Artificially Intelligent: Building an AI Startup

Jacob Anderson
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Weekly Series

Can you launch an AI startup in 16 weeks with no experience? We're attempting it and building our SaaS in public for all indiehackers, entrepreneurs, and tech enthusiasts to witness. Success or failure, join us to find out!

Season 1

  1. Episode 1

    Can you start an AI-powered SaaS business in 16 weeks?

    Note from future Jacob (2026): This startup failed. In fact, it never got off the ground beyond an idea. The reasons were many, but if anything it was an inspiring exercise in what not to do. So much focus on brand, on what it should mean, and no focus at all on what difference the product should make to the person that uses it. I can forgive myself for that. It was incredibly easy to be swept away by the great wave of possibility that was early AI at this point. Now, in 2026, as I write this, things are quite different. Back then, we had a taste. Now, with the arrival of models like Anthropic's Claude Fable and OpenAI's GPT-5.6, those of us who can operate the harnesses can build beyond our wildest dreams. Some of the ideas from this startup have survived, and even the brand name has lived to fight another day. Sayora is an AI receptionist for UK small businesses. When your hands are full and your phone goes to voicemail, who answers? Sayora can. Read more about the product, and the story behind the name, at sayora.ai --- It's week 1 of 16 and Jacob Anderson (@itwasjacob) is diving headfirst into building an AI startup using AI to guide him. He's a marketer with a little bit of technical background, no experience starting a business at all, and an instance of GPT-4 he likes to call Ziggy. But it's not all he has. Colin Gray (@colinmcgray), founder of Alitu (alitu.com) Jacob's boss, agreed to start this podcast blind - and he's now on board as an accountability partner and mentor. This podcast is made with Alitu: Alitu was made to give indie creators a leg up. Podcasting is too time-consuming for most people, but Alitu let's you sit down to record, make some simple edits if you really want to, and just hit publish. It'll clean up your audio and make you sound loud and clear, add the right metadata, deal with filetypes and export settings. You literally just press publish. So if you're like me and feel like you've barely got enough time to work on your startup as it is, but really want to add podcasting to your content mix, then give it a shot. It only costs $38 per month for your whole stack of podcasting tools, but if you use discount code "buildinpublic" you'll get 15% off for 3 months. What we chat about in this episode: The initial idea for the business and its potential evolutionThe power of AI as a versatile tool to start almost anythingThe application of AI in customer interviews and analysis processesThe 16-week plan and commitment to seeking customer feedback.Identifying the target customer segment and their specific pain pointsCommitment(s) for Next Episode: Jacob will have spoken to product managers, marketers, and early-stage founders, collected feedback on the MVP, and discussed the broader idea with them. Join us as we document Jacob's AI startup experiment, sharing our thoughts, lessons, and experiences along the way. If you're into startups, product management, marketing, or just curious about how AI can change the game, this is the episode for you! Don't forget to subscribe and follow the podcast to stay updated on their journey!

  2. Episode 2

    Fly on the wall: First meeting with my co-founder

    Note from future Jacob (2026): This startup failed. In fact, it never got off the ground beyond an idea. The reasons were many, but if anything it was an inspiring exercise in what not to do. So much focus on brand, on what it should mean, and no focus at all on what difference the product should make to the person that uses it. I can forgive myself for that. It was incredibly easy to be swept away by the great wave of possibility that was early AI at this point. Now, in 2026, as I write this, things are quite different. Back then, we had a taste. Now, with the arrival of models like Anthropic's Claude Fable and OpenAI's GPT-5.6, those of us who can operate the harnesses can build beyond our wildest dreams. Some of the ideas from this startup have survived, and even the brand name has lived to fight another day. Sayora is an AI receptionist for UK small businesses. When your hands are full and your phone goes to voicemail, who answers? Sayora can. Read more about the product, and the story behind the name, at sayora.ai --- It's week 2 of 16 and Jacob (@itwasjacob) now has a Co-Founder. Ryan Stainsby (@GooglerForHire), long time pal, has joined the party. The recording used for this episode was never meant to be a podcast. It’s a zoom recording from Jacob and Ryan's first meeting, which means it's lo-fi. Ryan is Australia and Jacob is in Scotland so there's latency, and Ryan's microphone... isn't great. But it’s raw, and it’s real. Here's what's covered: Chapter 1: Shaping the partnership Our feelings on funding and exiting our startupFinding local meetups with other foundersHow to communicate and work remotely as co-foundersHow we'll fit starting a business around our jobsWorking in sprints (project management)So... we're really doing this?! (honestly an underwhelming moment listening back on it)Roles and responsibilitiesWhat does success look likeSetting our goal: First paying user in 16 weeksChapter 2: Working in public Chapter 3: What if it doesn't work? ------------------------------ This podcast is made with Alitu: Alitu was made to give indie creators a leg up. Podcasting is too time-consuming for most people, but Alitu let's you sit down to record, make some simple edits if you really want to, and just hit publish. It'll clean up your audio and make you sound loud and clear, add the right metadata, deal with filetypes and export settings. You literally just press publish. So if you're like me and feel like you've barely got enough time to work on your startup as it is, but really want to add podcasting to your content mix, then give it a shot. It only costs $38 per month for your whole stack of podcasting tools, but if you use discount code "buildinpublic" you'll get 15% off for 3 months.

  3. Episode 3

    Co-Founder Onboarding, Customer Research & Sprinting to Revenue

    Note from future Jacob (2026): This startup failed. In fact, it never got off the ground beyond an idea. The reasons were many, but if anything it was an inspiring exercise in what not to do. So much focus on brand, on what it should mean, and no focus at all on what difference the product should make to the person that uses it. I can forgive myself for that. It was incredibly easy to be swept away by the great wave of possibility that was early AI at this point. Now, in 2026, as I write this, things are quite different. Back then, we had a taste. Now, with the arrival of models like Anthropic's Claude Fable and OpenAI's GPT-5.6, those of us who can operate the harnesses can build beyond our wildest dreams. Some of the ideas from this startup have survived, and even the brand name has lived to fight another day. Sayora is an AI receptionist for UK small businesses. When your hands are full and your phone goes to voicemail, who answers? Sayora can. Read more about the product, and the story behind the name, at sayora.ai --- It's week 4 of 16: Jacob Anderson (@itwasjacob) and Colin Gray (@colinmcgray), his day job boss, sit down to discuss the exciting news that Jacob recently found a co-founder. The podcast delves into why Colin wishes he had one at the start, the hows and why's of doing a partnership alignment workshop, and the market research findings that will shape their endeavors. We also discuss our ideas for an easier-to-deliver MVP, which still solves similar problems, but lets us get to revenue faster. ------------------------------ In this episode: Finding a cofounder vs going soloOnboarding a co-founder for your startupWhy partnership alignment is importantEarly customer research findingsBuilding a customer research app for novices AND professionalsWhy interviews work better than surveys for customer researchDeciding to build an MVP using the same tech, solving a related problem, but far quicker to revenue------------------------------ This podcast is made with Alitu: Alitu was made to give indie creators a leg up. Podcasting is too time-consuming for most people, but Alitu let's you sit down to record, make some simple edits if you really want to, and just hit publish. It'll clean up your audio and make you sound loud and clear, add the right metadata, deal with filetypes and export settings. You literally just press publish. So if you're like me and feel like you've barely got enough time to work on your startup as it is, but really want to add podcasting to your content mix, then give it a shot. It only costs $38 per month for your whole stack of podcasting tools, but if you use discount code "buildinpublic" when you upgrade and you'll get 15% off for 3 months. Just visit https://alitu.com and start a free trial to get started.

  4. Episode 4

    Capturing Your Startup Vision and Choosing a Name

    Note from future Jacob (2026): This startup failed. In fact, it never got off the ground beyond an idea. The reasons were many, but if anything it was an inspiring exercise in what not to do. So much focus on brand, on what it should mean, and no focus at all on what difference the product should make to the person that uses it. I can forgive myself for that. It was incredibly easy to be swept away by the great wave of possibility that was early AI at this point. Now, in 2026, as I write this, things are quite different. Back then, we had a taste. Now, with the arrival of models like Anthropic's Claude Fable and OpenAI's GPT-5.6, those of us who can operate the harnesses can build beyond our wildest dreams. Some of the ideas from this startup have survived, and even the brand name has lived to fight another day. Sayora is an AI receptionist for UK small businesses. When your hands are full and your phone goes to voicemail, who answers? Sayora can. Read more about the product, and the story behind the name, at sayora.ai --- It's week 5 of 16: Jacob Anderson (@itwasjacob) and Colin Gray (@colinmcgray), his day job boss, are talking about long-term vision planning and choosing a name. Ryan has broken ground on building the first mini product under the brand, names are being chosen, things are getting real. ------------------------------ In this episode: Jacob's progress on Brand naming and Manifesto. Ryan's progress on building an auth system and laying the foundations to work with an LLM. UI can be built generatively. Excitement for a future with AI. Using a vector store for a hybrid memory model. How Colin chose the names for The Podcast Host and Alitu. Functional names are usually best (so watch us NOT do that!) The power of storytelling. The importance of sound symbolism. ------------------------------ This podcast is made with Alitu: Alitu was made to give indie creators a leg up. Podcasting is too time-consuming for most people, but Alitu let's you sit down to record, make some simple edits if you really want to, and just hit publish. It'll clean up your audio and make you sound loud and clear, add the right metadata, deal with filetypes and export settings. You literally just press publish. So if you're like me and feel like you've barely got enough time to work on your startup as it is, but really want to add podcasting to your content mix, then give it a shot. It only costs $38 per month for your whole stack of podcasting tools, but if you use discount code "buildinpublic" when you upgrade and you'll get 15% off for 3 months. Just visit https://alitu.com and start a free trial to get started.

  5. Episode 5

    Building in Public: SaaS Launch Strategies & Content Ideas

    Note from future Jacob (2026): This startup failed. In fact, it never got off the ground beyond an idea. The reasons were many, but if anything it was an inspiring exercise in what not to do. So much focus on brand, on what it should mean, and no focus at all on what difference the product should make to the person that uses it. I can forgive myself for that. It was incredibly easy to be swept away by the great wave of possibility that was early AI at this point. Now, in 2026, as I write this, things are quite different. Back then, we had a taste. Now, with the arrival of models like Anthropic's Claude Fable and OpenAI's GPT-5.6, those of us who can operate the harnesses can build beyond our wildest dreams. Some of the ideas from this startup have survived, and even the brand name has lived to fight another day. Sayora is an AI receptionist for UK small businesses. When your hands are full and your phone goes to voicemail, who answers? Sayora can. Read more about the product, and the story behind the name, at sayora.ai --- It's week 7 of 16: Jacob Anderson (@itwasjacob) and Colin Gray (@colinmcgray), his day job boss, are talking about long-term vision planning and choosing a name. Ryan has broken ground on building the first mini product under the brand, names are being chosen, things are getting real. ------------------------------ In this episode: Jacob's progress on Brand naming and Manifesto. Ryan's progress on building an auth system and laying the foundations to work with an LLM. UI can be built generatively. Excitement for a future with AI. Using a vector store for a hybrid memory model. How Colin chose the names for The Podcast Host and Alitu. Functional names are usually best (so watch us NOT do that!) The power of storytelling. The importance of sound symbolism. ------------------------------ This podcast is made with Alitu: Alitu was made to give indie creators a leg up. Podcasting is too time-consuming for most people, but Alitu let's you sit down to record, make some simple edits if you really want to, and just hit publish. It'll clean up your audio and make you sound loud and clear, add the right metadata, deal with filetypes and export settings. You literally just press publish. So if you're like me and feel like you've barely got enough time to work on your startup as it is, but really want to add podcasting to your content mix, then give it a shot. It only costs $38 per month for your whole stack of podcasting tools, but if you use discount code "buildinpublic" when you upgrade and you'll get 15% off for 3 months. Just visit https://alitu.com and start a free trial to get started.

  • 5 Episodes

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Can you launch an AI startup in 16 weeks with no experience? We're attempting it and building our SaaS in public for all indiehackers, entrepreneurs, and tech enthusiasts to witness. Success or failure, join us to find out!

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