From life-changing exit to a $200k/mo business teaching AI
competency
Joshua Wöhle had a life-changing exit in kids' tech, then switched gears to ed tech. And when the AI wave came, he jumped on it and created Mindstone, which has become a leader in AI competency. Last month alone, it brought in $200k.
Here's Joshua on how he did it. 👇
Exiting and starting up
I'm an engineer by background and started my first company at 16.
After getting my CS degree, I started a company called SuperAwesome. It became one of the biggest kids' technology companies in the world and was acquired by Epic Games, the creators of Fortnite.
After that, I became interested in the education space and invested in about 50 different companies as an angel. I'm a limited partner and venture partner with Emerge Education.
About five years ago, I started Mindstone because I loved learning but disliked traditional education. I believed there was a better way to help people acquire valuable future skills.
Going all in on AI
About two and a half years ago, ChatGPT emerged and everything changed. We went all in on generative AI and, since then, we've built the largest practical AI community in the world.
Our focus is building an AI adoption platform for non-technical people, working with some of the biggest organizations in the world, from the Hyatt Hotel Corporation to Pearson, EBSCO, and smaller organizations with 200 people and up.
We’re most well-known for our AI Competency Program, helping non-technical people do more work — and better work — in less time. The program takes only 10 hours and is delivered over four weeks, typically more than doubling AI usage in the companies we work with.
We began generating revenue at the start of 2024, and last month alone, we've exceeded $200k in revenue.
Finding the right model
Learning is difficult, which is why many successful tech entrepreneurs fail when they try to make a difference in education.
We did too. The biggest thing I learned over the past five years building Mindstone is that most people don't like learning. This is hard for technologists to understand, where learning is core to thriving. If you don't like learning, you will never become a great engineer.
We built Mindstone and didn't find product-market fit until the generative AI boom with ChatGPT. Suddenly, the world shifted, and learning became non-optional. Learning in most companies shifted from a retention tool to a measurable ROI impact program, and we had to adapt.
We spent three years building the platform before commercializing it, finally finding the form factor and product that worked. We landed on a hybrid live async approach, which we wouldn't have considered five years ago.
As a software engineer and SaaS entrepreneur, we were focused on the theoretical perfection of a SaaS product that didn't require scaling people to scale revenue. Those days are gone, and it doesn't work in learning. Live demos incorporated into the product are core to its effectiveness.
We were fortunate because I started Mindstone after successfully building SuperAwesome, which made funding much easier. We wouldn't be here today without that foundation. It took multiple attempts to reach our current position, and without those opportunities, the company would have failed.
This is something I believe companies in the US understand better than those in the UK or Europe — the ability to have multiple attempts. We raised money from Moonfire Ventures and supplemented it with funds from Pearson Ventures, Mustard Seed MAZE, Zanichelli Venture, and Learn Start.
Tech stack
We're built on Google Cloud, with the back end in Go and the front end in JavaScript. We are also progressively transitioning to AI-first stacks like Replit for certain aspects.
Grow via community
I found myself unexpectedly fortunate when everything surrounding generative AI began to surge. I spent a few weeks on the West Coast assessing whether Europe was lagging. My concern was that if Europe was behind, and AI was indeed going to be a game changer, continuing to build the company would not be wise.
However, I discovered that the technology dialogue in London was not lagging. In fact, it was somewhat more sophisticated. Yet, every conversation in the US focused on utilizing this technology to create impressive innovations. Upon returning to Europe, the focus was more on concerns like privacy and existential risks.
To address this, I initiated a small AI community to bring friends together for demos of our projects. This community has since grown into the world's largest practical AI community. We host live meetups in cities such as London, Lisbon, Madrid, Amsterdam, Berlin, Helsinki, Paris, Milan, Toronto, New York, and Boston.
This community has been our growth leverage. It allowed us to exceed expectations, generate referrals, and establish our credibility in understanding how this technology applies in daily contexts better than others.
Find the right messaging
My biggest mistake was my initial understanding of how people relate to learning.
I used to believe our job was to kindle a fire, to inspire a love of learning. I no longer think that. For most people, learning is daunting. They do it to achieve a specific goal. So, our role is to outline that goal, help them see how learning will lead them there, and support them throughout so they can feel their daily progress.
Don't lean into consensus
From a company-building perspective, the biggest lesson I've learned is not to lean into consensus.
I used to think having a team with diverse opinions, working together to define the company's direction, would yield the best outcome. However, you're already up against the odds, and if you dilute a specific vision, you end up with a watered-down version.
Instead of leaning into consensus, I would lean into a particular direction and double down on it. This approach provides better market messaging, a faster route to product-market fit, and sets a much clearer direction for the team.
It also enables better hiring and improved performance evaluation across the board.
Find your community
I'm fortunate to be surrounded by like-minded entrepreneurs. One of the greatest resources I've had is the ICE founder network in London, with 475 founders who regularly gather to share stories, go on trips, and genuinely connect.
I believe there's a high chance that without this network, my company would not have succeeded.
Start today
There has never been a better time to build. The barrier to entry for building anything online is continually being lowered, and the speed of change is so fast it becomes easier to compete, even with years of experience. Anyone still building the same way they did two years ago is at a disadvantage.
Starting today from zero means you have little catching up to do. When done right, you can leverage previous experience, giving you an edge. The hardest part is realizing you really can just build.
Start with a platform like Replit or Lovable. Whenever you encounter a hurdle, use AI to understand how to overcome it. Starting today, I'm confident that technology will likely evolve faster than you can learn.
What's next?
With everything happening in AI, it's easy to dismiss some of it as hype, but I am convinced that we are experiencing the most significant transformation in human history.
We face two potential futures: One where everything is automated, leading to job losses and societal unrest. And another where we equip everyone with the tools and skills to harness this technology to achieve their goals.
In the second scenario, the benefits of this technology will be distributed more evenly than in the first. Our focus is on steering the future toward that second scenario.
You can find us on mindstone.com and follow me on LinkedIn, where I share practical AI use cases for non-technical people. Or join one of our events at community.mindstone.com/events.
Leave a Comment
The part about people not loving learning really stood out to me I see the same pattern in product design users rarely engage just for the sake of it they need a clear goal and visible progress and when that’s missing adoption always drops your approach of framing learning around outcomes feels spot on.
What a story! Very inspirational
inspiring
Build a strong community is key
Really respect how you pivoted and scaled with purpose, inspiring and refreshingly.
Great to see someone leveraging their tech success to address the AI skills gap. From gaming to education is an interesting pivot - shows how transferable entrepreneurial skills can be across different industries
Amazing numbers—what role did community feedback play in this rise?
What learning should be taken away from this article? I appreciate the coverage of successful founders, but there's very little substance here that indie hackers can use to achieve success with their own projects.
This is nothing more than an advertise for their product, lol
So interesting. Let's connect. [email protected].
From gaming to AI mastery—Joshua Wöhle proves that pivoting with purpose and leveraging AI isn't just smart; it's the future
That’s an incredible journey. What made you decide to jump back into building after such a big exit?
This perspective resonates strongly. While hype is inevitable in any breakthrough AI’s potential impact is undeniable. The real challenge isn’t just building advanced systems, but ensuring accessibility and understanding for everyone. If we focus on education, upskilling, and practical use cases, we can turn fear of automation into empowerment. By giving people the ability to leverage AI in their work and personal lives, we create a more balanced and equitable future. It’s encouraging to see initiatives aimed at guiding society toward that vision, where opportunity is shared and technology becomes a tool for progress rather than division.
"The barrier to entry for building anything online is continually being lowered" - 100% true! I am a mechanical engineer by degree, knowing only HTML and CSS, but now I make Javascript based apps that do things I could never imagine. Congrats to you buiness btw!
Really enjoyed this, especially the shift from doing the obvious to doing the meaningful. That “AI competency” focus hits home. I’ve been building Impartoo, a site that curates Top 10 stock, ETF, and crypto lists to help simplify investing for everyday people. Similar mindset: filter out noise, deliver signal.
Appreciate you sharing your process transparently, following along now.
good
That’s seriously impressive — turning a successful exit into a high-impact business teaching AI skills is such a smart move, especially as demand skyrockets for practical AI knowledge. The fact that it's generating $200k/month shows how valuable structured, hands-on education is right now.
Speaking of tech tools and learning curves, I’ve been exploring Bloxstrap lately in the Roblox dev space. It’s a lightweight yet powerful launcher that gives developers more flexibility when working with Roblox Studio — super helpful for anyone building or testing mods. While it's niche compared to the AI boom, it highlights how developer tooling (big or small) can unlock creativity and control. 🔧
👉: bloxstrap
Anyone else combining AI learning with game or platform customization like this?
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This was a masterclass in product resilience, thank you for sharing so candidly.
A few reflections that really stood out:
“Most people don’t like learning.” — This insight hit hard. As a builder, I take learning for granted. But you’re right: for many, it’s a means to an end, not a joy in itself. Your pivot from inspiration to outcome-driven messaging is a lesson I’ll carry forward.
Leaning away from consensus — The courage to hold a strong vision, especially when product-market fit hasn’t arrived yet, is underrated. It’s tempting to crowdsource strategy, but you made a compelling case for directional clarity.
Community as leverage — Watching how you transformed a local demo group into the largest practical AI community is both inspiring and tactical. The geo-distributed meetups especially stood out — it’s not just about online noise, but meaningful, local human connection.
Also, love how you’ve embraced hybrid delivery in learning. It's a powerful reminder that not everything needs to be infinitely scalable to be highly effective.
Question: Now that AI adoption has become a measurable ROI issue for enterprises, do you think we’re headed toward a new kind of “L&D as RevOps” model? Curious how you see this evolving structurally inside organizations.
Rooting for you as you aim to reshape learning infrastructure from the ground up 🚀
Mind-blowing journey. Love how you went from exit to something just as impactful — and probably more fulfilling.
Do you think the success of your AI education business comes more from content quality, audience building, or timing?
I feel like there’s still massive opportunity in this space, especially with niche use cases. Thanks for sharing your path so openly!
Well done.
The core competitive advantages lie in product recognition and promotion. How are these two aspects handled?
This is awesome — what tech stack did you use
This is an inspiring journey
Inspiring journey, Joshua. ☺
Impressed by your ability to adapt and build something so impactful. Your journey is both motivating and thought-provoking.
thank you for sharing your growth experiences. "In that time, I've interviewed hundreds of startup founders about their wins, losses, and lessons.". It impressed me.
Really interesting to read this—especially the shift from a high-stakes exit to something more community-driven and educational. I’ve been wrestling with the opposite problem: building a tiny, affordable tool ($1/month) that people like, but struggling to find paying users who see it as more than a novelty.
Your focus on “AI competency” struck a chord. I think there’s still a huge gap between curiosity and confidence when it comes to AI tools—most folks want the magic but freeze at the jargon. Framing it as a competency instead of a tech stack feels like a smart way in.
Appreciate you sharing this without the usual humblebrag filter. Made me reflect a bit deeper on the value I'm offering—and how clearly I'm communicating it.
Congrats!!!
Loved this deep dive on Joshua Wöhle and Mindstone. Wild how it took years to find PMF — and then everything clicked once AI made learning unavoidable.
Biggest takeaway for me: don't assume people want to learn. Most just want to solve problems.
Also, building a real community > chasing paid ads.
What you say is something that’s always on my mind. Industry, the whole world feels more unpredictable than ever before. Just look how fast AI is moving. I really believe it’s crucial that we give people the tools and knowledge. If we don’t, it feels like we’re just sitting back and watching as automation wipes out a ton of jobs. Maybe it is our "new job" as software developers.
Inspiring journey, Joshua. Love how you pivoted from kids’ tech to edtech and found real product-market fit by leaning into AI at just the right time. The honesty about learning being hard for most people and adapting your model accordingly - is gold. Really respect how you pivoted and scaled with purpose, inspiring and refreshingly.
Inspiring journey, Joshua. Love how you pivoted from kids’ tech to edtech and found real product-market fit by leaning into AI at just the right time. The honesty about learning being hard for most people and adapting your model accordingly - is gold. The emphasis on community-led growth and decisive vision is a huge takeaway. Thanks for sharing this roadmap! Would love to connect. I am writing a book on startups and your experience of interviewing hundreds of startup founders will be a massive learning.
Amazing journey, Joshua! It's inspiring to see your transition from kids' tech to AI competency. Building Mindstone and finding success in generative AI is truly impressive. Your insights on learning and the importance of community are invaluable. Keep up the fantastic work in steering the future towards a more equitable distribution of technology's benefits. Looking forward to following your continued success!
Really inspiring post! I really appreciate the insights of your journey. It made think about some aspects in a new way. I love the idea of Mindstone and the vision behind it. I'm happy for your success!
Amazing journey — from SuperAwesome to Mindstone and leading the AI adoption wave, it's inspiring to see how persistence and community-driven growth can reshape industries. Just like how platforms like DixMax APK disrupted media access, your work is transforming how non-technical users engage with AI. Keep building the future!
An inspiring journey from a life-changing exit to building a $200k/month AI teaching business. Loved the practical insights and passion for empowering creators with AI skills. Truly motivating and informative!
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Truly inspiring journey from a major exit to building a 200K per month AI business shows how passion and perseverance can redefine success. Thanks for sharing your experience and insights
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I've spent nearly a decade writing for Indie Hackers, interviewing hundreds of founders about their journeys. I also cofounded dbrief and LoomFlows, and write two newsletters: SaaS Watch and Ancient Beat.
Building such a strong community is clearly a game-changer. Thanks for sharing this inspiring story!
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ChatGPT said:
Joshua Wöhle's journey is truly inspiring! From his exit in kids' tech with SuperAwesome to his pivot into ed tech with Mindstone, he's exemplified the power of adaptability and seizing opportunities at the right time. His focus on generative AI and building a community-driven approach has clearly paid off, especially with the AI Competency Program and a $200k revenue milestone in just one month.
I especially resonate with his thoughts on the importance of not just focusing on the theoretical perfection of a SaaS product but incorporating live demos to enhance effectiveness. His advice on learning being a tool for achieving specific goals, rather than simply a passion, is a valuable mindset shift.
The key takeaways? Go all in on emerging tech, find the right community, and don't be afraid to start today, even from scratch. The future of AI is bright, and as Joshua points out, it’s about empowering people to harness this technology for real-world impact.
Excited to see where Mindstone heads next! 🌟
Amazing path – it's daring and incredibly relevant in today's environment to go from a successful exit to creating a $200K/month business teaching AI abilities. The emphasis on competence rather than hype, which the AI industry desperately needs more of, is what most stands out
Love this take. I’m working on an AI-driven DIY platform and it’s exciting to see how AI is disrupting hands-on industries. How do you see AI playing out in consumer markets?
This is an incredible breakdown — raw, honest, and full of insights most founders don’t talk about until much later (or ever).
I really resonated with your point about how people relate to learning. That mindset shift — from “inspiring a love of learning” to “helping people get somewhere specific” — is game-changing. It’s something I’ve been slowly learning myself as I try to build things people actually stick with.
Also loved your reflections on consensus. It’s so tempting to think alignment = strength, but clarity of direction (even if risky) creates way more momentum than watering down a bold idea.
Your story is an incredible reminder that it’s not just about the tech — it’s about how you deliver it, who you’re building for, and how well you understand them. Massive respect for where you’ve taken this. Definitely bookmarking this thread. 🔥
Incredible journey! Inspiring to see how AI skills can scale into a $200K/month business—huge motivation for creators.
am inspired and fired up. Thank you
Great to see someone leveraging their tech success to address the AI skills gap. From gaming to education is an interesting pivot .
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This article highlights successful founders, which is appreciated, but it lacks actionable insights that indie hackers can apply to grow their own projects. There's little practical takeaway here.
This is an inspiring and refreshingly honest breakdown of what it really takes to build a successful edtech business in the age of AI. Joshua Wöhle’s journey highlights not just technical pivots, but also a major mindset shift—from idealistic views of education to practical, ROI-driven learning outcomes. The emphasis on community, hands-on adoption, and acknowledging that most people don’t inherently love learning is a powerful lesson for anyone building in this space.
Thanks for sharing
Incredible journey — really respect how you pivoted and scaled with purpose. At DenverJackets, we vibe with that same philosophy: high-quality, low-hype craftsmanship over flash. Whether it’s building timeless outerwear or AI platforms, it’s all about precision, direction, and community. Respect.
Congrats!
Absolutely incredible journey — going from a successful exit to building a $200K/month business teaching AI skills is both bold and deeply relevant in today’s world. What stands out most is the focus on competency over hype, which is something the AI space sorely needs more of.
The clarity in how you positioned the offering — real-world, applicable skills over generic theory — is a great takeaway. It reminds indie creators that value compounds when you focus on teaching what works, not just what’s trending.
Thanks for sharing the full story — super motivating and loaded with actionable insights for anyone building in the AI or education space!
Thanks for highlighting these inspiring success stories. That said, I think the article could be even more valuable with more actionable takeaways or insights—what specifically did these founders do that indie hackers can realistically apply to their own journey? A breakdown of strategies, mistakes to avoid, or early challenges would really help bridge the gap between inspiration and execution.
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Absolutely agree with this point. While the success stories are truly motivating, a deeper dive into the how—like the specific steps taken, challenges faced, or lessons learned—would make the content much more actionable for the community. It's those behind-the-scenes insights that really help indie hackers turn inspiration into implementation.
I like your point about tailoring the messaging to people’s specific needs and clearly showing the transformation they’ll get from your product. Shifting from focusing on inspiration to focusing on concrete outcomes makes it feel much more tangible.
This is a masterclass in founder evolution — from building a kids' tech giant to redefining how adults learn with AI. Love how you highlight that most people don’t love learning — they just want results. That clarity is rare and so powerful. Also, your insight on not leaning into consensus really resonates — strong direction > watered-down alignment.
What i learn here is that as a founder just go with the hype too, if it works out fine, if t doesn't fine, its better than regretting you missed out (FOMO)
This is seriously impressive! Love seeing how you transitioned from an exit to building something this impactful around AI. Would love to learn from your journey — hoping to build something meaningful in this space too someday.
Incredible journey, Joshua! A couple of thoughts:
Curriculum depth vs. breadth: How do you balance teaching foundational AI concepts (math, algorithms) vs. practical tools (APIs, frameworks) to keep learners engaged?
Scaling live support: As you grow beyond cohorts, what role will 1:1 coaching play vs. on-demand materials?
Community & network effect: Have you considered alumni-driven mentorship or peer groups to boost retention and referrals?
Love how you leveraged your exit insights into an education business—mind if I connect to learn how you structure your cohort feedback loop?
Great to see someone leveraging their tech success to address the AI skills gap. From gaming to education is an interesting pivot - shows how transferable entrepreneurial skills can be across different industries
After nearly a decade of writing for Indie Hackers, interviewing hundreds of startup founders, and diving deep into their journeys, I've learned that the true value lies in sharing both the wins and losses. This has been a foundational principle in my work, whether it's through dbrief, the AI-powered interview assistant, or LoomFlows, a platform designed to gather customer feedback through Loom.
I also have the privilege of curating two newsletters: SaaS Watch, where I uncover micro-SaaS acquisition opportunities, and Ancient Beat, a newsletter dedicated to the latest in archaeology and anthropology.
In a world where startups pivot, iterate, and evolve, my mission is to distill those lessons into actionable insights for founders and curious minds alike. Looking forward to continuing the journey!
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This really resonates—hearing the real, unfiltered stories behind startup journeys is incredibly valuable. As someone growing a small business in the UAE, I’ve found that learning from both successes and struggles applies across the board, even in areas like finding reliable bookkeeping-services-uae. It’s those practical lessons that help us make smarter, more confident decisions. Appreciate your dedication to sharing these insights!
Congrats, and thanks for sharing.
Its interesting what you say about the nature learning wrt engineers, I'm also wondering whether this is a blind spot for me, assuming that people (including myself) will just spontaneously do the hard work of tackling unfamiliar things.
Also quite agree with the idea that the future of AI means a lot more learning, and more advantages for those who do, I wrote about that in relation to the thing I'm building (Loose Thought).
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