My first startup: Building Ayno to make my AI workspaces less chaotic
My first startup: building Ayno to make AI workspaces less chaotic
A few months ago, I realised I was wasting more time switching between AI tools than actually using them. I’d jump between ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Grok, constantly copying text, losing conversations, and forgetting which model gave me which answer.
Instead of just dealing with it, I decided to try building a solution. That’s how Ayno started.
First-time founder reality check
This is my first ever startup. My background is in offshore wind projects, not software, not startups, not marketing. Suddenly I’m wearing every hat at once: figuring out APIs, writing copy, managing a developer, and trying to build an audience.
Nothing about it has been straightforward. Every week feels like a crash course in something new.
Challenges so far
- Getting multiple AI APIs to play nicely together (it’s way more complex than I thought).
- Deciding where to focus, do I polish the UI or add new features?
- Staying consistent with marketing while still in heavy build mode.
- Fighting the voice in my head that says “maybe you should just quit and go back to your day job.”
Small wins that keep me going
- Watching beta testers actually use it, and hearing real feedback on which direction people would like the product to go
- Realising the “boring” features (like being able to save and search) are the ones people value most.
- Learning faster in a few months of building than I did in years of regular work.
Where Ayno is today
- Live in beta with a small group of testers.
- Core features: chat across models, save/search, organise conversations into projects.
- Still missing: Prompt Generator, Templates, and a proper UI polish.
What’s next
- Launch Templates & Generator.
- Improve the UI.
- Prep for a wider launch in the next couple of weeks.
- Begin preparing phase 2 updates
Personal reflection
The hardest part hasn’t been the tech, it’s been the mindset. Learning to be patient, to take messy progress over perfection, and to keep showing up even when it feels slow. I know the product wont be the perfect final package on release but i guess that is all MVP's!
If nothing else, building this startup is teaching me how much you can learn once you put yourself on the hook.
Over to you
If you’re also a first-time founder, how do you decide what to prioritise when everything feels urgent?
And if you’ve ever tried wrangling multiple AI tools at once, I’d love to hear how you’ve handled the chaos.
PS: If anyone’s curious about the beta, happy to share invites, just DM me.
