From Yerba Mate to AI Headshots: Jonathan’s Leap into Tech

Jakob here 🖐

In my newsletter Fake Mayo I share weekly stories (interviews) of how founders got their first customers.

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Jonathan Kraayenbrink spent over a decade building Un Mate, a successful yerba mate export business. But as revenue grew, so did complexity—logistics, delays, and inventory headaches. Eventually, he realized he didn’t want to scale a business that didn’t scale with his life.

He sold his shares, enrolled in a Master’s in Data & AI, and set out to join the tech world. But after six months of rejections, he stopped waiting for a break—and built his own.

Needing professional photos (and dreading photo sessions), he combined his frustration with his curiosity in AI image generation. The result: AISelfi, an AI photo studio that transforms regular photos into professional headshots.

Jonathan had no coding background. He used ChatGPT, copied code, and patched together a working MVP. He launched in October 2024. In just three days: 550 visitors, 4 paying users, and his first sale from a total stranger.

Since then, he's built traction through testimonials, free tools, and an affiliate program. AISelfi earned $2,241 in its first month—bootstrapped, solo, and built from scratch.

Jonathan’s story proves you don’t need funding or tech credentials—just a real problem and the drive to solve it.

Read the full story
https://www.fakemayo.com/p/how-jonathan-bootstrapped-an-ai-product-without-knowing-how-to-code

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