“I built an entire startup with AI and now it’s profitable.”

Posts like this seem increasingly common. Curiously, they rarely include details: a link to the startup, a clear description of the customer and problem, or a breakdown of how AI was actually used.

Please allow me to admit my gentle skepticism.

I use LLMs to write code. Like anyone who has done so, I’ve learned a lot about when they’re useful and when they’re… hopeless. Claims to the contrary aside, they can’t do it all. They can’t even do it most.

I’ve also helped build (and tragicomically failed to build) a few businesses. Like anyone who has done so, I know tech is rarely the long pole in the tent. Sales, marketing, building a team, crafting a culture, instilling values, listening to customers and responding to their needs, making forward progress in a sea of uncertainty, getting anyone to care at all? Hard. And, last I checked, not things AI can singlehandedly solve.

All this said: it is an exciting time to be a solopreneur. Used judiciously, I believe that AI can help builders move faster. I look forward to a future full of delightful, nuanced stories about how small teams leveraged AI to craft something people love. Just be sure to include a link.