500 sign-ups and 2 paying customers in two months. Where did I make a mistake?

500 sign-ups and 2 paying customers in two months. Here’s what I’ve learned from working on an AI Chatbot product:

I’ll admit, jumping into the "ChatGPT AI chatbot for websites" niche was a mistake. SMBs don’t gain enough value from AI chatbots compared to traditional live chat with human agents and basic automation.

My Key insights:

1. After reviewing 30+ competitors, I found that over 50% of their clients had stopped using AI chatbots altogether, with many switching back to human live chat—clear signs of low value and unmet expectations.

2. Launching a high-quality AI chatbot is harder than expected. It requires a lot of useful content, time, and expertise to craft tailored prompts that deliver good results. Most small businesses lack these resources.

3. Self-service and product-led growth (PLG) aren’t working good enough for this type of product right now. I fully agree with Jaspar Carmichael-Jack's post about shifting from PLG to a sales-driven approach. That’s why we now offer high-touch onboarding and personalized setup for our new product, AI Copilot.

AI chatbots are powerful tools, but not ideal for most small businesses. They need a robust knowledge base and careful prompt tuning to be effective. That’s why we’ve launched AI Learning Copilot, designed for companies with extensive documentation, complex products, and multiple users.

Curious about what AI Learning Copilot can do for you? Visit https://www.ordemio.com