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How to build AI products that make $$$

Every day 1000s of AI tools are launched, 99% of them fail to make sizeable revenue

Most of them are wrappers that use a bunch of API calls and often lack any kind of MOAT

But, there are tools that make much more recurring revenue than a lot of established startups

PhotoAI: $77K MRR
Chatbase: ~$70K MRR
InteriorAI: ~$53K MRR
PDFai: ~$30K MRR
SiteGPT: ~$17K MRR

So, Why are these tools successful?

  • Users don't care whether you are building a wrapper or not, as long you solve a problem for them - Users will use your product
  • Some of these have had an early mover's advantage
  • They have a good product and they have cracked distribution

Are these Venture Scaleable?

  • In their current form - most likely, No. Tech is of course not the moat here. Anyone can build but their distribution and deep consumer insight can become a moat helping them transform their current product into a highly defensible product or their B2C product becomes their segue into B2B SaaS.
    Worst case - these can be great Internet businesses to run :)

Are you looking to build a tool that leverages Generative AI?

  • Early mover advantage is prominent - If you can build something novel, Go build it but make sure you focus as much on distribution
  • If you're building something that already exists (or something similar exists), build only if you can distribute the product well enough

At 1811 Labs, we build, grow, scale, and sell products. We've built out six products to date, and sold two, and generated ~$30K in the past three months in revenue.

Some of our products include https://www.audionotes.app https://www.podnotes.app https://www.summarify.me https://www.headlinesai.pro

Here's a framework that we use to pick ideas ⚡️

  1. Product can be built out in 3-4 weeks
    The generative AI landscape is volatile. With new innovations happening very fast - It is very important to
    I don't think there's any point in building out complex workflows after spending months only to realize that a large model solves your use case out of the box.

  2. Clear Path to first 100 paying customers
    No point in building if you don't know who your user is and if they can't pay. Always build for users who have paying propensity and to whom you have clear access.

  3. The Idea shouldn't be operationally intensive
    Just so that you focus more on the product and growth

on November 18, 2023
  1. 2

    You also have to be popular with thousands of followers on Twitter.

  2. 2

    AI has changes the way how people build things!

  3. 1

    I am starting work on my own AI wrapper now. It is early and rough around the edges, but usable. Give it a go :-). https://www.botty.pro/

  4. 1

    Our product is also similar to Chatbase, and we are working hard to expand the influence of our product.

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    AI Agent Orchestration is going to be the next step.

  6. 1

    Ai as the answer in front of everything!

  7. 1

    As a founder of a AI startup I often wonder how these AI wrapper apps will grow and succeed in long term after the initial phase 🤔

    1. 2

      Calling it an “AI wrapper” is the same as calling dropbox a “file server wrapper”. There is value in the wrap!

      1. 1

        Don't get me wrong there is a tone of value! I'm just wondering in the long run how sustainable is to build a business on it and how you can grow that business. I know a lot of indie makers who created some profitable "AI wrapper" businesses but I have some concerns.

        1. the barrier of entry is so low that anybody can build these in a day (there was an AI side project that was created in 24 hours)
        2. volatility around openAI is concerning
    2. 2

      Yeah same here. I'm excited to see how this whole AI craze will play out

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