A.I. Helped One Man (and His Brother) Build a $1.8B Company • Hacker News Board

Re: A.I. Helped One Man (and His Brother) Build a $1.8B Company

#31

Post by jimnotgym » Thu, Apr 02, 2026, 1:01 PM UTC

samsolomon wrote: post #28

fontain wrote: post #10

The opposite of an “A.I” company, he is reselling the services of another filled with humans. A great, profitable business, sure, a notable success, yes, but a 2-man billion dollar company made possible by A.I? No. Businesses like this have existed for decades and are vulnerable to their service providers stealing the business out from under them.

Well, this guy isn't training models in his basement—if that's what you're looking for? I think the point of this article is that AI enables people to do so much more? Much of marketing is creating engaging content and AI allows people to create more than ever.

Seems that a motivated person with the right skillset could have done this with traditional tools. A WordPress site, a copywriter of Fivver etc.

Re: A.I. Helped One Man (and His Brother) Build a $1.8B Company

#32

Post by jimnotgym » Thu, Apr 02, 2026, 1:04 PM UTC

jgalt212 wrote: post #4

Based on common AI sales to market cap ratios, this is a $50-$100B market cap company.

And that is what this article is, an attempt to get a business with a doubtful future valued as AI

Re: A.I. Helped One Man (and His Brother) Build a $1.8B Company

#33

Post by hermannj314 » Thu, Apr 02, 2026, 1:08 PM UTC

suddenlybananas wrote: post #26

hermannj314 wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This was the same criticism levied against AirBnB, Uber, cryptocurrency, prediction markets, sports betting apps, etc. The border of legal and illegal is a good place to make money and change.

Yes doing illegal things and getting away with it is a great way to make money.

Some laws represent moral truths and some laws represent the attempt of a prior generation's upper class to protect that wealth.

The willingess to break a bad law is a sign of a good person.

Re: A.I. Helped One Man (and His Brother) Build a $1.8B Company

#34

Post by netsharc » Thu, Apr 02, 2026, 1:12 PM UTC

azan_ wrote: post #25

netsharc wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't it capitalism? Adobe fucks you, Microsoft will "upgrade" your Office^W Copilot 365 license to 25-seats(1) if you don't notice, Tesla promises self-driving but drives you into the back of the trucks (what, you didn't read the disclaimer?), even the "leader of the free world" is now a crypto-huckster selling you bibles with his name on it... and is killing civilians in the Middle East and making profit by saying…

The beauty of capitalism is that you can just not use Adobe, Microsoft or drive Tesla. Blaming Trump on capitalism is also quite a stretch.

So the beauty of capitalism is billion dollar companies are free to try to scam you, because you're also free to avoid them?

Maybe I should just stand on the street and be a 3-card-monty...

Re: A.I. Helped One Man (and His Brother) Build a $1.8B Company

#35

Post by allanmacgregor » Thu, Apr 02, 2026, 1:23 PM UTC

netsharc wrote: post #14

an0malous wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seems like that’s basically what entrepreneurship is now

Isn't it capitalism? Adobe fucks you, Microsoft will "upgrade" your Office^W Copilot 365 license to 25-seats(1) if you don't notice, Tesla promises self-driving but drives you into the back of the trucks (what, you didn't read the disclaimer?), even the "leader of the free world" is now a crypto-huckster selling you bibles with his name on it... and is killing civilians in the Middle East and making profit by saying…

[flagged]

Re: A.I. Helped One Man (and His Brother) Build a $1.8B Company

#36

Post by neom » Thu, Apr 02, 2026, 1:40 PM UTC

dudefeliciano wrote: post #24

neom wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not capitalism in the way many of us capitalists think it should be practiced. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Theory_of_Moral_Sentiments

Isn't this the same no true scotsman argument as "true communism, as Marx envisioned, has never been put to practice"?

Absolutely.

Re: A.I. Helped One Man (and His Brother) Build a $1.8B Company

#37

Post by couscouspie » Thu, Apr 02, 2026, 1:56 PM UTC

gedy wrote: post #17

brysonmeunier wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’d argue this is more of an extreme outlier than a baseline. While it shows the 'ceiling' of what a hyper-lean AI-enabled team can do in a white-hot market (GLP-1s), it’s hard to call $200M+ revenue per employee a 'baseline' for any industry. It’s a remarkable anomaly. A dream of every vibe coder like myself, but not a realistic target for most.

It also relies on many outsourced doctors, correct? In this particular case, this is not a great vibe code business example imho.

That's like saying Spotify wouldn't be a good example, because it outsourced music production to musicians and just not a meaningful point.

Re: A.I. Helped One Man (and His Brother) Build a $1.8B Company

#38

Post by fragmede » Thu, Apr 02, 2026, 2:14 PM UTC

hermannj314 wrote: post #33

suddenlybananas wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes doing illegal things and getting away with it is a great way to make money.

Some laws represent moral truths and some laws represent the attempt of a prior generation's upper class to protect that wealth. The willingess to break a bad law is a sign of a good person.

Just because a law is bad doesn't mean breaking it is a good thing. The laws against gambling are bad, but that's because they're too loose, not because they're too strict. Breaking those laws to gamble doesn't make gambling a good thing.

Re: A.I. Helped One Man (and His Brother) Build a $1.8B Company

#39

Post by fragmede » Thu, Apr 02, 2026, 2:21 PM UTC

gedy wrote: post #17

brysonmeunier wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’d argue this is more of an extreme outlier than a baseline. While it shows the 'ceiling' of what a hyper-lean AI-enabled team can do in a white-hot market (GLP-1s), it’s hard to call $200M+ revenue per employee a 'baseline' for any industry. It’s a remarkable anomaly. A dream of every vibe coder like myself, but not a realistic target for most.

It also relies on many outsourced doctors, correct? In this particular case, this is not a great vibe code business example imho.

What is this platonic ideal of a vibe code business that doesn't rely on some outside vendor to create value? If all you're offering is something for a niche (CRM just for car repair business), that's getting cloned yesterday. Unless your value is locked behind some moat, like hiring licensed doctors, you won't survive, and even then.

Re: A.I. Helped One Man (and His Brother) Build a $1.8B Company

#40

Post by fragmede » Thu, Apr 02, 2026, 2:22 PM UTC

BoredPositron wrote: post #12

amelius wrote: post #6

Looks like they are selling GLP-1 prescriptions online, with online consultations. This is borderline illegal.

It has become a bit of a pest in Germany since weed was legalized. Every other method of distribution is either inconvenient, like growing it yourself, or borderline difficult to establish, like the social clubs. Now, you just pay 10 euros, fill out an online form, and receive a prescription. I’m not against legalization, quite the opposite but these empty promises that weed is a "cure" for anxiety, depression, and o…

No, it sounds like you're against legalization.