I have always wanted to create a startup, but I often feel like I'm a bit late to the party. I was born in the 90s, which means I missed out on the early days of the web, Web 2.0 (social networks), and mobile apps. By the time I was old enough and knew how to code, all the good ideas seemed to be taken. Social networks? Done. To-do lists? Done. Finance apps? Done.

I don't consider blockchain to be Web 3.0, but that's a whole different topic. Anyway, that's why I was so excited when generative AI came into play. It feels like everything is possible again.

Now, I spend a lot of my free time building something with generative AI. But after a few attempts, I’ve started to notice a pattern around generative AI that can be discouraging for entrepreneurs like me.

AI Wrapper
Let's get the obvious one out of the way. While building my startup, one thing that comes to mind is, if I can do it in ChatGPT, why would I use another app? I quickly realized that whatever startup you build needs to offer more than what ChatGPT can. It doesn't help that OpenAI wants ChatGPT to be its own product. What I’m trying to say is that, as a developer, I don't feel like I’m their top priority—they want ChatGPT to be the default app. For example, I previously built an app that allows users to practice their interviews with AI. Sure, ChatGPT can do that too, but my app offers much more. It not only helps users practice but also provides ratings and feedback, and users can do this multiple times without needing to prompt it like you would in ChatGPT.

Generative AI is Easy. Too Easy.

What I mean by "easy" is that someone with coding experience can quickly build something similar to what I want to create. All it takes is a good prompt, and boom—you’re done. Going back to the interview practice app I built, I was one of the first to use generative AI in that space. But now, every month, a new web app pops up offering the same thing. They’re spreading like mushrooms.

Generative AI Will Not Give You a Competitive Edge

This ties back to the idea that generative AI is too easy to replicate. If your startup relies solely on generative AI for a competitive advantage, it’s not going to work. Established companies can easily copy your idea.

You’re Competing with OpenAI

It also doesn’t help that OpenAI is focused on pushing ChatGPT as its own product. As a developer, I don’t feel like I’m their top priority—they want ChatGPT to become the default app. Whatever OpenAI builds will obviously be more advanced than anything you’re working on, making it tough to compete.

So, what can you do?

Honestly, I’m not entirely sure. One thing I believe is that we need to go back to the basics. What makes a startup successful? It’s not AI—it’s solving a problem that users genuinely care about.

So, what am I building right now?

As I mentioned earlier, I previously worked on an interview practice app, Kasper. However, I’ve recently shifted my focus to a new app, Tied, a calorie tracking app. Whether I can make something substantial in the generative AI space remains to be seen, but I don’t regret trying.