 MRR within six weeks, Self-Reported
Pre-sell
A pre-launch page took 50 orders at $99.
From My AskAI (Mike Heap), step 1. $25k/mo, 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
Get API access
He got GPT-3 access by tweeting an OpenAI co-founder.
From nichesss (Malcolm Tyson), step 1. ~ $30,000 a month, Self-Reported
Spot your own pain
He was spending hours on memes for Fiverr clients.
From AutoMemes.ai (Max Ibarra), step 1. Around $2,000/month, Self-Reported
Pick a focused market
He targeted YouTube creators instead of a VC-scale market.
From Subscribr (Gil Hildebrand), step 1. Over $500k this year, Self-Reported
Learn no-code fast
Took an online course and built an MVP in eight weeks.
From Magai (Dustin Stout), step 1. Almost $100K/mo, Self-Reported
Post on Hacker News
His first internet money came a week after an early Hacker News post.
From Neural Frames (Nicolai Klemke), step 1. $100K/mo, Self-Reported
Validate first
Gathered waitlist signups from daily content before building.
From CodeGuide (CJ Zafir), step 1. $42K MRR, Self-Reported
Solve a problem you had
He built for a pain he had experienced himself.
From AppAlchemy (Diego Roshardt), step 1. $17K MRR, Self-Reported
Pick a validated market
He chose a market where weaker products were already earning.
From Supergrow (Deven Bhooshan), step 1. $19K/mo, Self-Reported
Build on the side
Released apps while employed, hoping just to earn back the $99 developer fee.
From MonAi (Florian Vates), step 1. $40K to $60K/mo, Self-Reported
Pick a costly problem
Coaching businesses make video nobody can find.
From Bold (Marcel Fahle and Rob Hope), step 1. ~$3K MRR, Self-Reported
Prompt the code
ChatGPT wrote the full extension in about 10 hours of work.
From Type Slash AI (Ihor Stefurak), step 1. $1,000 in pre-orders, Self-Reported
Buy a small product
Acquired BetterPic at about $1,500 a month.
From BetterPic (Ricardo Ghekiere and Miguel Rasero), step 1. $20,016 gross revenue in one 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
Build as students
Started the app while in college.
From MathGPT (Nour Gajial and Yanni Kouloumbis), step 1. $50K/mo, Self-Reported
Build for yourself
She was spending 15 hours a week on content.
From Soulin Social (Cathy Kim), step 1. €2,900 MRR, Self-Reported
Scratch your own itch
Built the assistant he wanted.
From Inbox Zero (Elie Steinbock), step 1. $10K+ MRR, Self-Reported
Scratch your own itch
Built it while making a game.
From Repo Prompt (Eric Provencher), step 1. 5-figure MRR (>$10K a month), Self-Reported
Use a template
Built in one week on a free SaaS boilerplate.
From CoverLetterGPT (Vince, Wasp), step 1. ~$550 MRR, Self-Reported
Start with a service
Human resume reviews were too expensive for many.
From Sheets AI Resume Builder (Colin McIntosh), step 1. $26K/mo, Self-Reported
Solve your own job search
Built from his own resume success.
From Rezi (Jacob Jacquet), step 1. $215K MRR, Self-Reported
Validate with an extension
Started as a browser extension.
From AiApply (Aidan Cramer), step 1. $25K/mo, Self-Reported
Test privately
Tested with friends and colleagues first.
From ResumeUp.AI (Hareesh), step 1. $4K/mo, Self-Reported
Spot the friction
Show notes could not be handed to a VA.
From Castmagic (Blaine, Ramon and Justin), step 1. $120K+ MRR, Self-Reported
Build hype
Grew a waitlist before launch.
From Kleo (Lara), step 1. $62K MRR, Self-Reported
Use your own sport
Built for a problem he knew from competing.
From CutCoach (Ethan), step 1. $20K/mo, Self-Reported
Pick your sport
Built for wrestlers.
From Wrestle AI (George Lampropoulos), step 1. $17K/mo, Self-Reported
Build tools for your agency
Automated their own scoping.
From pre.dev (Arjun Raj Jain), step 1. $500K ARR, Self-Reported
Plan the data
Design data structures before prompting.
From Payout (Connor Burd), step 1. $20K/mo, Self-Reported
Study gaps
Found existing apps were not user-friendly.
From Glam Up and Sprout (Nicole Cheung), step 1. $400K/mo, Self-Reported
Build for your sport
Made the app they wanted as athletes.
From 3AK (Christian and Braylin), step 1. $20K+/mo, Self-Reported
Pick a market you love
He chose lifting, knowing there were many competitors, because he saw no single unified app the way runners have Strava.
From Maxed AI (Max Hirsch), step 1. About $14K to $15K a month, Self-Reported
Build for one real person
He first built the tool to help a friend, then went all in when it took off.
From Motionvid.ai (Anatoly Pashias), step 1. $7K MRR, after $120K from an AppSumo campaign, Self-Reported
Scratch your own itch
Heavy daily ChatGPT users themselves, they built the folders and search they wanted.
From AI Toolbox (Adi Leviim and Mohammad El-Esawi), step 1. 5-figure MRR (more than $10K a month), Self-Reported
Buy or build a base product
He started by buying Unicorn Platform and learning bootstrapping from its founder.
From John Rush (Unicorn Platform, SEO Bot), step 1. About $3M a year combined, Self-Reported
Look for a problem you can monetize
She asks whether a problem is frequent, whether she can do better and whether people will pay.
From AI Crea (Pauline), step 1. About 8K euros a month, Self-Reported
Learn every part of SaaS
He set aside one to two hours a day for learning payments, auth, databases, marketing and SEO.
From Supermeme (Ramsri), step 1. A little over $100K a year, Self-Reported
Talk to customers constantly
They did around 20 customer calls every week before and after building.
From Fastlane (Gaurav), step 1. About $69K a month in recurring revenue, Self-Reported
Start from your own hobby
He picked a problem he had as a guitarist and confirmed others had it in comment sections.
From ToneAdapt (Kyan), step 1. $25K a month, Self-Reported
Make a boring category fun
They added a playful cat to a standard productivity timer.
From Cat on Chair (Ryan), step 1. Over $18K a month, Self-Reported
Niche down hard
He says he only needs 0.1 percent of a market.
From AI Carousels and Resume Maker Online (Fernando Pessagno), step 1. About $15K MRR, Self-Reported
Build an audience first
She grew millions of followers with manifestation content.
From Stella (Sarah, Hot High Priestess), step 1. Over $300K in MRR, Self-Reported
Find a proven content niche
He targeted people already deep into manifestation content on TikTok.
From Wakes (Reza), step 1. Close to $30K a month, Self-Reported
Find an app that already works
He picked one he saw making $200K a month.
From STOPPR (David Attias), step 1. $12K a month, Self-Reported
Practice on a small project
He built a simple card game first to learn shipping end to end.
From Ken (solo mobile game developer), step 1. $155K in revenue, Self-Reported
Spot a proven app missing locally
He chose a popular US app idea that had no local version.
From Tomer (AI calorie tracker app), step 1. Over $80K a month, Self-Reported
Use a short window
He built during about six weeks around his youngest child's birth.
From Formula Bot (David Bressler), step 1. About $26K a month in recurring revenue, Self-Reported
Test the idea on TikTok first
He looks for proof that content in the niche gets views before building.
From Flame, step 1. $10K MRR, Self-Reported
Solve your own blocker
They needed AI b-roll for another project and built the tool instead.
From BasedLabs (Andrew and Michael), step 1. $10,000 MRR, Self-Reported
Spot the moment
They saw AI content was about to go mainstream when ChatGPT launched.
From Cuppa AI (Ryan Darani, Chris Riley and Dan Beynon), step 1. $30,000 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
Spot a gap in early AI tools
He found existing AI writers overwhelming with weak output.
From Rytr (Abhi), step 1. Seven figures in ARR, Self-Reported
Build while you are stuck
He used a forced break to build with Claude Code.
From NinjaPear (Steven Goh), step 1. Over $15K in a month, Self-Reported
Build an audience first
He grew a blog, YouTube channel and agency for years before launching.
From RightBlogger (Ryan Robinson), step 1. $350K ARR, Self-Reported
Build for your own hobby
He made Cardstock for card collectors like himself.
From Cardstock and Scanemon (Kyle Fowler), step 1. $120K a month, Self-Reported
Pick simple scan-and-result apps
Both apps follow the same scan concept.
From Glowly and Overload (Will Baker), step 1. Over $10K a month, Self-Reported
Ship a focused MVP
The first version only tracked habits and showed progress.
From HabitKit (Sebastian), step 1. $15K MRR, Self-Reported
Solve your own problem
He automated his own directory submissions.
From Sergiu Chiriac (AI Directories), step 1. Over $10K a month across his projects; record month $15.7K, Self-Reported
Do it manually
He ran the outreach tactic for clients by hand.
From Romàn Czerny (Gojiberry AI), step 1. $27K MRR, Self-Reported
Move from idea to product fast
He uses a set process to go from idea to launch quickly.
From Richard Wang (Leadmore AI), step 1. Over $30K MRR, 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
Spot the opportunity
He jumped on AI chatbots days after ChatGPT launched.
From Timo Tzschetzsch (Setter AI), step 1. $10K+ MRR, Self-Reported
Launch quickly
They reached $250K ARR fast.
From Ulric Musset (Marblism), step 1. $250K ARR before a pivot, Self-Reported
Test many ideas
He launched 12 waitlist apps to see what people wanted.
From Wesley Tian (Aragon), step 1. Over $10M a year, Self-Reported
Start with no-code
He built ChatIQ on Bubble.
From Sebastian Volkis (TrendFeed, CodeSpring, ChatIQ), step 1. About $9.7K MRR in two months (ChatIQ), Self-Reported
Build what you know
A designer built a tool for designers.
From Pranay Agarwal (Mockey.ai), step 1. About $12K a month, Self-Reported
Ship rough MVPs
He shipped early versions quickly.
From Vasco Monteiro (Journalist AI), step 1. $70K+ MRR, 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
Build fast
A first product in a month.
From Sveta Bay and Dan Kulkov (FounderPal, Makerbox), step 1. $20K a month, Self-Reported
Spot the problem in your clients
Video creation was tedious for his customers.
From Sébastien Night (OneTake AI), step 1. $500K ARR ($42K MRR), Self-Reported
Use deep experience
12 years of SEO shaped the product.
From Mark Gadala (Post Cheetah), step 1. A little over $3K MRR, Self-Reported
Notice a recurring pain
They spent hours rendering marketing videos.
From Kevin Natanzon (CreatorKit), step 1. Six-figure ARR, Self-Reported
Build an MVP
They launched an MVP in May 2023.
From Vika Loskutova and Obie Fernandez (Olympia), step 1. $6K MRR, Self-Reported
Experiment with generative AI
They built projects to learn the space.
From Rushab Jain and Vatsal Sanghvi (VisualizeAI), step 1. $30K acquisition, Self-Reported
Start early
She built before the AI wave.
From Anuja Dhawan (Dubverse), step 1. High six-figure ARR, Self-Reported
Ship many small tools
About a dozen projects in a year.
From Bilal Tahir (GPT Hotline, YOU-TLDR, PlainScribe), step 1. $2,500 a month, Self-Reported
Start as a service
They made ads for clients by hand first.
From Romain Torres (Arcads), step 1. $10M ARR, Self-Reported
Generate posts
AI drafts posts in the brand voice.
From Marky (Arian Adeli), step 1. $21,888 MRR, Independently Documented
Enter a topic
Users give a title and slide count.
From MagicSlides.app (Sanskar Tiwari), step 1. $10,417 MRR, Independently Documented
Choose topic and tone
Pick audience and style.
From GETebook.ai (Bogdan Dragomir), step 1. $9,150 MRR, Independently Documented
Describe the video
Users give a topic or script.
From Vidgenie.ai (Sourav Bhar), step 1. $5,585 MRR, Independently Documented
Paste an input
A prompt, screenshot or URL.
From UXMagic.AI (Ronak Daga), step 1. $6,300 MRR, Independently Documented
Pick a coaching task
Drills, analysis or session plans.
From FootballGPT (Kevin Middleton), step 1. $5,356 MRR, Independently Documented
Build with an AI tool
Users start in Lovable, Cursor or similar.
From WPConvert.ai (Jose Montero), step 1. $3,310 MRR, Independently Documented
Upload knowledge
Add documents for the agent to use.
From OpenAssistantGPT (Marc-Olivier Bouchard), step 1. $1,747 MRR, Independently Documented
Set a topic
Choose a niche.
From ShortsAuto.ai (Ahmad Tahir), step 1. $1,594 MRR, Independently Documented
Paste a long video
Podcast, webinar or stream.
From OpenShorts (Carlos Gracia), step 1. $1,343 MRR, Independently Documented
Upload long content
Podcasts or webinars.
From BlitzReels (Virgile Rietsch), step 1. $1,194 MRR, Independently Documented
Build fast with Lovable
He built a first version over a weekend.
From Giovanni Brees (Meet Oscar), step 1. $45,000 MRR, Self-Reported
Upload a video
Users add a video to translate.
From VoiceCheap (Kevin Rousseau), step 1. $16,347 revenue in the last 30 days, Independently Documented
Install the extension
Students add it to Chrome.
From Math AI (Andrew Kalita), step 1. $1,124 MRR, Independently Documented
Upload photos
Customers add their own photos.
From Novaheadshot (Chris Bora), step 1. $12,126 all-time revenue, Independently Documented
Sign up
Students join for exam prep.
From Evrika Study (Patrick Neicu), step 1. $115 MRR, Independently Documented
Experiment
They tested ideas and used data to decide.
From Tanya van Gastel (The Multiverse AI), step 1. About $350,000 over two years, Self-Reported
Spot the shift
Search traffic moved toward AI answers.
From Jackie Chow (Trackings.ai), step 1. $25,000 to $30,000 a month, Self-Reported
What they did next
Charge per report
A single $39 price point kept the offer simple.
From DimeADozen (Sal Aiello and Monica Powers), step 2. $66,000+ in about 7 months, Independently Documented
Sell the business
The founders sold DimeADozen for $150,000.
From DimeADozen (Sal Aiello and Monica Powers), step 3. $66,000+ in about 7 months, Independently Documented
Price for the mass market
Subscriptions at $2.49 a month or $29.99 a year.
From Cal AI (Zach Yadegari and Henry Langmack), step 2. About $1.4M/mo gross profit, Independently Documented
Scale paid acquisition
The company spends about $770,000 a month on ads.
From Cal AI (Zach Yadegari and Henry Langmack), step 3. About $1.4M/mo gross profit, Independently Documented
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
Ship in a weekend
The first version was built in one weekend.
From TypingMind (Tony Dinh), step 2. 4,000+ paying users; $3,500 MRR from custom deployments, Self-Reported
Raise prices with each update
The price rose from $9 to $79 over time.
From TypingMind (Tony Dinh), step 3. 4,000+ paying users; $3,500 MRR from custom deployments, Self-Reported
Build in public
Shared the journey in the Build in Public community on X.
From Buildpad (Felix Heikka and his brother), step 2. $2,700 MRR, Self-Reported
Launch on Product Hunt
Brought the first paying customers.
From Buildpad (Felix Heikka and his brother), step 3. $2,700 MRR, Self-Reported
Build a native app
A Mac-native client set it apart from web wrappers.
From BoltAI (Daniel Nguyen), step 2. $10,000/mo one-time sales + $5,000 MRR, Self-Reported
Use bring-your-own-key pricing
One-time licences stay viable because users pay their own API costs.
From BoltAI (Daniel Nguyen), step 3. $10,000/mo one-time sales + $5,000 MRR, Self-Reported
Reuse prior experience
The team had built four design tools before.
From Sleek (Mattia Pomelli and two co-founders), step 2. $10,000 MRR, Self-Reported
Ship in three weeks
Launched quickly and grew through content.
From Sleek (Mattia Pomelli and two co-founders), step 3. $10,000 MRR, Self-Reported
Keep the stack simple
A single large PHP file instead of a complex architecture.
From Photo AI (Pieter Levels), step 2. $105,000/mo revenue ($80,000/mo profit), Self-Reported
Share numbers publicly
Public revenue updates double as marketing.
From Photo AI (Pieter Levels), step 3. $105,000/mo revenue ($80,000/mo profit), Self-Reported
Sell packages, not subscriptions
Customers pay once for a set of headshots.
From HeadshotPro (Danny Postma), step 2. $10,000,000+ since launch, Self-Reported
Serve teams as well as individuals
Company-wide headshots extend the market.
From HeadshotPro (Danny Postma), step 3. $10,000,000+ since launch, 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
Grow free first
Kept the extension free to build a user base.
From Superpower ChatGPT (Saeed Ezzati), step 2. $20,000 to $30,000 MRR, Self-Reported
Add a Pro tier
Monetised power users with paid features.
From Superpower ChatGPT (Saeed Ezzati), step 3. $20,000 to $30,000 MRR, Self-Reported
Price for lifetime buyers
$9.99/year, $1.99/month, or $29.99 lifetime.
From Vaultaire (Rasty Turek), step 2. $41,425 gross in August, Self-Reported
Grow through ASO, SEO, and search ads
Japan became a large source of App Store traffic; backlinks helped SEO.
From Vaultaire (Rasty Turek), step 3. $41,425 gross in August, Self-Reported
Pivot when the market is not ready
The first version failed, so he rebuilt the product for the current market.
From AgentOS (Panche Isajeski), step 2. $9.5K MRR, Self-Reported
Run operations with AI agents
Onboarding, support, operations and much of the coding are handled by AI agents instead of staff.
From AgentOS (Panche Isajeski), step 3. $9.5K MRR, Self-Reported
Learn to code from scratch
With no programming background he taught himself to build the software and built it alone.
From Kolbo.AI (Zohar Vanunu), step 2. About $60K a month, Self-Reported
Show the result
He posts work made with the product, such as an AI series styled as phone footage from Bible stories, with no sales pitch.
From Kolbo.AI (Zohar Vanunu), step 3. About $60K a month, Self-Reported
Build fast with an AI code editor
He built the first version in 48 hours in Cursor with no prior coding experience.
From Launch Fast (Hasaam Bhatti), step 2. $30K MRR, Self-Reported
Borrow distribution
He pitched a sellers coaching community with thousands of active members: build in 48 hours, and partner if they liked it.
From Launch Fast (Hasaam Bhatti), step 3. $30K MRR, Self-Reported
Build by prompting
He prompted the AI app builder Lovable for about four months to make the first version.
From Vugola (Vadim, @VadimStrizheus on X), step 2. About $11K MRR, Self-Reported
Move to AI coding tools
He switched to Claude and then Codex, with GitHub, Supabase and Vercel.
From Vugola (Vadim, @VadimStrizheus on X), step 3. About $11K MRR, Self-Reported
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
Grow in public
He shared progress, user numbers and costs on X and LinkedIn.
From Base44 (Maor Shlomo), step 2. $189,000 profit in one month, Partially Verified
Stay profitable
He reported profit even after paying high model token costs.
From Base44 (Maor Shlomo), step 3. $189,000 profit in one month, Partially Verified
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
Scratch your own itch
The tool solved a lead problem he had faced on Upwork.
From Lancer (Ivan Nedelkovski), step 2. $20K MRR, Self-Reported
Build the first version fast
The interview outline says it was built in a weekend.
From Lancer (Ivan Nedelkovski), step 3. $20K MRR, Self-Reported
Build fast with AI coding tools
They used Claude and Cursor to make their first mobile app despite early crashes.
From MyFutureSelf (Giancarlo Sarti), step 2. $12.9K revenue in one month, Self-Reported
Launch with organic content
Instagram, TikTok and Reddit brought the first users.
From MyFutureSelf (Giancarlo Sarti), step 3. $12.9K revenue in one month, Self-Reported
Build quickly with AI
He says coding the app took three days.
From Prayer Lock (Mau, @maubaron on X), step 2. $21,000 in sales in one month, Self-Reported
Focus on onboarding and reviews
He points to a strong onboarding flow and a high review rate.
From Prayer Lock (Mau, @maubaron on X), step 3. $21,000 in sales in one month, Self-Reported
Start from your own spreadsheet
His existing spreadsheet became the blueprint for the app.
From Profit AI (Jack, @jackdoesecom), step 2. $147,000 total since launch, Self-Reported
Build it with AI
He used Claude to write the app instead of hiring developers.
From Profit AI (Jack, @jackdoesecom), step 3. $147,000 total since launch, Self-Reported
Build in a short sprint
They vibe coded a working tool in 14 days.
From Stanley by Stan (Vitalii Dodonov), step 2. $50,000 MRR within six weeks, Self-Reported
Build in public
They documented the whole build on YouTube.
From Stanley by Stan (Vitalii Dodonov), step 3. $50,000 MRR within six weeks, 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
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
Ship an MVP
He built a working version in about a month.
From nichesss (Malcolm Tyson), step 2. ~ $30,000 a month, Self-Reported
Launch on AppSumo
The deal sold $100,000 in its first month.
From nichesss (Malcolm Tyson), step 3. ~ $30,000 a month, Self-Reported
Build with AI help
He used ChatGPT to learn coding and ship the app.
From AutoMemes.ai (Max Ibarra), step 2. Around $2,000/month, Self-Reported
Launch to existing clients
His Fiverr clients became the first users.
From AutoMemes.ai (Max Ibarra), step 3. Around $2,000/month, Self-Reported
Launch
Public launch in April 2024.
From Subscribr (Gil Hildebrand), step 2. Over $500k this year, Self-Reported
Grow to $10K months
It took 100 days after launch.
From Subscribr (Gil Hildebrand), step 3. Over $500k this year, Self-Reported
Launch paid-only
No freemium; $20 solo and $40 team plans, with extra usage for sale.
From Magai (Dustin Stout), step 2. Almost $100K/mo, Self-Reported
Recurring affiliates
Built a generous recurring-commission affiliate program into the product from the start.
From Magai (Dustin Stout), step 3. Almost $100K/mo, Self-Reported
Niche down
He focused on musicians as a clear audience.
From Neural Frames (Nicolai Klemke), step 2. $100K/mo, Self-Reported
Add enterprise customers
He describes landing larger customers as it grew.
From Neural Frames (Nicolai Klemke), step 3. $100K/mo, Self-Reported
Build in 14 days
Used AI-friendly stacks and coding tools.
From CodeGuide (CJ Zafir), step 2. $42K MRR, Self-Reported
Post every day
Daily content on X fed a waitlist landing page.
From CodeGuide (CJ Zafir), step 3. $42K MRR, Self-Reported
Ship an MVP in two weeks
Built with Cursor, Next.js, React and Firebase.
From AppAlchemy (Diego Roshardt), step 2. $17K MRR, Self-Reported
Market on Reddit
Targeted precise subreddits for free reach.
From AppAlchemy (Diego Roshardt), step 3. $17K MRR, Self-Reported
Launch a lifetime deal
RocketHub took 40% of revenue but brought cash and feedback.
From Supergrow (Deven Bhooshan), step 2. $19K/mo, Self-Reported
Move to subscriptions
Shifted to recurring plans after the launch.
From Supergrow (Deven Bhooshan), step 3. $19K/mo, Self-Reported
Partner with a creator
A content-creator partnership boosted MonAi.
From MonAi (Florian Vates), step 2. $40K to $60K/mo, Self-Reported
Go full-time
Quit his job in January 2026.
From MonAi (Florian Vates), step 3. $40K to $60K/mo, Self-Reported
Rebuild AI-native
Pivoted the old product around AI answers.
From Bold (Marcel Fahle and Rob Hope), step 2. ~$3K MRR, Self-Reported
Fund with consulting
Consulting revenue pays for product work.
From Bold (Marcel Fahle and Rob Hope), step 3. ~$3K MRR, Self-Reported
Take pre-orders
A landing page with a Stripe pre-order button and a demo video.
From Type Slash AI (Ihor Stefurak), step 2. $1,000 in pre-orders, Self-Reported
Sell it
Listed on Acquire for one week; 50 enquiries and five bids.
From Type Slash AI (Ihor Stefurak), step 3. $1,000 in pre-orders, Self-Reported
Improve conversion
Lifted site conversion from 0.68% to 1.8%.
From BetterPic (Ricardo Ghekiere and Miguel Rasero), step 2. $20,016 gross revenue in one month, Self-Reported
Invest in SEO
City 'near me' pages and programmatic SEO.
From BetterPic (Ricardo Ghekiere and Miguel Rasero), step 3. $20,016 gross revenue in one 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
Sell an unlimited plan
The first sale was MathGPT Unlimited.
From MathGPT (Nour Gajial and Yanni Kouloumbis), step 2. $50K/mo, Self-Reported
Run creators
An influencer program with 150+ creators on TikTok and Instagram.
From MathGPT (Nour Gajial and Yanni Kouloumbis), step 3. $50K/mo, Self-Reported
Ship, then focus
Cut from eight formats to five to improve quality.
From Soulin Social (Cathy Kim), step 2. €2,900 MRR, Self-Reported
Keep costs tiny
About $47 a month to run.
From Soulin Social (Cathy Kim), step 3. €2,900 MRR, 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
Give it away first
Grew a power-user community for free.
From Repo Prompt (Eric Provencher), step 2. 5-figure MRR (>$10K a month), Self-Reported
Monetise
Moved to paid and reached 5-figure MRR.
From Repo Prompt (Eric Provencher), step 3. 5-figure MRR (>$10K a month), Self-Reported
Keep it cheap
About $12 hosting and $3 API a month.
From CoverLetterGPT (Vince, Wasp), step 2. ~$550 MRR, Self-Reported
Grow free
SEO, social media and Reddit, no ads.
From CoverLetterGPT (Vince, Wasp), step 3. ~$550 MRR, Self-Reported
Automate it
Trained AI on their review process.
From Sheets AI Resume Builder (Colin McIntosh), step 2. $26K/mo, Self-Reported
Go freemium
Paid memberships and a job board.
From Sheets AI Resume Builder (Colin McIntosh), step 3. $26K/mo, Self-Reported
Adopt AI early
Added GPT-3 in 2020.
From Rezi (Jacob Jacquet), step 2. $215K MRR, Self-Reported
Grow content
SEO and social channels.
From Rezi (Jacob Jacquet), step 3. $215K MRR, Self-Reported
Pivot to web
Moved to a web platform.
From AiApply (Aidan Cramer), step 2. $25K/mo, Self-Reported
Go viral
Demo content on social media drove growth.
From AiApply (Aidan Cramer), step 3. $25K/mo, Self-Reported
Launch on Product Hunt
Prepared for a month; reached #1 of the day.
From ResumeUp.AI (Hareesh), step 2. $4K/mo, Self-Reported
Scale with SEO and AppSumo
Hired freelance writers for SEO content.
From ResumeUp.AI (Hareesh), step 3. $4K/mo, Self-Reported
Build fast
Built the MVP in two weeks.
From Castmagic (Blaine, Ramon and Justin), step 2. $120K+ MRR, Self-Reported
Launch on AppSumo
Used the launch as a springboard.
From Castmagic (Blaine, Ramon and Justin), step 3. $120K+ MRR, Self-Reported
Private beta
Launched to the waitlist first.
From Kleo (Lara), step 2. $62K MRR, Self-Reported
Convert fast
Turned the waitlist into paying users in days.
From Kleo (Lara), step 3. $62K MRR, Self-Reported
Build with Cursor
Shifted his time from coding to sales.
From CutCoach (Ethan), step 2. $20K/mo, Self-Reported
Ride the season
Launched as wrestling season started.
From CutCoach (Ethan), step 3. $20K/mo, Self-Reported
Vibe code it
Built with AI tools, no coding.
From Wrestle AI (George Lampropoulos), step 2. $17K/mo, Self-Reported
Partner with influencers
Used an influencer partnership playbook.
From Wrestle AI (George Lampropoulos), step 3. $17K/mo, Self-Reported
Use clients as feedback
Every engagement improved the agent.
From pre.dev (Arjun Raj Jain), step 2. $500K ARR, Self-Reported
Spin it out
Launched it as its own product.
From pre.dev (Arjun Raj Jain), step 3. $500K ARR, Self-Reported
Build core first
Skip onboarding; build main features.
From Payout (Connor Burd), step 2. $20K/mo, Self-Reported
Buy growth
Only Facebook ads.
From Payout (Connor Burd), step 3. $20K/mo, Self-Reported
Test fast
Pivoted until a version resonated.
From Glam Up and Sprout (Nicole Cheung), step 2. $400K/mo, Self-Reported
Build viral loops
UGC creators on TikTok and Instagram.
From Glam Up and Sprout (Nicole Cheung), step 3. $400K/mo, Self-Reported
Talk to AI
Built in about two weeks.
From 3AK (Christian and Braylin), step 2. $20K+/mo, Self-Reported
Test pricing
Tested yearly plans heavily.
From 3AK (Christian and Braylin), step 3. $20K+/mo, Self-Reported
Build with an AI coding tool
With minimal coding experience he built the app with Claude, using Supabase, Vercel, Expo and RevenueCat around it.
From Maxed AI (Max Hirsch), step 2. About $14K to $15K a month, Self-Reported
Use a hard paywall
On advice from a more experienced app builder, he dropped the free, ad-supported plan and charges $24.99 a year upfront.
From Maxed AI (Max Hirsch), step 3. About $14K to $15K a month, Self-Reported
Launch with a lifetime deal
An AppSumo campaign brought in $120K and a large first wave of users.
From Motionvid.ai (Anatoly Pashias), step 2. $7K MRR, after $120K from an AppSumo campaign, Self-Reported
Convert to subscriptions
Since the campaign he says recurring revenue has grown about 40% month over month to $7K MRR.
From Motionvid.ai (Anatoly Pashias), step 3. $7K MRR, after $120K from an AppSumo campaign, Self-Reported
Validate before quitting
The interview says they validated the idea by analyzing forums and reviews before leaving their jobs.
From AI Toolbox (Adi Leviim and Mohammad El-Esawi), step 2. 5-figure MRR (more than $10K a month), Self-Reported
Ship a cheap first version
The first version took about two weeks and about $32, then launched on the Chrome Web Store.
From AI Toolbox (Adi Leviim and Mohammad El-Esawi), step 3. 5-figure MRR (more than $10K a month), Self-Reported
Build tools for one audience
Every product targets busy founders, so the products can promote each other.
From John Rush (Unicorn Platform, SEO Bot), step 2. About $3M a year combined, Self-Reported
Cross-promote across the portfolio
Free and smaller products bring audience to the paid ones.
From John Rush (Unicorn Platform, SEO Bot), step 3. About $3M a year combined, Self-Reported
Ship a focused AI tool
AI Crea does one job: restyle a room photo.
From AI Crea (Pauline), step 2. About 8K euros a month, Self-Reported
Go where the clients are
She found real estate agents through Facebook and physical events.
From AI Crea (Pauline), step 3. About 8K euros a month, Self-Reported
Build AI apps for clear use cases
Supermeme makes memes and the second app generates questions.
From Supermeme (Ramsri), step 2. A little over $100K a year, Self-Reported
Run them on autopilot
He now does a couple of hours of updates and fixes on Saturdays.
From Supermeme (Ramsri), step 3. A little over $100K a year, Self-Reported
Narrow a broad idea
A horizontal AI marketing tool became a short-form video tool for solo builders.
From Fastlane (Gaurav), step 2. About $69K a month in recurring revenue, Self-Reported
Launch to paid beta users first
They started from about $16K ARR from beta users before the public launch.
From Fastlane (Gaurav), step 3. About $69K a month in recurring revenue, Self-Reported
Vibe code the first version
He built the whole project with Cursor in about a week.
From ToneAdapt (Kyan), step 2. $25K a month, Self-Reported
Post every day with your face on it
He posted three times a day across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook.
From ToneAdapt (Kyan), step 3. $25K a month, Self-Reported
Build with AI
A designer without a developer background built it with AI help.
From Cat on Chair (Ryan), step 2. Over $18K a month, Self-Reported
Let others share it
App roundup posts by Instagram influencers and later Threads posts made it go viral.
From Cat on Chair (Ryan), step 3. Over $18K a month, Self-Reported
Build an MVP fast
He built AI Carousels in a 10-day challenge and launched on Product Hunt.
From AI Carousels and Resume Maker Online (Fernando Pessagno), step 2. About $15K MRR, Self-Reported
Grow with SEO and free tools
He built about 30 free tools that point to the main products.
From AI Carousels and Resume Maker Online (Fernando Pessagno), step 3. About $15K MRR, Self-Reported
Vibe code the product
She built the app with Claude and Google AI Studio and says speed matters most.
From Stella (Sarah, Hot High Priestess), step 2. Over $300K in MRR, Self-Reported
Launch to your own followers
Her personal brand brought in paying users fast.
From Stella (Sarah, Hot High Priestess), step 3. Over $300K in MRR, Self-Reported
Personalize with AI
The app generates content for each user instead of generic affirmations.
From Wakes (Reza), step 2. Close to $30K a month, Self-Reported
Build without writing code
He shipped the app without writing code himself.
From Wakes (Reza), step 3. Close to $30K a month, Self-Reported
Validate a new niche
He checked rising search keywords and many influencers talking about quitting sugar.
From STOPPR (David Attias), step 2. $12K a month, Self-Reported
Rebuild fast with AI
He used Cursor to build the new version in about a month.
From STOPPR (David Attias), step 3. $12K a month, Self-Reported
Build what you know
He chose a game because he knew gaming well.
From Ken (solo mobile game developer), step 2. $155K in revenue, Self-Reported
Post honestly on Reddit
A Reddit post took revenue from about $1,000 to about $10,000 a month.
From Ken (solo mobile game developer), step 3. $155K in revenue, Self-Reported
Build with AI prompting
He had a working version after two weeks with Cursor.
From Tomer (AI calorie tracker app), step 2. Over $80K a month, Self-Reported
Use the cheapest channel
He found paid ads profitable because local ad prices are lower than in the US.
From Tomer (AI calorie tracker app), step 3. Over $80K a month, Self-Reported
Build with no code
He learned Bubble from YouTube and built in a couple of weeks.
From Formula Bot (David Bressler), step 2. About $26K a month in recurring revenue, Self-Reported
Launch where users already are
He posted it as a free AI Excel formula generator on the Excel subreddit.
From Formula Bot (David Bressler), step 3. About $26K a month in recurring revenue, Self-Reported
Pair a simple ritual with AI
A daily question keeps couples coming back and feeds the AI coach.
From Flame, step 2. $10K MRR, Self-Reported
Run many organic accounts
Every TikTok account they run is tracked in a spreadsheet.
From Flame, step 3. $10K MRR, Self-Reported
Move fast on new models
They were among the first image-to-video sites after a new open model came out.
From BasedLabs (Andrew and Michael), step 2. $10,000 MRR, Self-Reported
Use free tools as marketing
Free AI tools bring in users who later pay.
From BasedLabs (Andrew and Michael), step 3. $10,000 MRR, Self-Reported
Price for scale
They say costs fall as new models arrive, so users can publish at scale.
From Cuppa AI (Ryan Darani, Chris Riley and Dan Beynon), step 2. $30,000 MRR, Self-Reported
Ship new models fast
Each new text or image model is added within days.
From Cuppa AI (Ryan Darani, Chris Riley and Dan Beynon), step 3. $30,000 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
Launch lean
A small team launched in April 2021.
From Rytr (Abhi), step 2. Seven figures in ARR, Self-Reported
Grow a large free and paid base
He says it now serves more than 300,000 customers.
From Rytr (Abhi), step 3. Seven figures in ARR, Self-Reported
Ship a prototype in two weeks
He launched the platform two weeks after starting.
From NinjaPear (Steven Goh), step 2. Over $15K in a month, Self-Reported
Use what you already have
He reached past Proxycurl users and a newsletter he kept after the sale.
From NinjaPear (Steven Goh), step 3. Over $15K in a month, Self-Reported
Launch an AI tool for that audience
RightBlogger had paying customers in its first week.
From RightBlogger (Ryan Robinson), step 2. $350K ARR, Self-Reported
Pivot to automation
Product fit came after moving to full blog automation.
From RightBlogger (Ryan Robinson), step 3. $350K ARR, Self-Reported
Reuse a proven app for a new niche
Scanemon applies the same scanner to Pokemon cards.
From Cardstock and Scanemon (Kyle Fowler), step 2. $120K a month, Self-Reported
Use AI to ship the next app fast
Cursor's agent generated the Scanemon MVP in a day.
From Cardstock and Scanemon (Kyle Fowler), step 3. $120K a month, Self-Reported
Make ad creative with AI
He produces many test videos cheaply.
From Glowly and Overload (Will Baker), step 2. Over $10K a month, Self-Reported
Scale what works with paid ads
He relies on ads instead of posting all day.
From Glowly and Overload (Will Baker), step 3. Over $10K a month, Self-Reported
Build in public
He shared development progress on social media.
From HabitKit (Sebastian), step 2. $15K MRR, Self-Reported
Optimize for App Store search
He ranks for important keywords like habit tracker.
From HabitKit (Sebastian), step 3. $15K MRR, Self-Reported
Open it to others
Founders asked for the same help, so he offered it as a service.
From Sergiu Chiriac (AI Directories), step 2. Over $10K a month across his projects; record month $15.7K, Self-Reported
Build a feedback loop
He expanded with what customers asked for.
From Sergiu Chiriac (AI Directories), step 3. Over $10K a month across his projects; record month $15.7K, Self-Reported
Automate it
He built software to do the same process.
From Romàn Czerny (Gojiberry AI), step 2. $27K MRR, Self-Reported
Narrow the ICP
He focused on a tighter customer profile.
From Romàn Czerny (Gojiberry AI), step 3. $27K MRR, Self-Reported
Price by credits
Customers pay for usage through credits.
From Richard Wang (Leadmore AI), step 2. Over $30K MRR, Self-Reported
Grow through content
Content marketing and relationships drive growth.
From Richard Wang (Leadmore AI), step 3. Over $30K MRR, 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
Learn from a collapse
His first $10K MRR business went to zero.
From Timo Tzschetzsch (Setter AI), step 2. $10K+ MRR, Self-Reported
Go high ticket
Setter AI is sold high ticket with a high-touch approach.
From Timo Tzschetzsch (Setter AI), step 3. $10K+ 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
Follow the signal
Appearance-changing apps got the most interest.
From Wesley Tian (Aragon), step 2. Over $10M a year, Self-Reported
Build the product
He launched an AI headshot product.
From Wesley Tian (Aragon), step 3. Over $10M a year, Self-Reported
Extend with AI
He used GPT-4 to write APIs to keep up with competitors.
From Sebastian Volkis (TrendFeed, CodeSpring, ChatIQ), step 2. About $9.7K MRR in two months (ChatIQ), Self-Reported
Launch to a following
He launched to his audience and used a webinar funnel.
From Sebastian Volkis (TrendFeed, CodeSpring, ChatIQ), step 3. About $9.7K MRR in two months (ChatIQ), Self-Reported
Ship a basic MVP
They launched free with ads.
From Pranay Agarwal (Mockey.ai), step 2. About $12K a month, Self-Reported
Add subscriptions
Paid plans alongside ads raised revenue.
From Pranay Agarwal (Mockey.ai), step 3. About $12K a month, Self-Reported
Document on YouTube
He shared the build on YouTube.
From Vasco Monteiro (Journalist AI), step 2. $70K+ MRR, Self-Reported
Grow via YouTube
The channel became the growth engine.
From Vasco Monteiro (Journalist AI), step 3. $70K+ MRR, 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
Validate quickly
Two weeks of validation before quitting.
From Sveta Bay and Dan Kulkov (FounderPal, Makerbox), step 2. $20K a month, Self-Reported
Win SEO with free AI tools
Free tools attract search traffic.
From Sveta Bay and Dan Kulkov (FounderPal, Makerbox), step 3. $20K a month, Self-Reported
Build early
He built an AI product before the wave.
From Sébastien Night (OneTake AI), step 2. $500K ARR ($42K MRR), Self-Reported
Ride the wave
Interest in AI accelerated growth.
From Sébastien Night (OneTake AI), step 3. $500K ARR ($42K MRR), Self-Reported
Build on ChatGPT
He started building after using ChatGPT.
From Mark Gadala (Post Cheetah), step 2. A little over $3K MRR, Self-Reported
Launch without ads
Early growth came without paid ads.
From Mark Gadala (Post Cheetah), step 3. A little over $3K MRR, Self-Reported
Build a custom model
A custom AI model became the advantage.
From Kevin Natanzon (CreatorKit), step 2. Six-figure ARR, Self-Reported
Focus
He says focus helped them ship faster.
From Kevin Natanzon (CreatorKit), step 3. Six-figure ARR, Self-Reported
Soft launch with a waitlist
They collected emails before opening access.
From Vika Loskutova and Obie Fernandez (Olympia), step 2. $6K MRR, Self-Reported
Track churn and LTV
They report MRR, churn and lifetime value.
From Vika Loskutova and Obie Fernandez (Olympia), step 3. $6K MRR, Self-Reported
Pick a niche
They focused on architects and interior designers.
From Rushab Jain and Vatsal Sanghvi (VisualizeAI), step 2. $30K acquisition, Self-Reported
Sell early
They sold the tool after three months.
From Rushab Jain and Vatsal Sanghvi (VisualizeAI), step 3. $30K acquisition, Self-Reported
Build a tech moat
The team built its own models.
From Anuja Dhawan (Dubverse), step 2. High six-figure ARR, Self-Reported
Charge from day one
They charged from the start.
From Anuja Dhawan (Dubverse), step 3. High six-figure ARR, Self-Reported
Keep what works
Revenue grew as some tools found users.
From Bilal Tahir (GPT Hotline, YOU-TLDR, PlainScribe), step 2. $2,500 a month, Self-Reported
Recap publicly
He shared his numbers on Indie Hackers.
From Bilal Tahir (GPT Hotline, YOU-TLDR, PlainScribe), step 3. $2,500 a month, Self-Reported
Productize
They turned it into self-serve software.
From Romain Torres (Arcads), step 2. $10M ARR, Self-Reported
Add enterprise sales
A small sales team closes large brand contracts.
From Romain Torres (Arcads), step 3. $10M ARR, Self-Reported
Edit the design
A visual editor adjusts templates.
From Marky (Arian Adeli), step 2. $21,888 MRR, Independently Documented
Schedule everywhere
Posts publish across connected platforms.
From Marky (Arian Adeli), step 3. $21,888 MRR, Independently Documented
Generate slides
AI writes and lays out the deck.
From MagicSlides.app (Sanskar Tiwari), step 2. $10,417 MRR, Independently Documented
Edit in Google Slides
Users refine inside Slides.
From MagicSlides.app (Sanskar Tiwari), step 3. $10,417 MRR, Independently Documented
Generate the book
AI writes the outline and chapters.
From GETebook.ai (Bogdan Dragomir), step 2. $9,150 MRR, Independently Documented
Export
Download PDF, EPUB or Word.
From GETebook.ai (Bogdan Dragomir), step 3. $9,150 MRR, Independently Documented
Generate
AI produces the video.
From Vidgenie.ai (Sourav Bhar), step 2. $5,585 MRR, Independently Documented
Post
Videos go to social platforms.
From Vidgenie.ai (Sourav Bhar), step 3. $5,585 MRR, Independently Documented
Generate a design
AI builds editable layouts.
From UXMagic.AI (Ronak Daga), step 2. $6,300 MRR, Independently Documented
Copy into Figma or Webflow
Edit sections by prompting.
From UXMagic.AI (Ronak Daga), step 3. $6,300 MRR, Independently Documented
Use AI advisors
Specialist assistants answer coaching questions.
From FootballGPT (Kevin Middleton), step 2. $5,356 MRR, Independently Documented
Share with players
Animated diagrams and notes.
From FootballGPT (Kevin Middleton), step 3. $5,356 MRR, Independently Documented
Convert
WPConvert rebuilds the site in WordPress.
From WPConvert.ai (Jose Montero), step 2. $3,310 MRR, Independently Documented
Run on WordPress
Keep WooCommerce, forms and blogs.
From WPConvert.ai (Jose Montero), step 3. $3,310 MRR, Independently Documented
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
Generate videos
AI makes the shorts.
From ShortsAuto.ai (Ahmad Tahir), step 2. $1,594 MRR, Independently Documented
Automate posting
Videos publish on schedule.
From ShortsAuto.ai (Ahmad Tahir), step 3. $1,594 MRR, Independently Documented
AI clips it
Moments, reframing and captions.
From OpenShorts (Carlos Gracia), step 2. $1,343 MRR, Independently Documented
Publish
Post to short-form platforms.
From OpenShorts (Carlos Gracia), step 3. $1,343 MRR, Independently Documented
Generate clips
AI selects and reframes moments.
From BlitzReels (Virgile Rietsch), step 2. $1,194 MRR, Independently Documented
Apply your style
Captions in your visual style.
From BlitzReels (Virgile Rietsch), step 3. $1,194 MRR, Independently Documented
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
AI dubs it
Voice cloning and lip-sync in other languages.
From VoiceCheap (Kevin Rousseau), step 2. $16,347 revenue in the last 30 days, Independently Documented
Publish
Subtitles and social automation help distribute it.
From VoiceCheap (Kevin Rousseau), step 3. $16,347 revenue in the last 30 days, Independently Documented
Screenshot a problem
The extension captures the question.
From Math AI (Andrew Kalita), step 2. $1,124 MRR, Independently Documented
Get a solution
AI returns the answer and steps.
From Math AI (Andrew Kalita), step 3. $1,124 MRR, Independently Documented
Pick a package
$29, $39 or $59.
From Novaheadshot (Chris Bora), step 2. $12,126 all-time revenue, Independently Documented
Get AI headshots
The tool generates the images.
From Novaheadshot (Chris Bora), step 3. $12,126 all-time revenue, Independently Documented
Study with AI
AI-generated practice and help.
From Evrika Study (Patrick Neicu), step 2. $115 MRR, Independently Documented
Subscribe
A paid plan unlocks more.
From Evrika Study (Patrick Neicu), step 3. $115 MRR, Independently Documented
Grow through SEO
Organic search brought most users.
From Tanya van Gastel (The Multiverse AI), step 2. About $350,000 over two years, Self-Reported
Add affiliates and AI search
Affiliate marketing and answer engine optimization added reach.
From Tanya van Gastel (The Multiverse AI), step 3. About $350,000 over two years, Self-Reported
Build a tracker
Track brand visibility across AI assistants.
From Jackie Chow (Trackings.ai), step 2. $25,000 to $30,000 a month, Self-Reported
Sell to SEO buyers
Use an existing SEO audience.
From Jackie Chow (Trackings.ai), step 3. $25,000 to $30,000 a month, Self-Reported
How they grew
Launch and grow through founders
AgentOS launched in August 2026 and reported more than 400 SaaS founders signed up by October.
From AgentOS (Panche Isajeski), step 4. $9.5K MRR, Self-Reported
Then teach the recipe
He follows each result with a tutorial and opens the full project, every prompt and generation, for anyone to copy.
From Kolbo.AI (Zohar Vanunu), step 4. About $60K a month, Self-Reported
Add affiliates
Customers who run the same loop on their own audiences earn a share of the revenue they bring in.
From Kolbo.AI (Zohar Vanunu), step 5. About $60K a month, Self-Reported
Extend the product
He added a Chrome extension and an MCP connection for AI-driven research, catalog and ad work.
From Launch Fast (Hasaam Bhatti), step 4. $30K MRR, Self-Reported
Add services
He now also takes build contracts and runs company workshops on agentic workflows.
From Launch Fast (Hasaam Bhatti), step 5. $30K MRR, Self-Reported
Market on X first
He tied the product to viral AI topics on X, which took it to its first $2,000 to $3,000 in MRR.
From Vugola (Vadim, @VadimStrizheus on X), step 4. About $11K MRR, Self-Reported
Post daily
He credits a daily content routine of about 45 minutes, including Instagram, for reaching $10K a month.
From Vugola (Vadim, @VadimStrizheus on X), step 5. About $11K MRR, Self-Reported
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
Sell for scale
He sold to Wix because, he wrote, the scale needed was hard to reach organically.
From Base44 (Maor Shlomo), step 4. $189,000 profit in one month, Partially Verified
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
Grow through partners
Affiliates, cold outreach and content drove growth, according to the outline.
From Lancer (Ivan Nedelkovski), step 4. $20K MRR, Self-Reported
Scale with creators and ads
They added influencer deals, a UGC creator program and Meta ads.
From MyFutureSelf (Giancarlo Sarti), step 4. $12.9K revenue in one month, Self-Reported
Scale with paid ads
The video covers growing organically first, then adding paid ads.
From Prayer Lock (Mau, @maubaron on X), step 4. $21,000 in sales in one month, Self-Reported
Sell to the market you know
He sells to Shopify brands, the clients he already understood.
From Profit AI (Jack, @jackdoesecom), step 4. $147,000 total since launch, Self-Reported
Launch to an existing audience
250 paying customers joined on day one.
From Stanley by Stan (Vitalii Dodonov), step 4. $50,000 MRR within six weeks, 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
List on directories
He listed it on Product Hunt, 10words and Uneed.
From AutoMemes.ai (Max Ibarra), step 4. Around $2,000/month, Self-Reported
Film yourself every day
He posts five to ten videos a day, studies hold and skip rates, and runs the best ones as paid ads.
From Maxed AI (Max Hirsch), step 4. About $14K to $15K a month, Self-Reported
Expand across AI platforms
They added support for Gemini, Claude and Grok, plus a search that spans all of them.
From AI Toolbox (Adi Leviim and Mohammad El-Esawi), step 4. 5-figure MRR (more than $10K a month), Self-Reported
Micro-SaaS & AI Products: common questions
How much do people make with Micro-SaaS & AI Products and AI?
Across the 98 of our 121 sourced cases that report a monthly figure, amounts range from $115 to $1,400,000 a month, with a median of $19,000. These are what each source reports, not typical results.
How much does it cost to start?
From $185 (domain and hosting) in the lowest documented case. 11 of 121 cases disclose a startup cost.
How long until the first dollar?
From under an hour to several weeks after launch in our cases. This comes from what our cases report.
Which AI tools do these cases use most?
ChatGPT (21 cases), Claude (19 cases), Cursor (18 cases), OpenAI API (10 cases), Bubble (4 cases). Only tools named in the sources are counted.
How reliable are these income figures?
17 of 121 cases are independently documented, meaning a news outlet says it reviewed records. 103 are self-reported. Every case links its source.
What are the main risks?
AI model providers can ship the same feature natively. API costs grow with usage and can squeeze margins. Early growth often depends on one viral launch.
How many of these cases say when they made their first dollar?
22 of 121 cases state a time to first revenue. For example: SiteGPT (Bhanu Teja Pachipulusu): "Within the first month"; TypingMind (Tony Dinh): "Shortly after the first weekend build"; Buildpad (Felix Heikka and his brother): "At the Product Hunt launch". The rest do not say, so treat any single timeline as one example, not a norm.
What went wrong or held these cases back?
121 of 121 cases list limitations or risks drawn from their sources. Examples: DimeADozen (Sal Aiello and Monica Powers): A thin layer over a general AI model is easy for competitors to copy; Cal AI (Zach Yadegari and Henry Langmack): Ad spending of about $770,000 a month makes margins sensitive to ad costs; SiteGPT (Bhanu Teja Pachipulusu): Growth relied on a rare viral launch week. 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.