How I Built A $1M Business in 117 Days

Starter Story • • 12min • #75
How I Built A $1M Business in 117 Days
Watch on YouTube

Summary

  • Yasser

    • Built Chadbase to 7 million in ARR with no funding as a soloreneur.
    • Launched the product 2 and a half years ago to an initial audience of 16 Twitter followers.
    • Dropped out of university after seeing consistent daily sales and significant early traction.
    • Achieved product-market fit by shipping a ChatGPT-like chat interface for user data without pre-launch validation.

  • Products and Offerings

    • Core product enables users to upload documents and chat with them via AI.
    • Supports multiple AI models through a dropdown, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Cohere, Google Gemini, and Groq.
    • Created custom chatbots for books and influencers as promotional experiments.
    • Uses affiliate and documentation tools such as Dub and Mentlify to support onboarding and growth.

  • Metrics and Financials

    • Reached 1 million ARR in 117 days after launch.
    • Current ARR is 6.8 million and growing fast.
    • Over 10,000 paying customers with monthly subscriptions ranging from $40 to $500.
    • Approximately 600,000 registered users overall.

  • Strategy and Growth

    • Relied on product-led growth with a Stripe button and minimal signup friction.
    • Drove initial traction through a viral tweet featuring a familiar streaming interface and quick aha moment.
    • Leveraged mentions of emerging AI tools to create viral loops and earn amplification from new platforms.
    • Executed recurring launches by framing feature releases as new product launches for broader audiences.
    • Ran sponsored posts and free influencer chatbots to expand reach without ad spend.
    • Focused on building in public through daily posts and personal storytelling to cultivate a brand.

  • Tech Stack and Infrastructure

    • Hosts on Vercel and uses its AI SDK for AI infrastructure.
    • Stores data in Supabase.
    • Processes payments via Stripe.
    • Integrates multiple AI labs and models for flexible, user-selectable AI responses.

  • Lessons and Advice

    • Ship a high-quality MVP that balances speed and polish to avoid frustrating users.
    • Treat every launch as an opportunity to re-introduce the product to new audiences.
    • Be personal, opinionated, and consistent when building in public to stand out.
    • Trust your own context over generic best practices; no one knows your situation better than you.
    • Aim higher than comfortable lifestyle goals and avoid self-limiting beliefs about market potential.
Back to Starter Story