Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their very own.
After I launched PhotoPacks.AI, I did not have a staff or funding. Simply an concept: provide studio-quality headshots, powered by AI, for a fraction of the price of a conventional picture shoot. At present, the product works, and it is rising steadily. However I’ve realized plenty of classes the exhausting means.
Listed below are seven errors I made early on, and what I might do in a different way if I needed to begin over.
1. I attempted to construct for everybody, and transformed nobody
At first, my startup supplied every thing: headshots, modeling pictures, pet portraits, fantasy scenes. I figured, if AI may generate it, why not let folks select?
However once I confirmed it to buddies and tried to promote it, no one understood what it was for. Zero conversions. The repair? I centered the product round one clear worth: skilled headshots. That change alone made the product click on with customers, and gross sales adopted. I realized to be particular and located {that a} clear, centered message converts higher than a broad one.
Begin with a centered, singular use case. The extra apparent the worth, the quicker you will get traction. You may all the time develop later, however do not launch vast and obscure.
2. I underpriced — and it backfired
I began with a $9.99 value level as a result of I did not need to scare folks away. I fearful that elevating costs would improve refund charges or kill momentum. However that attracted low-intent prospects, elevated refund requests and made the product really feel low cost.
After I raised the value, gross sales did not drop — they acquired higher. Folks handled the product extra severely. Refunds dropped. Income grew.
Check greater pricing sooner than you assume. Pricing sends a sign. In case you’re fixing an actual drawback, value with confidence, not worry.
Associated: Harnessing the Energy of AI: 5 Recreation Altering Ways for Small Companies
3. I dealt with every thing myself for too lengthy
I dealt with help tickets, wrote copy, managed uptime, ran advertisements, pushed code — all in at some point. It wasn’t sustainable. Ultimately, I outsourced key items and acquired again my time. It let me give attention to technique, product and development.
Do not confuse “solo” with “doing all of it.” Delegate repetitive duties early. Defend your cognitive bandwidth — it is your most respected useful resource.
Associated: AI for the Underdog — This is How Small Companies Can Thrive With Synthetic Intelligence
4. I over-engineered the primary model
I spent months perfecting options earlier than launch, together with ones nobody had requested for. I needed it to look polished and spectacular from day one.
Wanting again, I ought to have launched a less complicated model a lot earlier and formed the product round actual consumer suggestions. The bells and whistles can wait. What issues most is whether or not folks need what you are constructing within the first place.
Launching lean does not imply decreasing requirements — it means prioritizing readability over complexity. Get a easy model stay, then iterate. Early customers do not count on perfection — they need progress. Velocity beats polish.
5. I guess an excessive amount of on web optimization, not sufficient on group
Early on, I employed an web optimization company to create keyword-optimized content material. However most of my precise site visitors got here from Reddit, the place I had been partaking instantly with communities.
That also holds true at the moment. My best-performing site visitors continues to return from natural conversations, not weblog content material. The lesson? Your preferrred prospects are already hanging out someplace. Discover them, present up authentically, and give attention to what’s truly driving outcomes, not what’s imagined to.
Go the place your customers already hang around. Be helpful in these areas. Authenticity scales higher than web optimization methods, particularly early on.
6. I underestimated how briskly AI evolves
Even after spending a yr immersed in generative AI, I used to be nonetheless caught off guard by how briskly issues moved as soon as I launched. What felt groundbreaking one month felt outdated the subsequent.
It is thrilling, but it surely’s additionally exhausting. Attempting to maintain up with each new growth is a recipe for burnout.
As an alternative of chasing tendencies, I’ve realized to construct round steady, lasting worth. Maintaining issues — however not on the expense of your sanity or technique.
Begin easy — be taught quick
In case you’re a solo founder in AI, here is my recommendation: Do not attempt to create demand from scratch. Discover an underserved viewers, meet a transparent want and launch quick. Do not fall in love together with your imaginative and prescient. Fall in love with fixing issues.
You need not get all of it proper — simply get it on the market, be taught and hold going.
Prepared to interrupt by way of your income ceiling? Be part of us at Stage Up, a convention for bold enterprise leaders to unlock new development alternatives.
After I launched PhotoPacks.AI, I did not have a staff or funding. Simply an concept: provide studio-quality headshots, powered by AI, for a fraction of the price of a conventional picture shoot. At present, the product works, and it is rising steadily. However I’ve realized plenty of classes the exhausting means.
Listed below are seven errors I made early on, and what I might do in a different way if I needed to begin over.
1. I attempted to construct for everybody, and transformed nobody
The remainder of this text is locked.
Be part of Entrepreneur+ at the moment for entry.
