Building AI SaaS Without VC Funding with the Real Ups and Downs that can Crush your YC Dreams
Every tech bro with a LinkedIn account tells you to "raise a seed round" before writing a single line of code. They act like bootstrapping an AI SaaS is some kind of financial martyrdom, destined to fail because you cannot afford that $200K annual AWS bill and a team of PhDs. The reality playing out on r/SaaS and indie hacker forums paints a different picture. Solo developers are shipping AI products in weeks, hitting profitability in months, and laughing at the competition still perfecting their pitch decks. One developer on r/indiehackers shared their journey: two founders, no funding, just a laptop and time. Eight months later, they launched and hit $78 in monthly recurring revenue within the first week. That might sound small to someone chasing unicorn valuations, but for bootstrappers, it represents validation and the start of sustainable growth. Meanwhile, another founder spent $47K and 18 months building an AI startup, only to realize they built something nobody wante...
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