I left Amazon thinking I’d own my time and balance work and family. 2025 taught me this: when you’re competing against well-funded teams shipping weekly, you can’t half-commit.

The freedom I wanted required more from me, not less.

2. Doubt doesn’t come once. It comes in waves.

“Should I just go back to a job?”

I asked myself this multiple times in 2025. After churn spikes. After competitor announcements. Sometimes for no reason at all.

It’s not one crisis. It’s a recurring question you learn to live with.

3. What gets you through: honest conversations and customer wins.

Talking with my wife when the doubt gets loud. A message from a customer saying the product gave them their evenings back.

These moments don’t eliminate doubt. They give you enough fuel to keep going.

4. Curiosity can become a trap.

I wanted to learn everything. Chrome extensions, iOS, SEO.

But I didn’t need to know how to build everything. I needed to know what was best for my customers.

Curiosity without focus is just procrastination in disguise.

5. I couldn’t do everything. That wasn’t weakness. It was math.

Growth stalled. Roadmap frozen.

Ironically, I delegated naturally at Amazon. But with my own product, I couldn’t let go.

The breakthrough wasn’t motivation. It was exhaustion. I finally hired help.

6. The easiest features to add become the hardest to maintain.

Some features take two days to build and two years to support. Every convenience for users adds complexity for you.

I learned this the hard way. More than once.

7. Every customer conversation teaches you something.

A customer was close to churning. Her notes weren’t formatting correctly. Frustration in her emails.

I reached out personally. Fixed it. Explained why it happened.

She stayed. I learned exactly where my product was broken.

8. One message can inspire an entire product.

A blind massage therapist messaged me. She explained how audio dictation changed her documentation workflow.

That single message inspired our entire iOS app.

9. Well-funded competitors ship weekly. Pick your battles.

You can’t match every feature. Every price. Every marketing campaign.

Focus on what you do best. Let the rest go.

10. The unexpected win wasn’t a feature. It was collaboration.

I started 2025 wanting to do everything alone.

I ended it working with a small team—discussing problems, brainstorming solutions, moving the roadmap forward together.

I didn’t plan to build a team. It became the highlight of my year.

Final Reflection

2025 was hard. Growth slowed. Doubt was loud.

But I learned more this year than any year at Amazon.

What did 2025 teach you? I’d love to hear—reply to this post or drop a comment below.

Thanks for reading. If you’re building something too, I hope this was useful. Here’s to 2026.

Happy New Year!

— Kunal

It’s now over two years since I left my 9-5 and started building SOAPNoteAI. The journey so far has been full of steady growth and constant learning. The past six months have been no exception.

Business Growth

SOAPNoteAI’s user base and revenue continue to rise steadily. Each month is better than the last, which shows customers like the product and that it genuinely saves them time. But with this growth, I’ve also run into new constraints.

Team Building

One big shift this year was bringing on a team of contractors. I started thinking I could do everything myself, but as the user base grew, it became clear I needed help. Having a team allows me to delegate technical work and frees up my time to focus on product and customer needs. I’ve learned that team-building isn’t just about hiring; it’s about making sure everyone understands the vision and feels connected to what we’re building. Clear communication is everything - I now write detailed requirements and motivations for any new feature, which helps keep everyone aligned.

Customer Acquisition

People often ask, “Do you go door-to-door to get customers?” Not yet! Nearly all our customers find us through inbound channels. Paid social ads didn’t work for us—they were too expensive and didn’t bring results. Instead, SEO has been a game changer. By refining our keywords and content, we’ve attracted customers with almost zero spend, which is much more sustainable for a bootstrapped business. I hope to work on an outbound strategy soon though.

Customer Feedback and Churn

Positive feedback is a huge motivator. For example, a customer mentioned that they were okay if we raise the prices a little

while other was happy they got time back for their family.

But it also stings when customers cancel or are disappointed. Sometimes it’s due to a technical issue - like struggling to get their microphone to work. Other times it’s because they need features we don’t have yet. Each cancellation is a lost opportunity, but it also points to ways we can improve.

Technical Challenges

Growing the team has shifted our technical approach, too. I used to push changes quickly as a solo founder, but with more users and a team, we now focus on best practices like CI/CD, minimizing downtime, and releasing major updates on weekends to avoid disruption. On any given workday, we have 80-100 users actively generating notes, so stability is critical.

Mental Health

This journey isn’t always easy. I still have moments where I question whether I should go back to a corporate job. What helps me stay on track is celebrating small wins, getting positive notes from customers, and keeping the bigger picture in mind. I’ve learned that most obstacles are mental, not technical. One key insight: it’s okay to change your mind - about hiring, about raising money, about anything. Adapting as you learn is a strength, not a weakness.

Getting out and meeting others on the same journey helps, too. I recently attended an invite-only OpenAI hackathon in New York, and the energy there was inspiring. I’m planning to attend more events like this going forward.

Family

The best part of this journey? I’m around for my kids and family. I haven’t missed a day of seeing them grow up - whether it’s school drop-offs, soccer practice, or just hanging out. I’m grateful for that, even though the time seems to be flying by.

You

Your support means a lot. I love sharing these updates and hearing from you. If there’s any way I can help, just reply or DM me.

Thanks for reading.

Below is a snapshot of SOAPNoteAI’s growth over the year. While I’ve chosen not to share exact numbers to keep the focus on the journey and lessons rather than the specifics, I hope this gives you a sense of the steady progress made. What matters most to me is not just the results but the steps and insights that got me here.

But here are top 10 things I learned.

1. Perfection isn’t the goal - progress is

Lesson: The biggest barrier to progress is overthinking. I learned that launching quickly and iterating based on feedback is far more valuable than chasing perfection.

Reflection: When I started SOAPNoteAI, it was a simple application designed to turn shorthand notes into structured SOAP Notes for Physical Therapists. That’s it. It didn’t allow users to edit their notes, support audio features, or support anyone outside of PTs.

(Different types of healthcare providers that SOAPNoteAI now supports)

If I had waited to build all features or expand support to other healthcare providers, I might not have launched as quickly or would have built the wrong features. Starting small allowed me to gather user feedback, prioritize what mattered, and build a product that solved real needs.

2. Act fast on what matters most

Lesson: Listening to your users is important, but if you truly want to grow and delight them, you need to act with urgency.

(customer email requesting for an unlimited plan which led to the subscription plan)

Reflection: Users will tell you what they want – if you’re paying attention. For example, with SOAPNoteAI, users asked for subscription plans and support for different healthcare specialties. Acting on these requests was critical to the product’s growth, but what really mattered was acting quickly.

Customers have endless options, and if they tell you what they need, it shows they care. Acting quickly prevents dissatisfaction or churn.

That said, it’s not about saying yes to every feature request. The key is to prioritize the suggestions that align with your vision and roadmap and implement them promptly. Acting quickly on the right opportunities can turn feedback into retention, satisfaction, and even advocacy.

3. Free yourself to focus on growth.

Lesson: As a solopreneur, it’s essential to identify where your bandwidth is stretched and proactively address those constraints. Ignoring them can slow you down and cause you to focus on the wrong priorities.

Reflection: When you’re responsible for coding, maintaining, selling, supporting customers, and marketing your product, it’s inevitable that you’ll hit a limit – especially as your product grows. One hard lesson I learned in 2024 is that failing to address these bandwidth constraints can lead to inefficiencies and missed opportunities.

By year-end, I realized I was constrained in marketing and customer education. SOAPNoteAI has immense potential, but I wasn’t communicating its value effectively. Hiring an agency for educational videos helped, but in 2025, I’ll need to automate more and build a team.

(I asked a marketing agency to help with educational content for SOAPNoteAI)

To support SOAPNoteAI’s growth, I’ll focus on automating processes, outsourcing non-core tasks, and building a team. Delegating thoughtfully will help me maintain quality while unlocking the potential for even greater impact.

4. Tech is No Longer a Moat

Lesson: With the progress in LLM-based AI, technology has become a commodity. The real differentiators in today’s market are understanding customer insights, building relationships, delivering a seamless user experience, and establishing strong distribution channels.

Reflection: SOAPNoteAI has given me firsthand experience of this shift. Within just a year and a half of launching, I’ve seen numerous look-a-like products enter the market. In fact, many of these competitors have accounts on SOAPNoteAI, likely studying it for inspiration.

This underscores a hard truth: when tech can be replicated so easily, building a sustainable business becomes much harder. The way I’ve chosen to address this challenge is by doubling down on customer relationships and running a lean operation.

(Competitors bidding for soap note ai keyword with similar tech offerings)

Engaging with customers has been critical – whether it’s thanking them for their support, addressing concerns, or apologizing for any bad experiences. Maintaining that personal connection builds trust and loyalty, which are much harder to replicate than software. I do that through calls and emails.

I’ve also focused on keeping customer acquisition costs (CAC) near zero by relying heavily on organic channels like Google. While this strategy makes growth slower, it’s intentional. I’m not in a rush, and running the business lean allows me to focus on delivering value to existing customers without overextending resources.

5. Building Alone is Hard, But You Don’t Have to Be Alone

Lesson: Building by yourself can feel isolating, but having a strong support system can make all the difference during tough times.

Reflection: Building SOAPNoteAI as a solopreneur has taught me that doing it alone can be challenging. There are moments when things don’t go as planned, and it’s easy to feel stuck or discouraged. To navigate these moments, I’ve leaned on the support of others to gain insights and stay motivated.

I’ve actively collaborated with subject matter experts in different healthcare professions, holding weekly meetings to learn directly from them and solicit feedback. These sessions have been invaluable in ensuring the product addresses real-world needs and continues to provide value to its users.

Additionally, engaging with like-minded individuals on X (Twitter), participating in bi-weekly meetings with AI enthusiasts, and following other solopreneurs have provided fresh perspectives and encouragement. These connections remind me that while I may be building solo, the insights and support of others enhance the journey and strengthen the product.

6. The Trade-Offs of Bootstrapping vs. Funding

Lesson: Bootstrapping forces resourcefulness and long-term thinking but comes with challenges.

Reflection: SOAPNoteAI is fully bootstrapped, which has shaped how I allocate resources and run a lean operation.

• I’ve prioritized optimizing organic channels over paid ads.

• I’ve focused on understanding user needs before hiring additional developers.

This approach allows me to build a strong foundation while retaining full control over the business’s vision and values.

Bootstrapping lets me set the vision, build a strong foundation, and grow sustainably. While funding could accelerate growth, it risks losing touch with the product and customers. I’m willing to trade quick wins for intentional, steady progress.

7. The Importance of Operational Excellence

Lesson: Operational excellence is non-negotiable when your product is used by hundreds of customers daily.

Reflection: Once SOAPNoteAI gained traction, maintaining a seamless experience for users became a top priority. Every error or exception logged needed to be resolved with the right level of urgency. This became even more critical with the AI component, as LLMs can occasionally produce unpredictable responses, requiring constant monitoring and adjustments.

However, much of this work remains manual, and I haven’t yet automated many aspects of operational excellence. This has consumed a significant portion of my bandwidth, pulling me away from other areas like product development and growth.

In 2025, my goal is to automate more of these operational tasks—whether through better monitoring tools, streamlined workflows, or additional processes. Doing so will free up time to focus on scaling and innovation while ensuring that the customer experience remains seamless and reliable.

8. The Hard Reality of Being a Solopreneur

Lesson: Being a solopreneur means not just working alone but working hard—often harder than ever before.

Reflection: As a solopreneur, every day is packed with tasks that require constant prioritization. Inevitably, some tasks get pushed to the backburner and remain unfinished. I’ve found myself working longer hours than I ever did at Amazon, yet for a fraction of the financial outcome. While this forces me to focus on what truly matters, it also highlights the need for a team to handle tasks that don’t require my direct involvement.

The reality of wearing all hats - coding, customer support, sales demos - extends even to vacations, where work doesn’t stop. And as the product scales or new features are launched, the same cycles repeat, adding to the workload.

Balancing this lifestyle with excellent customer care is challenging, but it’s a rewarding journey. As SOAPNoteAI scales, building a team with shared values will become a key step to sustaining growth while continuing to deliver outstanding customer experiences.

9. Embracing the Unpredictability of Business

Lesson: Running a business means accepting uncertainty and focusing on the fundamentals.

Reflection: One of the biggest shifts for me after leaving 15 years in a corporate setup was adjusting to the unpredictable nature of revenue. Unlike a steady bi-weekly paycheck, some days bring no sales, while others can surpass an entire month's expectations. Early on, this unpredictability made me nervous, and I often worried that no new customers would ever sign up again.

Over time, I’ve learned to embrace the unpredictability of running a business. It’s a lesson in patience and trust. Business may be uncertain, but staying focused on the fundamentals - serving customers, improving the product, and building consistently -turns small actions into meaningful progress.

10. Balance and Joy: The Heart of the Journey

Lesson: Success means nothing without health, joy, and the people you cherish.

Reflection: One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is to prioritize what truly matters - my health, my kids, my partner, and my family. Without them, everything else loses its meaning.

2024 was the first year I consistently exercised, going to the gym 3–4 times a week. It’s no longer just about staying fit but feeling good about myself and maintaining the energy needed to tackle each day. My mornings now start with preparing lunch for my kids, dropping them off at school, working during the day, and sharing dinner with my family every evening. My kids, now 6 and 4, are growing up fast, and I cherish every moment I get to spend with them.

This journey cannot be seen in isolation - every factor, from family time to self-care, contributes to its success. There are days when I’m heads down, fully immersed in work, and others when I can take the entire day off to join Halloween parades and trick-or-treating. This balance of hard work and joy is what keeps me motivated and moving forward. It reminds me why I started this journey in the first place.

(Family photo from earlier this year.)

That's a wrap for 2024. Thank you for following along and being part of it. Wishing you all a very happy holiday season and a fantastic 2025 ahead.

Why SOAP Note AI Deserves My Full Focus

Organic Growth Without Marketing Spend

By the end of last year, I reached a turning point with SOAP Note AI. Unlike my other projects, it was steadily gaining customers without a single marketing dollar spent. When I reached out to these users, they shared how much the tool helped them streamline their documentation process. Hearing their stories and realizing the tangible impact on their daily lives filled me with a sense of purpose.

Market Validation and Competitive Attention

Around the same time, the market for AI healthcare tools was booming. New competitors appeared almost daily, and I noticed that they were bidding on SOAP Note AI keywords. Seeing this was both humbling and exhilarating. It felt like a David versus Goliath scenario - me, a solo founder, against well-funded companies. Instead of feeling discouraged, I was energized by the competition. It validated the work I was doing and motivated me to push even harder.

In contrast, my other projects didn't show the same trajectory. MiniFigure AI saw a steep drop-off in usage after the initial viral posts. DAPNotes and MassageNotes attracted some customers but lacked the momentum of SOAP Note AI. However, these projects will continue to receive the updates I make to SOAP Note AI because they are built on the same tech platform. ReviewHero AI gained steady users but lacked a payment component, limiting its long-term potential.

Seeing SOAP Note AI's growth and the market's rapid expansion made the decision to focus here an easy one. This project had both the traction and competitive validation I had been looking for—it was time to go all in.

Listening to Users and Building What Matters

Implementing User-Requested Features

My strategy has always been rooted in learning directly from users. By actively listening to customer feedback, I've been able to build features that address real needs and improve the experience for everyone.

Earlier this year, customers requested a subscription plan to avoid the hassle of entering payment information repeatedly. This often interrupted their workflow. To my surprise, the subscription became one of the most preferred options, highlighting the importance of a seamless experience in a fast-paced healthcare environment.

Another valuable insight came from users who wanted to store and access their notes after they were generated. Recognizing that these notes could contain Protected Health Information (PHI), I partnered with a firm to complete a HIPAA-compliance audit. This ensured that SOAP Note AI meets all necessary standards for secure data storage. This step not only increased trust but also expanded the platform's functionality to meet a critical need.

Introducing the AI Scribe and Audio Dictation

Listening to users also led to one of SOAP Note AI's most impactful features: the AI Scribe and Audio Dictation. This tool allows SOAP Note AI to "listen" to patient-provider conversations and generate a comprehensive visit note in minutes. Users can also dictate their voice notes, and SOAP Note AI will turn them into structured SOAP notes.

A Heartfelt Message

After launching the audio features, I received a moving message from a blind healthcare professional. They shared how SOAP Note AI made their work more manageable, enabling them to perform tasks that were previously challenging. This unexpected impact reinforced my commitment to making the platform inclusive and accessible. It's incredibly rewarding to see how, for many providers - including those with visual impairments - SOAP Note AI saves hours and makes documentation more accessible.

Balancing Time and Focus

Dedicating myself fully to SOAP Note AI means wearing many hats—developer, customer support, marketer, and more. Each role demands careful time management. I streamline feature development by reducing scope when necessary, prioritize urgent customer support issues, and incrementally prepare for demos to showcase the platform effectively.

Current Challenges and Lessons Learned

Navigating a Crowded Market

Focusing solely on SOAP Note AI has clarified my path but also highlighted some challenges. The healthcare AI market is crowded, with competitors that are heavily venture-funded. Acquiring customers is everyone's top priority, and while I don't have the same resources, I have something just as valuable: unwavering dedication fueled by the knowledge that my work is genuinely helping people.

Below is an infographic put together by a16z in the AI Scribe space.

After the initial hype settles, I believe the products that continue to provide real value at a fair price will be the ones that stay in business.

The Advantage of Being Bootstrapped

Being bootstrapped means I'm not under pressure to grow at all costs. I can focus on sustainable growth, building features that genuinely help users without overextending. At the same time, I don't want to be complacent - I'm exploring all channels to expand the customer base and make SOAP Note AI a lasting solution for healthcare providers.

Key Lesson: Focusing on Underlying Needs

One of the most valuable lessons I've learned is that focusing on what customers want doesn't always mean building exactly what they ask for. Often, it requires peeling back the layers to understand the real issue.

For example, when a customer asked for a specific format for their notes, the deeper problem was that the platform didn't offer enough flexibility for them to make simple edits themselves. The solution wasn't just to add specific formats but to empower users with better editing capabilities overall. By addressing the underlying need, SOAP Note AI becomes a more versatile tool for everyone.

Key Lesson: Building a Strong Foundation

Another key lesson is the importance of strengthening the product's foundation. Adding feature upon feature without a solid base can create issues down the line.

I've received multiple requests for SOAP Note AI to be able to listen to telehealth calls directly. While this feature is highly requested, it requires a strong audio processing foundation to be effective. Building that foundation first ensures that when we introduce more advanced features, they'll be stable, scalable, and valuable over the long term.

Financial Viability and Scalability

Profitability and Reinvestment

SOAP Note AI is fully profitable, and profits are invested back to fuel growth. Being bootstrapped gives me the flexibility to scale sustainably, focusing on features and improvements that matter most to users without compromising on quality or speed.

Acquisition Offers and Future Plans

This year, SOAP Note AI has caught the attention of larger players in healthcare tech. I've received three acquisition inquiries, with the most recent involving two months of serious talks with a leading healthcare technology company. Receiving these offers was incredibly humbling. Going from zero to one—starting with just an idea to being noticed by industry giants—was a surreal experience.

At the same time, I felt a bit confused about how to handle them. Navigating the complexities of acquisition discussions was new territory for me. While it was flattering to be considered, I realized that my journey with SOAP Note AI was just beginning. There was so much more I wanted to achieve.

Building for Scalability

Building a scalable foundation allows SOAP Note AI to handle future growth smoothly. Features like the AI Scribe are designed to meet current demand but also set the stage for growth without needing significant additional resources.

Expanding Geographically and Linguistically

One of the exciting aspects of SOAP Note AI is its potential to expand beyond the U.S. market. In fact, SOAP Note AI already have customers from Canada and the UK, demonstrating that the platform resonates with healthcare providers internationally. The technology can scale to different languages easily, allowing us to support providers in non-English-speaking countries in the future.

Serving Diverse Healthcare Providers and Formats

SOAP Note AI is designed to be versatile and adaptable to various types of healthcare providers and documentation formats. While I started with a focus on specific specialties, the underlying technology can be expanded to accommodate different medical fields and customized note structures. This flexibility means I can tailor the platform to meet the unique needs of a wide range of practitioners.

Introducing Complementary Features

Beyond documentation, SOAP Note AI has the potential to offer complementary features that add significant value to healthcare providers. I am exploring functionalities like:

• Audit-Checking Notes for Insurance Purposes: Helping providers ensure their documentation meets insurance requirements, reducing claim denials and speeding up reimbursements.

• Generating Referral Letters: Simplifying the process of referring patients to specialists by creating comprehensive and professional referral letters.

• Creating Home Exercise Plans: Assisting providers in generating personalized home exercise plans for patients, enhancing patient engagement and outcomes.

Conclusion: Reflections and Looking Ahead

Focusing on SOAP Note AI has clarified my mission: to build something that genuinely helps healthcare providers. Heartfelt messages from users remind me of the meaningful difference we're making. Looking ahead, my goal is simple - to reach more providers, continually improve the platform, and make SOAP Note AI an essential tool in their workflow. The challenges ahead inspire me, and I'm excited for the journey.

Thanks for following along. I’ll keep sharing updates as SOAP Note AI grows.

But here’s what I do know.

For the first time in my career:

- The decisions are mine. The wins are mine. The mistakes are mine.

- I’m as confident in my instincts as I am in the data.

- I’m not afraid to fail or fall.

- I’m not afraid to take risks.

It’s very much like learning to ride a bike. The fun and learnings are in the ride rather than the destination.

(Photo: My kids learning to ride a bike)

Here are some highlights from the journey over the past couple of months:

1. SOAPNoteAI is officially HIPAA compliant. Although the platform already used the latest industry standards for data encryption, transport, and storage, HIPAA laws also outline processes that need to be in place if the platform may handle any Protected Health Identifiers (PHIs). I worked with HIPAA experts to put in the necessary processes. This unlocks SOAPNoteAI to allow more features for its customers.

2. MiniFigureAI.com - The traffic to MiniFigureAI has dropped significantly since its launch month. The learning here is that consumer apps require consistent marketing efforts to maintain site traffic. Since I have been busy with SOAPNoteAI, I haven’t worked on marketing channels for MiniFigureAI.

3. LinkedIn Posts - In the past 4-5 weeks, I have been posting constantly on LinkedIn about my learning on AI-related technologies and their applications - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kunalmodi). I received positive feedback from the readers on the content. However, posting new and fresh content every other day takes a lot of effort and has become unsustainable for me. Many readers also want the content to be organized so that they can follow it systematically. I’m brainstorming to start a dedicated newsletter for AI topics where I can share my learnings with all of you. I’ll share details on it when I have a more concrete plan.

4. STAR Interview Coach GPT - Ever since OpenAI made custom GPTs available for free users, I have seen an uptick in the usage of STAR Interview Coach GPT, which now has more than 300 conversations and an average rating of 4.5. Here is the link - https://chatgpt.com/g/g-TC3UchLTC-star-interview-coach

5. Both DAPNotes and MassageNotes have recurring revenue. ReviewHeroAI has gradually reached 750 users -https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/review-hero-amazon-produc/oolcapmkeabkpnebkpdmdkfhokbjmien

Following my curiosity has helped me unlock the above outcomes and learnings. It makes the journey fun, and I’m enjoying the ride.

(Screenshot of Google analytics at peak)

1. The Idea

I found someone on X making minifigures one-by-one using ChatGPT, which was cumbersome for them. Below is a screenshot from the conversation.

I was curious about what it would take to build a one-click solution. That's how the idea for MiniFigureAI.com was born. I spent the next 12 hours building the app. If there's one thing I've learned over the past year, it's this: Building an app is step 0. Getting your app to reach users is the real start of the journey.

2. Before Launch

I talked about my app and engaged with my audience on X while I built it, not after. I shared videos of myself writing the code and the steps. The engagement was low, but I wasn’t disheartened. However, it helps you build accountability, especially when you are working alone.

3. Launch

I shared my app on various forums like Reddit, Hacker News, and X once it was ready. The audiences on each of these forums are different, so I braced for different responses and didn't take feedback personally. I'll go through these forums one by one.

a. Reddit

I posted on the OpenAI and sideprojects subreddits. The OpenAI subreddit got me the most views. Most of the comments were helpful and provided good feedback. It is important to note how you frame the subject of your post. For example, because the OpenAI subreddit focuses on OpenAI’s technologies, I shared the post with the title “I used DALLE-3 to Turn Your Headshot into a MiniFigure.” This made the post interesting for the members to learn more about the use of Dall-E 3.

b. Hacker News

Hacker News allows users to "show" their new projects, and the stories on that tab are sorted in chronological order. I received useful comments on my post, but it didn't make it to the first page of Hacker News. However, something interesting happened.

c. AI Directory

An AI directory, There's An AI for That, picked up my Hacker News post. It was featured on their front page for free for about 24 hours. For context, TAAFT typically charges $347 for submitting to their directory.

d. AI Newsletter

Around the same time, AIToolReport mentioned the app in their newsletter. This brought a ton of traffic to the site.

4. Post Launch and Next Steps

The domain's DR rating jumped from 0 to 7 in just 30 days without spending any money on SEO marketing or buying backlinks. DR stands for Domain Rating, which shows a website's authority. Traffic dropped after the launch, but I plan to use the improved DR and SEO to build steady traffic to the site.

Users have already created more than 10,000 Minifigure images of themselves, and they love it. I plan to add new features to the app in the coming weeks. If you haven’t created your MiniFigure yet, go ahead and do it for free at www.MiniFigureAI.com.

Share your MiniFigureAI experience by replying to this email or writing a comment. Share MiniFigureAI with someone who may love it.

Dear friends,

Today's post is a bit different from what you're used to seeing here, where I usually talk about the wins and the cool things I've learned. March was a challenging month with a some lowlights - from getting sick to being demotivated. But it was also a month where I realized the big role of small wins. In this post I discuss, how I got stuck in a negative vicious cycle and what I did to break it.

Getting Stuck

Below are some lowlights from the month of March:

• I fell sick for the second time this year and my physical activity reached its lowest point.

• My productivity plummeted and motivation hit rock bottom.

Caught in a negative feedback loop

I realized I was stuck in a flywheel and it quickly started to feed itself.

Falling ill not only hampered my projects but also dented my morale. The lower my spirits, the less inclined I felt to push forward, perpetuating a cycle of stagnation.

The danger of such a downward spiral is immense. It makes every goal and milestone seem increasingly out of reach. For instance, one of my objectives is to earn $10k monthly through various revenue streams. However, when you're stuck, each day intensifies the distance from your goals, breeding impatience. During this period I found myself questioning, "Why haven't I reached my $10k monthly goal after a year of experimentations? Am I even on the right path?" It is easy for the mind to fall prey to illogical thoughts.

When self-doubt creeps in, it makes it challenging to apply the lessons learned along the way. For instance, one of my learnings has been that this journey is a “Marathon, Not a Sprint”. Yet, in moments of despair, even the most rational beliefs are hard to uphold.

Caught in a negative feedback loop, my creativity took the biggest hit. It diminished my capacity for out-of-the-box thinking and generating novel ideas. Pessimism has tendency to preoccupy the mind with doubts and limitations. It repels creativity. Pursuing creative endeavors and building new things was one of my primary reasons for embarking on this journey. Thus, losing the motivation to create became a significant concern.

Getting Unstuck

So how did I break this cycle?

Similar to how sickness became a catalyst to this negative cycle, I needed a another catalyst to break it and restart the positive cycle. Small wins serve as great catalysts too. So I focused on doing small independent low effort tasks that can potentially get me small but quick wins. Here are three of them.

1. Small Win - NVIDIA Inception Program Approval

   

   While I was sick I applied SOAPNoteAI for NVIDIA’s Inception Program and got accepted. NVIDIA Inception Program is designed to help startups build their solutions and grow their businesses faster. As a member, SOAPNoteAI can get up to $10k to $100k of AWS credits based on demonstration of use of NVIDIA technology and other tech training. I learned about this program through a WhatsApp AI study group that I am part of. The application asked questions such as “What solutions does your company build?”, “What makes your company uniquely competitive in this market?” The application took an hour to complete and got approved in about 7 days. This small win reinstantiated confidence that I was on the right track with this product and should continue to innovate in this space using new AI technologies.

2. Small Win - ReviewHeroAI extension update
   ReviewHeroAI chrome extension was at the risk of being removed from the store because Google thought it had unrelated features. For context, back in January I had updated the extension to add a feature to hide sponsored products from search results.

   Google asked me to remove this feature in next 30 days. I decided to make a standalone extension for this feature in the future. Removing code took about an hour and was therapeutic. After this update Google restored back the “featured” flag.

   

   Although this was an obvious solution, solving problems through code is one of the best hacks for confidence and motivation. While working on this issue, creative juices started flowing again. I was able to think of many new features I could introduce for my users.

3. Small Win - Fix Customer Issue
   One morning a customer complained that copy button was not working. I was surprised because I had made no code changes in past 2 weeks. As I investigated further, I discovered the issue was

   1. specific to iPhone behavior / bug that

   2. automatically creates hyperlinks when

   3. it detects a “:” after a word

   4. at the start of a sentence

   5. when copying to the clipboard.
      

   Thanks to this Stackoverflow submission, I was able to confirm that my assessment of the issue was correct. I fixed the issue the same day and confirmed with the customer. This small win again kindled confidence and inspired me to continue improving the customer experience for my apps.

From being accepted into NVIDIA's Inception Program, to successfully updating my ReviewHeroAI Chrome extension, and swiftly resolving a customer issue - each of these moments not only reinstated my confidence but also rekindled my motivation. They were the catalyst to start a positive cycle - take action (build), learn and iterate.

Concluding Thoughts

March has been a reminder of many sorts. You can get stuck for reasons outside of your control. But you can also get back on track with small wins. Seemingly minor achievements that can have the most significant positive impact on your thoughts.

In sharing this story, my hope is to continue reminding myself and also inspire you to see beyond the immediate hurdles and to find strength through small wins. It is a reminder that when progress feels slow or invisible, it's there - each small victory is building towards something greater.

Thank you for joining me on this journey and your continuous support. Here’s to the small wins, the lessons learned, and the continued pursuit to follow curiosity.

Do you ever get stuck? What mechanisms do you use to get unstuck? I would love if you could share your stories and insights in the comments below or by replying to this email.

Are you considering leaving your 9-5 job to find out what else is out there for you? I was in your shoes last year. After spending over 15 years working in the corporate world, I realized I needed a change. Not because I disliked my job, but because I wondered if there was more to my career than the traditional path I was on.

This past year without a 9-5 job has been an eye-opener. I didn't leave to start a billion-dollar venture but to understand what really drives me and how I could make a living on my terms. It's been a year of experiments, some successes, and plenty of learning moments.

If you are thinking about making a similar change but aren't sure how to start or what to expect, this post is for you. I will share the realities of leaving a stable job, the preparations I wish I knew about, and the insights I have gained along the way.

Quit 9-5 Checklist

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The Dos’

1. Write down your Motivation - Why do you plan to quit your job?

Understanding the motivation behind quitting your job is crucial. During my corporate career of 15 years, the thought of quitting a full-time job crossed my mind innumerable times. Often, it was inspired by reading success stories of people who “made it” (e.g., unicorn founders, lists like 30 under 30s) and yearning to replicate that success for myself before there are no more lists I can be part of. Sometimes, it stemmed from dissatisfaction at work. For example, back in 2010, I was changing 1-2 lines of code per day and watching paint dry the remaining time during my role at J.P. Morgan. Moving to a new company and role fixed that. Few times slow career growth, work politics and delayed promotions also pushed me towards towards starting my own journey. I am glad I didn’t then.

When I decided to take the plunge, I found myself yearning for freedom to explore my passions, innovate on my terms, and truly own my own successes and failures. This yearning wasn't about dissatisfaction with my job but a call towards something inherently more fulfilling - creating value on my own and for myself. It was about taking control of my time, projects, and, ultimately, my life's direction.

Understanding this “why” is fundamental because it fuels the perseverance needed when faced with the inevitable challenges of forging a new path. It's this underlying motivation that keeps you anchored, ensuring that every step taken is a step towards realizing your true potential. Write down this “why” somewhere. I wrote it here.

2. Preparation

You don’t need a business plan . That may cause you to overthink and delay. Allow your journey to unfold by itself. But personal financial planning is essential. For example you should calculate your “personal runway” by estimating your living expenses for the next 12 months without any income. Being conservative, especially since we have a family with 2 young kids, I recommend having at least twice your annual expenses saved. For instance, if your yearly expenses are $100,000, aim to have at least $200,000 saved to cushion against unforeseen challenges.

If you live in the US, make sure you account for health insurance coverage. Employer COBRA plans are usually very expensive. Thankfully in 2024, we have moved to a healthcare.gov marketplace plan which has reduced the premiums to about $1,300/month.

If your spouse’s employer offers healthcare plans then compare those with what healthcare.gov offers. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any specific questions.

Emotional preparedness is just as important as financial planning. The ride is no less exhilarating than a real roller-coaster. It also includes patches of self-doubt and uncertainty. For example there are instances when days passed by without my apps making any sales. These are the times when you need to be the most resilient and keep forging your path. Being emotionally prepared means acknowledging the challenges ahead while creating a mindset that embraces both successes and setbacks as part of the journey.

3. Start Small - Experiment, Learn and Iterate

The likelihood that your single idea—be it an app, book, course, Amazon/Shopify store, etc.—will succeed is slim. You will need to explore many ideas, fail quickly, and learn from those failures. This process will lead to your first small victory, and the insights gained will pave the way for even greater successes. I advise against aiming too high from the start. Focus instead on earning your first dollar, then the next thousand, and so on. If you are fortunate enough to find something that works well, double down on that idea.

For me, PlaylistGeniusAI.com earned me my first dollar and my first thousand, boosting my confidence to launch more apps. SOAPNoteAI and DAPNotes continue to generate revenue with 100s of paid customers around the world, whereas other projects like ReviewHeroAI.com, IdliCooker.com, and LLMFineTuner.com did not bring in any money. It is okay to abandon ideas that don’t work.

4. Maintain a Learning Mindset

Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to work with high-performing colleagues, which has significantly contributed to my growth. I was concerned that leaving such an environment would hinder my development and lead to stagnation. However, my experience over the past year proved otherwise. Engaging with various communities (e.g., Small Bets) and leveraging social media platforms (primarily X and YouTube), I have acquired diverse skills that I would never have gained in a corporate setting. For instance, I learned how to price my products, including strategies like one-time payments, subscriptions, and tiered plans. I also discovered how to attract my first paying customer. The online world is full of amazing individuals openly sharing their expertise, and adopting a continuous learning mindset allows you to benefit from this wealth of knowledge. Check out this tweet to follow interesting people sharing their learnings online.

Apart from core skills, staying humble is equally important if not more. Your past corporate laurels and expertise won't get you the same respect in the public domain. Be humble and reestablish your authority and expertise.

The Don’ts

1. Waiting for the Unique Idea

Ideas are overrated. Don’t be disheartened if you do not have the next million/billion-dollar idea. Start with a boring or existing idea but execute it well. In the long term, well-executed ideas outlast unique ones. The realization that launching early and iterating is more valuable than waiting to perfect an idea. Check out @staticmaker1’s feed to get inspired on how many boring and simple ideas make significant money.

Following the same principle, waiting for perfection is an ineffective strategy. If you have an idea, dedicate a limited amount of time to releasing the first iteration of your product to the public. It's acceptable for some of your workflows to be manual initially. Once your product begins to gain traction, you can invest time in automating those workflows. For instance, in late December, a customer requested a monthly unlimited plan for SOAPNoteAI. Automating subscription plans requires considerable technical effort, and I wasn't certain if there would be more interest. Within the next 20 minutes, I created a subscription product using the Stripe payment portal, sent the link to the customer, and updated the website.

The following month, 10 more customers signed up for the subscription plan. It's only now that I am automating the workflow because I have sufficient data to confirm the demand.

2. Waiting for the Right Time

There will never be a "right time" to give yourself a chance. I used to believe the best time to take risks and chances on myself was when I was single and in my early 20s. Life, however, had other plans. I focused on building a career, saving money, getting married, and starting a family. But the assumption that this path would limit my opportunities for risk-taking and personal ventures couldn't have been more wrong. At 37, married with two young kids, I find myself equally excited and energetic to work on my own ideas and terms. Admittedly, you have more responsibilities, but these responsibilities enhance accountability in your decisions. In fact, a supportive family turns out to be your greatest asset. The right time is the moment you decide to start.

3. Ignoring Personal Well-being

One of the side effects of a 9-5 job is that it comes with a default schedule built around your work hours. When I transitioned to working for myself, the absence of predefined work hours underscored the importance of establishing a new routine. I discovered that my most productive working hours are between 10 am and 2 pm every day, with the morning ritual of dropping my kids off at school providing a structured start. Additionally, I make deliberate efforts to leave my home, whether for a walk or to visit the gym.

Starting to lift weights and eating clean keeps me refreshed and sane.

Over the past year, I have cultivated social connections through online platforms with others pursuing similar journeys. Exchanging ideas, giving feedback, share successes, and challenges with this cohort has become an essential part of my well-being.

Reflections and Looking Ahead

This past year has been an incredible journey of personal growth and discovery, significantly boosting my confidence and helping me uncover what truly motivates me: the freedom to create, explore, and make an impact on my own terms. While this journey has brought a great deal of fulfillment, I have yet to reach my financial milestone. For instance, I have not yet achieved my goal of $10,000 / month in revenue, but I am steadily making progress towards it. I aim to reach this target by the end of this year. I believe achieving both financial success and personal fulfillment is the holy grail of success in this journey.

Until then, it's back to building, learning, and iterating.

Thank you for supporting me throughout this journey.
I read and respond to all the comments. Let me know if you are reading this.
Can I help you? Reach me out on X, LinkedIn, reply or leave a comment on this post.
Know someone who can benefit from this post, please share it.

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In hindsight, it took me a while to get started on this path. I realized that I had been overthinking many aspects of the journey, which delayed my initial steps. From worrying about perfecting every detail to doubting my capabilities, overthinking was a constant barrier that held me back from achieving early and small successes like this one.

In this post, I share how I realized I was overthinking, the common reasons for overthinking and offer practical strategies for overcoming this habit. It's about moving from a state of paralysis to action, from endless planning to executing, and from doubting to believing in your capabilities.

How I Realized I was Overthinking

Back in January 2022, after 14 years as a software engineer in New York, I was ready to start working for myself. I carefully calculated all my expenses – mortgage, child care, vacations – to make sure I could afford it. Everything looked good until I realized I forgot to include my family's healthcare costs, which could be up to $24,000 a year. Even though I had enough savings to cover it, this mistake made me doubt my entire plan. 'What else did I forget?' I thought.

Because of this doubt, I didn't quit my job that year. My careful planning turned into overthinking, stopping me from taking the next step. It was a clear case of thinking too much and doing too little.

A year later, in January 2023, I was in the same situation. I wanted to work on my own ideas, planned for my expenses, etc. But this time my thinking had changed. I understood that looking for perfect certainty was useless. I told myself, 'I can't control everything.' I had to embrace uncertainty. This change in mindset helped me stop overthinking. I finally quit my job and began my self-employment journey.

Three Reasons for Overthinking

I have realized that the three reasons of overthinking are fear, self-doubt and guilt.

1. Fear by far is the biggest reason that leads to overthinking. We all struggle with different kinds of fear. Fear of loss in social status, money etc. I struggled to make the decision to quit my job because of such fear. What if I turn out to be a public failure? The opportunity cost for this decision is hundreds of thousands of dollars. Why am I ready to part with that kind of money? I would disrupt my corporate career growth.

2. Self-Doubt is another factor that led me to overthinking. I never had a world changing idea or a grand vision that I wanted to pursue. I had never sold a thing in my life to a stranger. The idea of making a living on your own terms was foreign to me. I doubted myself since I didn’t have the skills required for the journey I wanted to embark on.

3. Guilt may not be a common reason for overthinking. However, it was holding me back. 15 years ago I immigrated to the US for better opportunities and life. And I was lucky to experience them. I worked at the biggest tech firms on cutting edge problems and a well-paid job. It allowed me to live a comfortable life with my wife and two young kids in the suburbs. I have seen my parents work hard to provide me the best education and resources they could afford. I want my kids to receive the same. Then why would I want to ruin my chances of continuing a comfortable life for me and my family? Wouldn’t I let down my parents and my kids with such career altering risky decision?

How to Overcome Overthinking

One practical technique to overcome overthinking is to think in terms of "Two-Way Door" decisions. These are decisions that are reversible, allowing you to course-correct quickly. They were popularized by Jeff Bezos within Amazon’s corporate culture.

For me, Two-Way Door decisions are a practical way to limit my downside while maximizing the upside. For instance, when I finally decided to embark on my own journey, I gave myself one year to experiment with my ideas and experience the outcomes. This period should be enough to determine:

1. Whether I enjoy the self-employed journey, and

2. If being self-employed is financially viable.

If things didn't work out, I could always rejoin the workforce. The downside would be limited to a year's worth of expenses and lost salary. The upside, however, remained unknown.

Another practical strategy is time-boxing decision making. For example I have decided not to spend more than 2-3 weeks to launch an idea. If the idea gains momentum, then I can justify spending additional time on it. Creating time based boundaries helps the brain to prioritize what’s important and filter out the noise. More importantly it helps fight paralysis of analysis.

My rational mind agreed to this plan, but my emotional mind still grappled with thoughts of failure, self-doubt and guilt. Failing is hard, but over the years, I’ve realized that growth happens whether you fail or succeed. However, failure helps identify your blind spots. The sooner I know them, the better. If I fail due to lack of skills, I know where I need to improve. If it's due to lack of motivation, it’s a sign this journey isn’t for me. Similarly, if a lack of confidence is holding me back from executing my plans, that's a clear indication this path may not be right. The only way to find out was to just start and stop overthinking.

But what about the guilt? I asked myself: Would I be proud if my kids remembered me for exploring new possibilities rather than sticking to the traditional path?

The answer was clear -

Don’t Overthink, Just Start.

Last week, SOAPNoteAI surpassed $4,000 in revenue, attracting over 1,500 users and saving them thousands of minutes in the process. It was not long ago that I earned my first dollar online. So, how did I reach this point?

The Idea

Back in May, I found myself enthusiastically discussing GPT-4 with everyone, including my wife, who is a Physical Therapist running her own clinic. She had already been utilizing ChatGPT for tasks like drafting emails and creating business-related letters. However, she was struggling to keep up with completing her patient visit notes. One day, she experimented with ChatGPT to generate specific SOAP Note template for her documentation. SOAP stands for Subjective, Objective, Assessment and Plan and a SOAP Note is a structured method for documenting a patient's visit for records and insurance purposes. To her amazement, ChatGPT produced a useful SOAP Note example. But there were limitations – for instance, she couldn’t consistently get ChatGPT to create a specific format each time, and editing the output to her needs was a cumbersome process. When she shared these challenges with me, I saw an opportunity for a solution. I suggested developing an app tailored to her needs, simplifying the generation of progress note templates. This was the genesis of SOAPNoteAI.com.

Bringing Idea to Life

Although we had a great idea, we were uncertain if it would appeal to a broader audience of Physical Therapists. We weren’t sure if there was a significant market for such a solution. However, I knew I had at least one customer - my wife. In the spirit of placing a ‘'small bet’' (i.e. executing in a constrained environment), I set a goal to develop a minimal viable product (MVP) with just the essential features, allocating two weeks for this task. SOAPNoteAI was a departure from my previous projects, as it required user authentication and an interactive user interface. This complexity extended the development time to four weeks instead of the planned two, during which I constantly sought and incorporated feedback from my wife.

The Launch

Upon making SOAPNoteAI publicly available, we tapped into my wife's professional network, inviting physical therapists to try out the app. The responses we received were varied. While some therapists found it appealing, they were unable to use it since they were mandated to use their hospital's or clinic’s specific software systems. Others expressed reservations about integrating AI into their professional routines. In summary, the launch was somewhat underwhelming, and we did not have any paid customers for the next 3 weeks.

Reaching Out and First Customer

Although we initially relied on our immediate network for feedback on the app, we hadn’t conducted any specific outreach or market research to gauge demand for our solution. During my research on Reddit, I discovered numerous discussions (e.g. r/physicaltherapy) about the use of AI in documentation, mirroring my wife's experiments with ChatGPT. I actively participated in these discussions and seized the opportunity to invite participants to try SOAPNoteAI for free. It was through these engaging conversations on Reddit that SOAPNoteAI attracted its first paying customer. In fact, the Reddit recap feature had this to say about my Reddit activity in 2023.

Growth

Following our initial traction from Reddit users, SOAPNoteAI's growth was primarily driven by organic traffic from Google. Effective search engine optimization (SEO) strategies propelled our website to rank highly for specific keywords such as “AI SOAP notes” and “SOAP note AI”. This visibility has led to over 1,500 registered users trying out SOAPNoteAI. In response to growing demand, we expanded our features to support the generation of templates for a variety of fields including Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology, Chiropractic, Mental Health Counseling, Nursing, Podiatry, Veterinary Medicine, Massage Therapy, and Acupuncture.

Learnings

Here are some key insights from our journey with SOAPNoteAI:

1. Be Open to Unexpected Ideas: Often, great ideas can emerge spontaneously - we just need to be receptive and willing to experiment. In our case, had my wife not experimented with ChatGPT, the concept of SOAPNoteAI might never have materialized.

2. Time-Bound Your Initial Product Development: Given that we hadn't validated the market demand for our solution, it was crucial to limit the amount of time and resources invested in building the initial version. This approach helps in managing risks and keeping potential downsides in check.

3. Persistence Beyond a Modest Launch: A lackluster launch doesn't spell the end. Growth often occurs over time as you refine your product based on user feedback. Remember, if you hit the ball out of the park on Day 1, you were late in launching your product.

What’s Next?

My focus will remain on enhancing SOAPNoteAI, continuously striving to offer an improved experience for our customers. Several immediate improvements are already in sight. For instance, I plan to introduce a system to capture customer feedback directly within the app, providing valuable insights for further development. Additionally, I aim to launch an email marketing campaign targeting users who might not be aware of SOAPNoteAI's latest features and capabilities. Overall, I will keep experimenting and let my curiosity guide me.

Thank you , and for the feedback and for motivating me to overcome procrastination and publish this.

If I can help get your app off the ground, please reach out to me by replying to the email or leaving a comment below.

If you want me to expand on a specific topic of this story, let me know.

If you have any feedback, I would love to hear it.

Share it with someone who may find it useful.

Thank you for reading.

Kunal

The program promised a seamless re-entry to the role I had left with a compensation far exceeding my current entrepreneurial endeavors. For example, the average compensation for these roles in NYC, according to Levels.fyi, ranges from $371,980 to over $500,000+. This is way more than $10,000 / month I pledged to earn by myself by the end of next year. All it required was a simple conversation with the hiring manager. The opportunity seemed perfect, with an excellent return on investment for minimal effort.

This moment of choice brought me to reflect on the past nine months. It's been a journey akin to a roller coaster, filled with hits and misses, ups and downs. In this newsletter, I share with you a glimpse into the last three months, building on my six-month update.

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The Hits

1. One of my proudest achievements has been the development of SOAPNoteAI. Surpassing all my expectations, it grossed over $1,000 in revenue this October alone and is now utilized by more than 1,200 users across the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

   

   I initially launched SOAPNoteAI for Physical Therapy providers for fast and efficient documentation using the latest developments in AI. I discovered that users were retrofitting SOAPNoteAI for Occupational Therapy purposes. So I added support not only for Occupational Therapists but also Nurse practitioners, Mental Health providers, Veterinarians, Podiatrist and Massage Therapists.
   
   Observing and interacting with customers has been the real learning for me. For example, when a customer reached out to inquire for a subscription plan they also mentioned that they found SOAPNoteAI to be the best one out there.

   
   There are a lot of platforms out there like yours that are coming out and they have monthly subscriptions.

   However, I tried a few last night and I really do feel like yours is the best one.

   
   - SOAPNoteAI customer

   It is clear that customers are always looking for best value for the price they pay. I plan to experiment with pricing to get deliver more value than they expect.
   

2. Encouraged by SOAPNoteAI's success, I recently ventured into launching two new applications: MassageNotes.com and DAPNotes.com. MassageNotes, specifically designed for Massage Therapists, leverages the SOAP Note framework for streamlined documentation.

   

   
   Similarly, DAPNotes caters to mental health professionals, offering a specialized platform based on the DAP (Data, Assessment, and Plan) structure for their note-taking needs.

   

   In contrast to SOAPNoteAI's pay-per-use model, both these new platforms operate on a subscription basis. I will learn more about customer behavior through these platforms. For now, these apps are almost unknown to the internet. In the coming weeks, I will deploy marketing strategies similar to SOAPNoteAI to acquire customers.

3. The advancements in Generative AI have particularly captivated me. The new possibilities unfolding in this domain are thrilling. For instance, take GPT4-V's ability to identify food items on a plate and calculate their nutritional value - this is a game-changer.

   I can now create a Diwali coloring book for my kids or an Amazon Mock Interviewer chatbot in no time.
   

   More significantly, these technologies have revolutionized my productivity across various projects. I utilize ChatGPT for crafting SEO-optimized content for my apps, drafting customer emails, and enhancing my technical knowledge. GitHub Copilot serves as my coding sidekick, assisting in software development. This integration of AI assistants makes me feel like I’m part of a team, transforming the way I work and innovate.

The Misses

1. Single income stream - While SOAPNoteAI has started to generate revenue, I currently rely on a single source of income. To achieve my goal of reaching $10,000 per month, I anticipate that multiple income streams will need to contribute. For instance, I devoted more time than expected to enhance the technical architecture of both MassageNotes.com and DAPNotes.com. While working independently accelerates progress, it also brings the risk of losing the bigger picture due to lack of oversight. I'm learning the importance of disciplined focus in such a setting and plan to apply these insights moving forward.

2. Review Hero AI's growth has reached a plateau, and it currently costs around $65-70 per month to maintain. I have yet to develop a monetization strategy for it. Nevertheless, I've come to realize that the domain's value has increased over time. To illustrate, ReviewHeroAI.com boasts a domain rating of 7, which holds significant importance in our SEO strategy.

3. LLMFineTuner.com - Another app I developed in the past three months was LLMFineTuner.com. LLMFineTuner featured a straightforward user interface that allowed users to create Fine-Tuned GPT-3.5-turbo models. At that time, OpenAI only provided APIs for creating fine-tuned models, which posed challenges for non-coders who wanted to efficiently create such models.

   

   Recognizing this as an opportunity, I dedicated two weeks to create LLMFineTuner, providing a user-friendly interface for non-coders to generate fine-tuned models. Unfortunately, the app became obsolete when OpenAI released a native UI with the same functionality. However, I did glean an important lesson from this experience. Companies like OpenAI are rapidly advancing in the Gen AI space, introducing new features and capabilities. Therefore, having either a risk appetite or foresight can help minimize resource losses, whether it's time or money.

The Ups

A key goal of my year-long journey was not just professional achievement, but enhancing my overall well-being, personal satisfaction, and lifestyle. While I haven't uncovered the prefect recipe just yet, there are promising signs that things are headed in the right direction. For instance, since the beginning of the school year, I've been responsible for dropping off the kids at school around 9 am every day, while my wife takes care of the afternoon pickups. In case the schedule encounters unexpected disruptions, our flexibility helps alleviate any potential anxiety. Moreover, I embraced a personal health challenge: consuming 800 grams of fruits and vegetables every day for the entire month of October. My transformed lifestyle made it feasible to stick to this regimen throughout the month, a testament to the positive changes I've made.

Incorporating regular exercise, mindful eating, and quality moments like pumpkin carving sessions with my family, I've begun to experience and truly appreciate the perks of a balanced life. These are the joys I intend to hold onto and cultivate further as my journey continues.

The Downs

Navigating through uncertainty often brings challenges, including bouts of anxiety and self-doubt. For instance, my mind frequently delves into a series of questions: Am I dedicating my efforts to the right project? What if my apps lose popularity overnight? What if I encounter failure along this path? Why am I subjecting myself to this journey? Could I be falling into the trap of laziness or complacency compared to others who work tirelessly? Or am I being overly ambitious and discontented by constantly seeking more in life?

These thoughts can significantly impact one's mental well-being. Thus, it's crucial to prioritize mental well-being alongside physical health. During these moments of uncertainty, I find solace in reflecting on my small wins such as the first dollar I made on the internet. I take time to celebrate each new order for SOAPNoteAI, expressing gratitude for the support of my loving and caring family that surrounds me.

Looking Ahead

In late August, two of my friends and I visited Six Flags in New Jersey. The first ride we chose was Kingda Ka. For those unfamiliar with Kingda Ka, it holds the title of the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world. It had been over 12 years since my last visit to Six Flags or my last ride on a roller coaster. I had experienced Kingda Ka several times before, and I've always enjoyed roller coasters.

However, this time felt different. As I approached the roller coaster, its towering height was intimidating. While waiting for my turn, I observed them dispatching one roller coaster after another. Kingda Ka shot up in a straight line, seemingly defying gravity, performed a 180-degree turn at its peak, and then plummeted down at a 90-degree angle, simulating a free fall. I couldn't help but think about all the things that could go wrong. As my turn arrived, I found myself questioning, "Why am I subjecting myself to this?" I tightly gripped the handles in front of me and closed my eyes as it accelerated to 128 miles per hour in just 3.5 seconds. When it momentarily paused at the top, I opened my eyes to a breathtaking view. The clear blue sky, adorned with a few clouds, offered a panoramic view of the entire theme park. The experience was surreal, and the thrill was undeniably real. I continued to relish the view with my eyes wide open as the roller coaster descended back down. In fact, I returned to that roller coaster two more times.

I've learned that life, much like a roller coaster, offers its most exhilarating experiences not in the predictable straightaways, but in the surprising twists and turns that challenge us to grow beyond our comfort zones. It's filled with thrills, excitement, and nervousness - it does make me feel alive.

So last week I politely declined an offer to return to Amazon. The journey continues.

(Photo Location - Colgate Clock, Jersey City, New Jersey. Photo Credits - Me)

When I left my job six months ago, I had no concrete plan on what I was going to do. Instead, I seized this opportunity to let my curiosity guide my journey. For example, imagine spending an entire day working on an idea that struck me during my morning shower.

My strategy involves experimenting with multiple ideas, investing more in the ones that show promise, and setting aside those that don't. (If you missed my three-month update, you can check it out here.) In this post, I share my six-month update - experiments and challenges, learnings and what’s next and a roller-coaster of emotions.

Experiments

So far, I've successfully brought the following ideas to life:

1. PlaylistGeniusAI.com - Playlist Genius AI allows users to create a Spotify playlist based on a description provided by the user. The concept was conceived while experimenting with ChatGPT and OpenAI APIs. I pursued the idea to gauge its market demand. Not only did the app garner over 10,000 monthly users, but I also managed to successfully sell it just three months after its launch.

   

   For the first time in half a year, I earned a significant income. Although there was no pressing need to sell Playlist Genius, my curiosity prompted me to explore the possibilities of a sale.

2. ReviewHeroAI.com - Review Hero, a Chrome extension, lets Amazon shoppers condense product reviews, showcasing a summarized pros/cons table. Realizing its potential as an Amazon consumer, I embarked on its development. The extension, currently assisting about 550 users, secured a feature spot in the Chrome marketplace.

   

   
   
   Surprisingly, four months post-launch, Amazon declared its plans to furnish customers with an AI-generated summary of product reviews in the review section. This unforeseen announcement reaffirmed my intuition and boosted my confidence.

3. SOAPNoteAI.com - The successes of my previous apps introduced ChatGPT as a household name for us. My kids think I work for ChatGPT now and my wife - Physical Therapist - has become an avid user too. As she started to tinker with it, she realized the vast potential of AI in streamlining Physical Therapy documentation. However, it took her a lot iterations to get the AI working. She then approached me to simplify if I would make her process simple and the idea of SOAPNoteAI was born. With her expert insights, we designed an app that helps PTs with SOAP Note. SOAP Note is a standard to document notes for healthcare providers. By leveraging SOAPNoteAI.com, providers can expedite their documentation process with enhanced efficiency. SOAPNoteAI now has hundreds of registered customers and generates revenue.

4. PharmTutorAI.com - I had the chance to collaborate with Dr. Dayanjan Wijesinghe from the VCU School of Pharmacy. He and his students have been exploring the use of AI to develop bots that assist both students and professors. I assisted Dr. Dayanjan in integrating these discrete bots into a single application with secure login. This fall, Dr. Dayanjan is working with students and professors to test the bots' effectiveness as study aids for pharmacy students. I can’t wait to see the results.

5. IdliCooker.com - A brainchild from my shower thoughts, I envisioned a platform offering reviews on trending Idli Cookers on Amazon, hoping for affiliate commission-based revenue. Despite the effort, I struggled to drive the targeted audience to the site, deeming it a learning experience rather than a success.

Challenges Faced

1. Marketing and Reach: Not every marketing effort worked out. I did use platforms like Product Hunt, LinkedIn and Twitter, but not every campaign resonated with the audience. It took a lot of trial and error to understand which channels worked best for each product. For example, PlaylistGenius has 9 upvotes when I launched it on Product Hunt. A typical successful product get about 700+ upvotes in a day. But a viral instagram reel brought thousands of users to the app just a day.

2. Listing your apps on AI directories: Between March and July the landscape for AI directories (websites aggregating AI tools) changed dramatically. Earlier AI directories like TheRunDownAI, There’s an AI for that would immediately list your tool for free. When I checked again in July, I saw most of these directories would charge a fee to list the app on their site. I tweeted about this in detail here.

3. Technical Challenges: All my apps run on AWS. There were a few technical challenges but the one with AWS Cognito surprised me the most. I use AWS Cognito for authentication and user registration and was surprised with the limitations of Hosted UI. Customers have been asking for specific basic features for years and yet those haven’t been prioritized. I wrote about the short comings of AWS Cognito in this tweet.

4. Conflicting Feedback: Receiving feedback is valuable, but encountering contradictory feedback can be challenging. For example, when SOAPNoteAI was launched with a subscription model, a Reddit user argued that the pricing model was impractical. They felt they didn't see enough new cases in a month to justify it and would prefer a pay-per-use model. I obliged and changed the pricing model. However, a month later, another user requested a subscription/annual model. I haven't addressed that feedback yet. If anything, the conflicting feedback has left me perplexed.

5. Sharing Revenue Numbers: When I began this journey, I intended to publicly disclose all my revenue and expense figures. I wanted my journey to be transparent to possibly assist others in making similar decisions. However, I've since realized that sharing these figures in real-time might not be the best strategy for me. I might be wrong, and my opinion might change in the future. But if you're curious, and these numbers are holding you back from making a decision, please reach out to me directly. I'd be happy to provide more specific information in private.

Learnings

1. Ship Quick, Ship More - As is evident from the pattern, my focus has been on OpenAI SaaS products. I chose them because they were faster to build (1 person team). Surprisingly, these projects have equipped me with new skills, such as how to market a product (e.g., launching it on platforms like Product Hunt, Hacker News, LinkedIn, and Twitter), pricing strategies (like soliciting user feedback on Reddit), and tactics to rank higher on Google. For instance, I discovered that if a significant number of users (around 2k) search for your app (like Playlist Genius) within a brief period (roughly 2 days), Google will elevate your app to the top position. Had I lingered in pursuit of a flawless product, I would have overlooked the array of insights garnered in such a short span.

2. Deadlines are important - Deadlines have kept me on track and helped me to deliver more rapidly. For instance, I had spent 6 weeks before shipping SOAPNoteAI.com and I wanted to add more features. But given that I had gone past my deadline (4 weeks), I shipped it with minimum features. This decision proved beneficial. Early users offered pivotal feedback prompting a shift in the pricing model. A few weeks post-launch, I learned a rising demand from Mental Health and Nursing professionals. This allowed me to integrate new features within just a week. Had I lingered on my initially perceived crucial features, it would have postponed these invaluable insights.

3. Building Trust - After I left Amazon, I have no brand attached to my professional work. Building trust to conduct business is crucial. For example, why should a customer trust me with their money and information? One of the many ways to build trust on the Internet is building your personal brand. By sharing your learnings and knowledge in the public, you can give strangers an insight into your thinking which creates an opportunity to build trust with them. I use platforms like Twitter (now X), LinkedIn, and this newsletter to build that trust with my readers. It takes time but being consistent is the key.

4. Learning from Others - There is a wealth of knowledge that people are sharing on the Internet. I have curated my social media feeds to stay continuously motivated and strive for better. For example, in this tweet I shared how I learned about SEO, Domain names, making YouTube videos, Writing Newsletter etc. from others who are expert in their fields.

5. Marathon, Not a Sprint - When I started this journey, I time-boxed it to one year. I was confident that it would be enough time for me to decide if I like it or not and if it financially sustainable or not. I’m enjoying the challenge. However, I have realized that I’ll need more than one year to make it financially sustainable.

What’s Next?

To hold myself accountable, I am setting a goal to generate $10,000 in monthly income. I'm unsure of how soon I will achieve this, but if I can't reach this mark by the end of next year, I will consider returning to full-time employment. Hence, my renewed objective is to "Delay the return to full-time work". I don't want to lose the freedom and flexibility I currently cherish.

How do I plan to achieve my monthly income target of $10,000?

Though I lack a concrete roadmap, my curiosity drives me forward. In the short term, I plan to expand SOAPNoteAI and ReviewHero. In the medium term, I'm also set on creating informational products such as tech blogs, courses etc. Additionally, I'll pursue new SaaS ideas as they present themselves.

In Reflection

If nothing else, the past half-year has been a roller-coaster of emotions. Let me conclude by providing a glimpse into those feelings:

Doubt: Wondering if this will ever work.

Inspiration: Finding motivation in others' success stories.

Joy: Celebrating when thousands of users engage with my app.

Satisfaction: Relishing the grind as I turn my ideas into reality.

Anxiety: Nervousness when I start writing my thoughts publicly.

Heartbreak: When I hear crickets after posting my thoughts online.

Dumb: Feeling lost when someone asks about my long-term strategy.

Elation: Feeling a thrill when those Stripe notifications begin to arrive.

Concern: Worrying about burning through my savings at an alarming rate.

Fear: Apprehension that this newfound freedom will be taken away from me.

Confidence: A sense of empowerment when I make money on my own terms.

Excitement: Embracing the freedom to work on problems I'm passionate about.

Puzzlement: Bemusement when my kids' friends' parents ask what I do for work.

This path is not for the faint of heart, but the personal growth and freedom I've experienced is unparalleled. The journey is filled with ups and downs, but it's one I wouldn't trade for anything.

Here's to the adventures that lie ahead!

On July 19, 2023, PlaylistGeniusAI.com got acquired. In this post, I share the "whys, ifs, and buts" of why I sold PlaylistGeniusAI.com.

On July 1, 2023, I saw the following tweet.

Acquire.com is a marketplace for buying and selling startups. The last bar on the graph caught my eye - 2.5x more buyers than the previous month. "Aren't we preparing for a recession", I asked myself. "Haven't we seen the biggest layoffs in tech companies in years?" Was there a demand for PlaylistGenius? I decided to follow my curiosity. I listed PlaylistGeniusAI.com on acquire.com and signed off to enjoy the 4th of July weekend with my family.

Returning from the long weekend, I had eight potential buyers who had signed NDAs and started conversations to know more about the app - the tech stack, future potential, etc. The following day, there were even more.

The interest was real, I realized. And before I knew it, an offer was before me. My wife asked, "Are you sure you want to sell PlaylistGenius?" That's when it hit me, and I asked myself, "Am I ready?" PlaylistGenius is special to me. From an idea to a product, I brought it to life single-handedly. The popularity of PlaylistGenius surprised me. I never expected it to have 10,000 active monthly users from more than 100 countries. Just last month, I wrote about how PlaylistGenius helped me overcome a significant psychological barrier - earning my first dollar on the internet. (In case you missed it, I've linked it below)

The app was starting to attract paid customers. I had a list of features I wanted to implement and almost zero operation costs. So why would I sell it? Was the offer price too attractive, or was it the right time to sell?

Neither was the case. Here are the three reasons:

1. Follow curiosity and learn quickly - When I started on this journey after quitting my full-time job at Amazon, I decided to follow my curiosity, experiment, and learn. (You can read about it below)
   

   Getting PlaylistGenius acquired gave me an opportunity to follow my curiosity - "How do acquisitions work?" "What exactly am I selling?" I learn by doing. The faster I learn, the quicker I can understand if this independent journey suits me. I'm nearly 6 months into the 12-month journey I promised myself to discover what truly drives me.

2. Small Bet and Procrastination - I adopted the small bets strategy from ’s course. PlaylistGenius was a small bet in my portfolio. This meant that I was never going to focus 100% of resources towards PlaylistGenius. I had SOAPNoteAI.com vying for attention, and more ideas were on the way. I also procrastinated adding new features and integrations for over two months. While it's not common advice to accept procrastination, I let it win in this case. The reason for my lack of motivation to add more features is something I haven't quite figured out yet.

3. Money - No, I did not make hundreds of thousands of dollars from this deal. But I made enough to give me the confidence to continue playing this game - being self-employed. After seeing my savings account deplete month over month, an influx of money was a massive confidence booster.

"Would you regret selling it if it became a million/billion-dollar company one day?" my wife asked.

I responded, "No. In my mind, two possibilities could play out - It either becomes much bigger than we thought, or it shuts down before reaching its full potential. There's no way for us to predict the future. All we can do is connect the dots looking back. But what's certain is that, no matter the outcome, we'll have a story to tell."

Photo Caption - First Dollar Online

On May 4, 2023, I earned my very first dollar online. However, until 2023, I had never sold any digital products online. I had never needed to. Frankly, I didn't know how to.

As a full-time Software Engineer for the past 15 years, I've traded my time and skills for a paycheck. My work has spanned popular consumer-facing digital applications like Amazon, Prime Video and Adidas to name a few. They are used by millions of people worldwide, with billions of dollars flowing through them.

When I finally quit my full-time job in February this year, I embarked on a new journey: to earn my first online dollar.

Here's my journey from February to May 2023:

February and March 2023

Upon leaving my full-time job as a Software Engineer at Amazon in February 2023, I had no concrete plans for the future. I took a break and reconnected with old colleagues and friends. Mid-March, I joined Daniel Vassalo’s Small Bets community where I found individuals who shared my curiosity and enthusiasm.

In our conversations, ChatGPT and AI trends frequently emerged. I followed this lead and began experimenting with ChatGPT prompts and OpenAI APIs. When I asked ChatGPT to "Recommend fast-paced and motivational Hindi songs," it came back with a surprisingly solid list. 

Impressed, I asked it to create a Spotify playlist of these songs, but it couldn't.

So, I manually created this playlist, sparking an idea. Could I automate this process? And thus, PlaylistGeniusAI.com was born. For the next four days, I worked on a web app that could take a playlist description and create a Spotify playlist with AI recommendations using OpenAI. After receiving feedback from close family and friends, I launched the prototype on social media on March 27, 2023. I made a LinkedIn post, HackerNews post and tweeted about it.

April 2023

Early April saw online AI aggregators like TheRundownAI.com covering PlaylistGeniusAI.com. As the app began gaining traction, it was featured on more AI directories and attracted a growing user base.

On April 12, there was a sudden spike in traffic, jumping from zero to 1,000 clicks in 24 hours. Initially, I suspected a DDoS attack (a kind of cyberattack), but on examining the requests and IP addresses, I found them genuine, mainly originating from India.

Ten days later, I discovered an Indian Instagram influencer had made a reel about PlaylistGeniusAI.com, causing the surge in traffic. 

Throughout April, I saw steady traffic to PlaylistGeniusAI.com, with over 11,000 Google clicks. Users had created more than 30,000 playlists, and it had visitors from over 100 countries. Many requested additional features, like integration with Apple Music and YouTube Music. These signs encouraged me that there was a market for premium features.

However, I hesitated. I felt awkward asking people to pay for the app. I don’t know why. While I had no issue crafting code and systems that made billions for giants like Amazon or Adidas, asking for a one-time fee of $9 for the premium features felt - awkward.

May 2023

I overcame the predicament. I reminded myself that if I didn't figure out how to make money independently, I would soon have to look for a full-time job again. I built and launched the pro plan on May 3, 2023. The next day, I received my first payment. Those $9 stirred emotions in me that my $400k+ corporate job never did – satisfaction, accomplishment, and a sense of completeness. It felt personal, it felt real, and it felt wholly mine. My wife captured a photo of me as I was going through these emotions. 

Lessons Learned and What’s Next

Financially, making my first dollar online was not a game-changer. It didn't upgrade my lifestyle or pay for my next lunch. In fact, it's possible that my future apps might not yield any sales at all. I realize I'm still far from earning hundreds or thousands of dollars online. Yet, this initial dollar earned holds an invaluable worth: it brings me confidence. Confidence in the fact that I could do it, that I could navigate the unknown and deal with ambiguity. And that confidence is what will help me weather any self-doubt that may arise in the future.

As for what's next, I plan to continue dedicating my time to identifying and addressing the gaps that are crucial for thriving in the Internet economy. I continue to be inspired by hundreds of people who have chosen this path and learn from them. 

Back to build, learn and iterate.

If you are planning to earn your first dollar on the Internet, let me know how I can be helpful to you by replying to this email or leaving a comment in the app.

If you have already earned your first dollar on the Internet, I would love to follow your story and learn to thrive in the Internet economy.

Sometimes, even traffic lights can have tough time making a decision.

Photo - New York City

"Why didn't you pursue your ideas as weekend projects while continuing your full-time job to maintain a steady income?"

These questions are posed to me frequently. If you find yourself grappling with similar queries, my reasoning outlined below might aid in your decision-making.

1. On average, my weekdays consisted of 8-10 working hours and, every 2-3 months, included weekend duty. The hours weren't excessively long, but the work was intense. By day's end, my mental stamina was depleted, leaving no energy for new or creative pursuits.

2. My preference is to devote my weekends to family, friends, and household chores. Engaging in quality time with my two young children revitalizes my mind. Occasionally, personal tasks are completed, but this is not the standard.

3. I am financially able to resign from my job. I am fortunate to have benefitted from the tech boom over the past decade, which has allowed me to accumulate sufficient savings to maintain my current lifestyle for at least a year without any income.

4. My goal was to fully commit. Intrinsic motivation arises when you acknowledge that there's no safety net. Regular paychecks that cover your bills might not provide enough drive compared to watching your savings account dwindle at an unprecedented rate. Holding myself accountable for my choices is what fuels me.

5. If not now, then when? I've never pinpointed a perfect moment to test my ideas. Life was a constant progression: student -> employee -> husband -> father. It was time to draw the line.

If you have similar stories, please share in the section below. A little motivation goes a long way.

(Photo : Sunrise at the Ganga river in Varanasi, India)

Three months ago, I quit my job at Amazon in February 2023 and wrote a LinkedIn post about it. Below is a three-month update on my journey after leaving Amazon, my learnings, and a scorecard.

My journey so far

In the first month, I took it easy. This break helped me decide on my next steps, leading me to make a couple of decisions:

1. I decided to try multiple ideas, as the probability of a single idea working out is minuscule. Pursuing more ideas will maximize my chances and learnings.

2. I chose to work independently. While collaboration is good, it slows me down. At this stage of my journey, I am most productive working solo.

My decisions were reinforced after I got introduced to the SmallBets community where I met multiple builders trying out many small ideas to learns what works and not.

I began shortlisting my long list of app ideas that fit my criteria. In the process, I started using ChatGPT to assist me. Amazed by its capabilities, I decided to work on PlaylistGeniusAI.com and ReviewHeroAI.com. Fast forward four weeks, these apps are being used by thousands of users and I made my first dollar on the Internet independently.

Learnings

During this time, I encountered a few surprises and some expected outcomes.

Things that surprised me

1. I still don't have all the time in the world
   I assumed my full-time job was consuming all my time and that after quitting, I would have unlimited time to work on all my ideas. I was wrong. I still had limited time and had to manage daily chores (e.g., kids' activities, household chores, social activities, etc.).

2. I am most productive only during certain hours of the day
   My most productive hours (for brainstorming, coding, writing, etc.) are between 10 am and 2 pm. In all my full-time jobs, most of this time slot was spent in collaboration activities like daily stand-ups and meetings.

3. Executing in constraint environment produces better results

   I have set a time constraint for every new idea I work on. For example, I do not spend more than two weeks on an idea from concept to launching the MVP.

4. I am surprised with the number of successful independent tech professionals

   I learned about many independent tech professionals who earn their living through various SaaS and info products. I also joined the Small Bets community, where members regularly support and motivate each other through shared experiences and knowledge.

5. I don't miss work

   This is surprising because I did not expect it. I am not able to articulate the reasons yet, but if they become clearer, I'll share them in my upcoming updates.

6. My story resonated with many

   My post of LinkedIn on “Why I Quit my Job?” connected with numerous individuals who reached out to share their views, journeys, and internal debates.

Things that did not surprise

1. I do miss the paycheck

   For 15 years, I had been accustomed to receiving a paycheck every two weeks. The first few weeks were awkward, but the habit is wearing off quickly.

2. Healthcare costs remains one of the biggest expense for my family

   I am on Amazon's COBRA plan, which costs us (a family of 4) $2,000/month. I am going to look for alternatives to reduce this cost.

3. Making money independently is hard
   As a full-time Software Engineer, I was never worried about whether my work would make money for the company. Making money independently is challenging, and I have identified gaps in my skillset that I need to address.

4. Spending time with my kids is the best
   As I had expected, spending time with my two kids (5 years old and almost 3 year old) is a wonderful experience. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to spend quality time with them at this age.

5. I love to build
   Bringing ideas to life gives me incredible satisfaction and joy.

Scorecard

• 1 - Pursue new hobby: gardening

• 1 - Sickness week

• 1 - Travel week to Canada

• 2 - Applications built

• 2.5 - Number of times working out at the Gym per week

• 100s - Code commits

• $62.56 - OpenAI expenses

• $102.72 - AWS expenses (includes domains registrations)

• $18 - Total Revenue from PlaylistGeniusAI

• $0 - Total Revenue from ReviewHeroAI

• 401 - Number of users for ReviewHeroAI Chrome Extension.

• 15,000 - Number users for PlaylistGeniusAI.com

• 33,000 - Playlists created using PlaylistGeniusAI.com

Next Steps

I am three months into my one-year journey, and I have loved every moment. Yes, this journey is costly, so I will be pouring all my efforts into making it sustainable.

I will continue to build, learn, and iterate.

(Note - I published this in April 2023 on LinkedIn)

After 15 years of working as a full-time Software Engineer, including the last 9 at Amazon, I quit my comfortable, high-paying, and highly visible Sr. SDE role at Amazon last month. It wasn't an easy decision. I experienced a lot of professional growth and success at Amazon, had amazing coworkers, and supportive managers. However, I wanted to take a step back and evaluate how to shape the next phase of my professional career.

So, I asked myself: What would I do if I controlled all my time? What would that career look like? How would I decide which ideas to pursue or pass on? Would I be healthier? Happier? That's the journey I've decided to embark on - to explore the "what ifs" and discover what truly drives me. I am giving myself the next 12 months to pursue this journey.

I acknowledge that taking the plunge into an unstructured, non-corporate environment is not without risks, but I believe that now is the right time for me to experiment. On the personal front, I have managed to save enough to sustain my family's lifestyle for at least a year. As an immigrant to the US, I am lucky to be free from immigration challenges that many of my friends and coworkers have to deal with. I also feel privileged to be able to pursue such a decision.

I have weighed the pros and cons of my decision, and I believe that even if things don't work out, I can always apply for a full-time role as a Software Engineer. However, if things do start to fall into place, the upside could be high. In both outcomes, I am going to discover more about myself - the things that drive me and whether I have what it takes to navigate a more unpredictable world.

I don't know exactly what I am going to build or work on, but I know it is going to be a series of iterations to learn what works and what doesn't. I plan to document my experiences, challenges, and learnings throughout this journey. Follow me here on LinkedIn or on Twitter (@kgmodi) for updates.

Also, please feel free to share your thoughts, advice, and experiences in the comments below or via DM.

Wish me luck!
Kunal

Photo - NYC 34th Street Crossroad on Manhattanhenge
Credit - me :)