A week in AI is like a year in other industries. I hope these issues become your weekly source of AI information, inspiration, and ideas. If we haven’t met before, I’m Amanda Smith. I write about AI and the fascinating folks who are building in this brave new world.
Good morning. A quick catch-up on the last two weeks in case life got in the way.
A finance founder who walked away from Wall Street to serve the people it ignores. A solo-builder movement quietly rewriting what a company even looks like. And an ex-Olympic sailor who turned a lunch conversation into an 8,000-brand waitlist.
Here's what you missed 👇
Steve Chen spent years watching big finance ignore everyday investors. So he built something for them instead. BoldinAI answers real financial questions based on a user's actual plan — not a generic LLM response. Half a million planners, $300B in modeled assets, and growing 100% year-on-year. In sensitive industries, trust is the moat.
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Nic Baird watched AI apps rack up tens of thousands of engaged users — then shut down because the economics didn't work. Koah drops ads directly into AI experiences so publishers can give away their best features for free and still make money. Eight thousand brands on the waitlist, all organic. The timing feels right.
Building is no longer the hard part. With AI handling product, ops, and marketing, solo founders are shipping profitable businesses faster than most teams can hold a kickoff call. The new bottleneck? Distribution. Getting attention is the skill that separates the ones who make it.
How's the depth of today's edition?
If one of these stories stuck with you, I’d love to hear which one.
Speak soon,
Amanda
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