3 weeks ago, I brought ChatGPT on board as my CTO. We crafted a Chrome extension and received $1k worth of pre-orders within 24h.
Today, I sold it on Acquire. Fastest launch to exit ever! What have I learned? Why did I sell? What’s up next?
My next project is https://mentalwalk.com. I created this tool for myself to improve my thinking skills. Join me as I build a community around it.
I also use Twitter to document my experiences https://twitter.com/ihorstefurak.
What did I learn?
• ChatGPT developed a working project in just 10 hours. I played the role of prompt engineer. Was it easy? Somewhat. Can a non-tech person do it? Yes, if they understand the code. Can a human developer do it faster and better? Undoubtedly.
• The entire story of launching the extension can be found here:
• FOMO is real, and it spreads like wildfire. The day after the launch, I saw many makers trying to capitalize on the same idea without success. The entry barrier was low, but grabbing attention was crucial. I had a story to share, and it made all the difference.
• New week — a new trend. AI agents have been making quite a splash this week, at least within my Twitter circle.
• A marketing strategy is essential, and winging it won’t cut it. Most of those who launched after me relied on Twitter for user acquisition. I knew from the get-go that I needed a more comprehensive approach.
• I managed to get a feature in Bent Tossel’s AI newsletter, reached out to TikTok influencers, shared my story with the media, and reposted it on HN, Reddit, Facebook, and more. I even cooked up a programmatic SEO project for the extension.
• The ideal indie team should consist of a tech expert and a marketer. ChatGPT served as my CTO, but I had to write prompts, which kept me from going all-in on marketing.
Why sell?
• I’m exploring AI and want to create various things. /ai went viral and gained traction, so I had to make a choice: grow, sell, or shut it down. I chose to sell and move forward.
• Since AI might have a significant impact on the world (in a good or bad way), I’ll need a small house in a quaint village to escape to, just in case. I plan to use the money from the sale to purchase one.
What’s next?
• While actively working on the extension, I came up with numerous ideas and even developed a few prototypes. Some of these might just be the seeds for my next big adventure.