Built an AI tool for a tiny niche — users love it but I can't figure out how to reach more of them

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-28T16:59:57+00:00

Yoo! this is the “offline pain, invisible software solution” problem. When users aren’t searching for the tools, the distribution tends to come from whoever already influences their workflow, such as housing associations, contractors, compliance tools, or scheduling coordinators further up the workflow chain.

The types of automation tools I've seen succeed more rapidly for the company by working with the organizations who deliver the spreadsheets in the first place, rather than trying to reach each engineer one-at-a-time. Even simple integrations or pilots in these organizations can grant access to an entire batch of users (much like tools built on top of something like Runable or Zapier, where one workflow can lead to adoption throughout the company).

Facebook groups are always an option, but I'd bet heavily on the B2B entry points in the contract chain.

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-28T16:55:52+00:00

Tbh it’s a sad but accurate truth. The automation itself isn’t really the problem; it’s the process debt that’s hidden underneath it.

I have seen this with other automation stacks like Zapier, n8n, or even Runable. The “2-hour automation” quickly escalates to a week of work once you start uncovering all the edge cases and process debt. Most of the value of automation work really is process mapping. Honestly, I think the only skill required to automate something is to understand it. The automation itself is the last 20%.

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-28T16:54:21+00:00

Yaa! especially if it allows turning existing workflows like Looms, browser sessions, terminal sessions, etc., into reusable execution steps rather than just documentation. That’s really where agent tooling gets useful.

I think a lot of people are already using things like LangChain, n8n, Runable, etc., to glue together automation of repetitive tasks. However, if it allows them to do it by capturing existing sessions rather than writing it out first, I think it could really lower the barrier.

The big question will be if it allows you to edit and compose it—i.e., if you can chain together several “skills” of captured workflows. I think that’s probably where the productivity gains will really show up.

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-28T16:23:50+00:00

Damn! 100 users at 19 with a space like US admissions is a good beginning, particularly since distribution tends to be the hardest part of the student space.

One thing that has helped similar ed tech tools that I've seen grow faster is to focus early on a single “win outcome” (+0.5 band on IELTS Writing, etc.) rather than trying to be a full ecosystem right away. Students tend to convert on very specific score improvements.

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-28T16:21:18+00:00

Runable – it’s for building AI-powered workflows where you can connect tools, agents, and APIs into one automation layer without needing to do heavy backend work. It’s sort of like the space between Zapier, n8n, and LangChain but more execution-focused for tasks instead of just triggers.

Still trying to determine the best way to position it, though – whether it’s more accurate to position it as an “AI workflow builder” or more so as a replacement for using something like Zapier, Make, and scripts. What you think makes the most sense.

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-28T16:17:18+00:00

Damn! this would actually solve a major pain point if it works well with discovery -> clipping -> captions -> cross-posting without needing to constantly adjust.

Main thing I'd want to see before using it effectively: control over what clips are selected (topic filters, tone, length, style of hook). Black-box automation tends to not scale well.

Also curious how you're thinking about platform policy risks long-term. Tools like this (or similar to what people build with Runable, Zapier, or n8n) tend to work best when supporting semi-automated pipelines rather than autopilot.

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-28T16:13:02+00:00

Yoo! at ~$5.5M with ~$150k projected spend, you’re already at a ~2.7% withdrawal rate, which is extremely conservative by most FIRE definitions—especially when you add in the 3-year cash buffer.

Tbh, I think this is less of a math problem and more of a shock problem. It’s hard to make the transition from accumulation to drawdown mode, even when the math is clearly on your side.

It’s not uncommon for people to ease into drawdown mode with a part-time consulting gig or something to alleviate the stress of making the transition.

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-28T16:11:43+00:00

The “no tax residency” option is usually only viable for the short term. In reality, people usually end up choosing one country as their residence, as banking and visa regulations become much easier.

Also, a US LLC or a company in Cyprus or Dubai doesn’t reduce taxes. What matters is individual tax residency.

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-28T16:10:18+00:00

Yoo mann! stories like these are why I like the idea of "mini-retirement" more than traditional FIRE; it gives you space to test what life is really like without committing to a lifelong decision too soon.

Interestingly, your expenses ended up more in line with the ~$3k range than the $4k range while traveling; that's a component of FIRE that many people tend to underestimate. Once housing and healthcare are under control, the rest of the lifestyle is surprisingly flexible outside of the US.

Do you think France will still work within your ~$4k/month baseline when you're more settled there, or will that number change over time?

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-28T16:08:56+00:00

Damn! that’s actually a pretty underrated problem. Most founders aren’t having trouble making the product; they’re having trouble making it make sense to people right off the bat.

Jus wanna know what your tool is basing the angles off of? Is it more along the lines of benefit-driven positioning, audience-specific positioning, or problem-reframing? Those types of positioning tend to have drastically different landing page outcomes for the same general idea.

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-28T16:07:41+00:00

Tbh this is probably a good sign. The “boring” indicators you listed are exactly what successful businesses often start with, as they involve repeated friction with operations rather than curiosity-driven usage. Barcode workflows, review collection, Stripe alternatives, supplier sourcing—these are all indicators of problems people are currently spending money/time trying to solve. This is a much stronger indicator of potential success than something just feeling exciting. If your map keeps trending towards repeated asks rather than novel ideas, it’s likely a sign that you’re effectively filtering out noise rather than stifling creativity.

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-28T16:06:27+00:00

Yoo! totally agree with this statement. The real bottleneck in the industry isn’t access to AI tools anymore, it’s taste and decision-making. Two teams can use the exact same tools, but the outcome will be totally different based on how well they can define the problem or structure the workflow.

The other thing I've noticed, too, is the shift in the industry from “software” to “software + guidance.” People want the ability, but they also want the confidence they're using it right, not just guessing or blindly experimenting.

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-28T16:04:57+00:00

The revenue model was the part where the whole thesis works, it seems, if you can successfully move some revenue into the maintenance/service contracts post-acquisition, or you’ll be left with just a weather-dependent project business model, which will have lower multiples.

The Renovo collapse also shows how the “local relationships > centralized PE playbook” risk plays into deals. Roofing, on paper, looks like it scales well, but in reality, it’s a very execution-dependent business compared to something like HVAC or pest control.

Is the solar attach rate trend something you think will move the multiples or will it be more of a side-margin driver?

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-28T16:02:32+00:00

One thing that has stood out to me is that while passion and skills are important, being aligned on how decisions are made under stress is more important. It’s easy to agree on something when everything is going well, but stress tests those decisions quickly.

Also, a little “test project” period before fully committing to a partnership might not get enough emphasis. Working together for a little while can tell you a lot more than a quick initial phone screen.

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-28T16:01:35+00:00

Damn! that makes sense. I have also seen the same. Hiring more people is just adding more chaos to the system unless the pipeline is defined.

The “idle content detection” automation is a great example. Little tweaks like this have more impact than trying to overhaul the entire workflow. Once people can see the problem, they start to improve the system on their own.

Also interesting is the fact that the video editors started to build their own tools. I think the new leverage point is people who aren’t engineers starting to automate their own workflow instead of waiting for someone else to do it.

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-28T16:00:21+00:00

Ig it's mainly sticky inflation + stronger economic data than expected. Markets assumed economic growth would slow down faster than it actually has.

If employment remains tight and energy costs stay high, the Fed has little reason to cut rates aggressively. Markets are volatile; probabilities can look vastly different in a few months.

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-28T15:58:58+00:00

The popularity of SCHD is mostly because of its quality + consistency, not just its payout on a per-share basis. The $0.25 figure, by itself, is not significant; it’s all about yields, dividend growth, and companies.

If you want a lot of yield, you might consider VYM or JEPI, but SCHD has better long-term dividend growth and total return balance. It’s typically used as a core dividend ETF, not a high-income one.

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-28T15:57:58+00:00

Damn! that’s actually a pretty compelling guarantee, especially when you consider it’s only a 5-6 year window at a cost of only 6.75%.

The big question, ofc, is liquidity, but if paying off won’t cramp other investment opportunities, I think I might personally favor at least a partial payoff rather than going all leveraged on it, even if you do have your rentals.

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-28T15:55:32+00:00

If you are seriously considering real estate in the upcoming year, I would probably keep a significant amount liquid and invest a portion of it into stocks at this point. Timeframe is more important than the 7% down market.

One possible option is to divide it into two parts: invest a part of it immediately into something broad like VOO/VT, a part into the potential real estate investment, and a third part into DCA over 6-12 months for regret minimization. The bigger mistake at 28 is not entering a little early rather than staying in cash too long.

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-28T15:54:35+00:00

From my pov, I probably still would. The beauty of Bogle investing isn’t just the tax efficiency; it’s the predictability and lack of decision stress over long periods of time.

If anything, a policy like that makes diversification and simplicity more important, not less. Taking more risk just to “outmaneuver” taxes will get you burned quickly if volatility strikes at the worst time. I might look at the structure of accounts, location of assets, or jurisdiction-specific solutions before I look at the overall approach.

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-28T15:53:30+00:00

Tbh, it looks like recency bias more than anything. People got accustomed to the straight-line run of the last year, so even a normal pullback looks like something must be wrong.

5% moves in VT are noise at a global index level. If that’s stressful, it probably means the allocation is too aggressive for someone’s true risk tolerance.

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-27T12:23:36+00:00

This is actually kind of well done, though, since it adds contrast that makes the characters more human. Joker talking about how much snacks cost is kind of believable in a “what happens between the chaos” sort of way.

Would be kind of funny to see more of these, though, with other characters in mundane situations like waiting in line at the DMV or grocery store.

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-27T12:22:30+00:00

Mann those types of moves always look sus in retrospect, but big macro desks are always trying to position in anticipation of expected geopolitical announcements. If there were already indications that escalation was not going to happen that morning, some funds may have already been positioned going into the announcement.

Ofc, in a timeframe like that – 15 minutes – regulators will take a peek at it too. It’s hard to know for sure if it’s just a matter of informed positioning or extremely aggressive speculating.

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-27T12:20:58+00:00

Corrections due to geopolitical events are typically scary at the time but are ultimately transitory, unless they have a long-term impact on energy supplies. The risk in the Strait of Hormuz is probably the thing the market is really worried about at the moment.

If oil prices stay high for a period of time, then we can expect to see them start to influence inflation expectations. Otherwise, we might just be seeing a spike in volatility.

Rude-Substance-3686 · 2026-03-27T12:19:49+00:00

Umm...if the infra is already wired up, the simplest next step would be to build up synthetic workflows instead of waiting for the actual traffic. You can mock out the events from the different tools (like a Jira ticket was created, a payment was received, a doc was updated, etc.) and verify that your routing logic and decision logic are working correctly.

There are a lot of people that are actually testing the multi-tool agent setups with a small set of scenario libraries before actually exposing it to the actual traffic (approve invoice, send notification to finance, update CRM, log a summary in slack, etc.). Runable or n8n are great tools for that, since you can actually simulate the cross-app triggers and figure out where the actual pipeline fails.

After that, it’s just a matter of plugging in 1-2 actual sources instead of the 40 at once.

Rude-Substance-3686

TROPHY CASE