Welcome to Issue #012 of SoloLIVE! Each week, I’ll share practical tips to streamline your solo business, right from my desk, to help you escape the grind and create a life on your terms.
Why Waiting Is the Enemy of Progress
Have you ever spent months dreaming up the perfect product- only to watch the excitement fizzle out before launch? Most solopreneurs get bogged down in endless drafting or second-guessing, and whole quarters go by with nothing shipped. The world doesn’t wait, and neither should you.
Speed Beats Perfection in Today’s Solo Game
A decade ago, solo business ownership felt like slow solo hikes up a mountain. But now, markets shift overnight, and audience tastes seem to change with each new trend. If you wait for “perfect,” your big breakthrough might come too late. Luckily, AI is changing the game. With the right tools, you can move from idea to paid offer in a fraction of the time - validating, refining, and shipping before self-doubt sets in.
The Myth of the Lone Wolf Innovator
Let’s get real: Building a product alone isn’t just lonely, it’s risky. You spend nights tweaking, days worrying, and weeks trapped in “is it good enough?” perfectionism. The old way—agonizing over every detail, hoping for outside feedback - often leads to burnout and blowing your shot at escaping the 9-5 grind. Product launches stall, momentum falters, and you’re left wondering if you’ll ever make the leap.
How Ivan Kuckir Launched Photopea Without a Team or a Safety Net
Ivan Kuckir started with a vision: a photo editing tool accessible to anyone, anywhere. He spent thousands of solitary hours coding Photopea - building it as a one-person alternative to Photoshop. This wasn’t a moonshot with venture capital or a big support system. Ivan faced setbacks, copycats, and doubts about whether anyone would want a solo-built web app.
But Ivan was relentless. He let the feedback loop guide him, updating features and responding to users quickly. Instead of hiding away in perfectionism, he put new versions in front of his audience fast, and reacted. Today, Photopea has millions of users and generates almost $1M/year. Ivan’s journey shows that solo success happens when you ship, test, and iterate - embracing speed and flexibility with every step.
Ship Faster: A Step-By-Step AI-Driven Launch Blueprint
Here’s a simple approach to rapid product creation, inspired by Ivan’s agility (and upgraded with AI):
Capture Your Idea: Use ChatGPT to brainstorm product outlines, unique hooks, or user stories that resonate.
Mock It Up: Jump into Canva for fast, shareable designs - landing pages, demos, or prototype visuals.
Test the Concept: Deploy a quick audience survey using AI forms or launch a pre-sale to gauge real interest before building out.
Iterate in Real Time: Use audience feedback and analytic AI tools to refine your offer. Let user comments (not nagging self-doubt) guide your next move.
Repeat: The more ideas you ship, the better your chances of finding what actually works.
You don’t need a team, fancy gear, or months of free time. You need the courage to ship - even if imperfect, and the right AI-powered shortcuts to get to market faster.
Launch Your Product - This Week
Ready to try? Open ChatGPT and describe the simplest version of your big idea. Make a Canva mockup tonight. Tomorrow, set up a simple landing page or feedback form using Typeform or Google Forms. Share with five people, ask for brutal feedback, and fix one thing per round. By next week, you’ll have something real in the world - something people can use or buy. That’s how freeing yourself from the 9-5 actually starts.
What Will You Ship in Seven Days?
Take on this challenge: Use at least one AI tool to get a product idea from page to public in one week. Forget perfect; focus on done. Each launch gets you closer to freedom. What could you create - and who needs it now?
That’s all for today. See you next week.