My project makes $4.5k/mo at 15, but nobody takes a brown kid seriously

Hey everyone, 6 months ago I launched my tool while dealing with people assuming I'm either a scammer or my parents are doing the work for me.

It started when I got tired of pitching ideas and having VCs/accelerators basically ignore me the moment they saw my age and face on Zoom. One literally asked if my "dad was available to discuss the technical architecture." I built my tool partly out of spite - to help other young, overlooked founders validate ideas without needing anyone's permission.

First few months were brutal. Maybe $200-300/mo. Payment processors flagged my account multiple times (apparently a young POC with revenue is "suspicious"). Had to get my parents to co-sign everything, which just reinforced everyone's assumptions that this wasn't really "my" project.

The worst part? Online, where nobody sees my face or age, my content gets tons of engagement. The moment I show up to virtual meetups or post a photo, the tone shifts. DMs asking if I'm "really" coding this myself. Comments about how I should "focus on school" or subtle (and not so subtle) questions about whether this is legitimate.

But I kept building. Added AI validation features, grew to 180+ customers, and just hit $4.5k MRR. The irony? Some of my biggest customers have no idea they're buying from a 15-year-old brown kid they'd probably dismiss in person.

My parents still don't know the full numbers. They're supportive but also worried about me facing more discrimination if I become "too visible." They've seen enough of how the world works.

Anyone else building while dealing with this intersection of racism and ageism? How do you handle the constant need to prove yourself twice as hard?