Student to AI Agency to $9,000p/m AI Real Estate SaaS in 6 Months

Summary

In this inspiring interview, Liam chats with Hamza, a successful AI entrepreneur who transitioned from a university student to running an AI automation agency and then pivoted to a SaaS model in the real estate space. Hamza shares his journey of building an AI tool that automated a tedious task during his internship, which led to his first sales and the creation of Automax, an all-in-one appraisal platform. He discusses the importance of validating ideas, personalizing outreach, and the potential of AI in real estate, offering valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Takeaways

• 😀 Hamza, a university student, discovered the potential of AI to automate tasks during a mundane internship and built a tool using GPT and Zapier to complete his work efficiently.
• 🚀 After the internship, Hamza joined an accelerator and started his own AI automation agency, eventually pivoting to a SaaS model focused on real estate appraisals.
• 💡 Hamza's first significant sales came from automating the real estate appraisal process, a niche he discovered through personal connections and market demand.
• 🛠️ He created Automax, an all-in-one platform for appraisals, which automated the entire process from inspection to final report, leading to significant time savings for appraisers.
• 💼 Hamza faced the challenge of balancing his education with the growing demands of his business, which was scaling up to a monthly recurring revenue of $8,000 to $9,000.
• 🤔 Hamza is considering whether to continue his university education or to focus on his business full-time, a decision influenced by potential exclusivity deals and acquisition offers.
• 🔑 Hamza emphasizes the importance of validating an idea with customers before investing significant time and resources into building a product.
• 📈 He suggests starting with a basic MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and using no-code tools to quickly establish proof of concept and gather customer feedback.
• 💬 Personalized outreach, especially within a specific niche, was more effective for Hamza than mass, generic emails, leading to higher engagement and sales.
• 🔍 Hamza advises new entrants to the AI space to start by focusing on a specific type of solution and to leverage warm connections and personal branding to gain initial traction.
• 🌟 The potential for AI in the real estate sector is vast, and Hamza's journey illustrates the opportunities available for those who can identify and exploit niches within the industry.

Q & A

What was Hamza's initial experience with AI that sparked his interest in building automation tools?

Hamza's initial experience with AI was during his first internship where he was given a tedious task of going through a large Excel document. He started listening to Liam's YouTube videos and podcasts about AI and automation, which inspired him to build an internal tool using GPT and Zapier to automate his task.

How did Hamza's internship experience lead to his first exposure to AI's potential in business?

During his internship, Hamza was tasked with a monotonous job of standardizing data in Excel. This experience led him to create an AI tool that automated his work, completing a year's worth of tasks in just 10 minutes, which was his first realization of AI's value in business.

What was the turning point for Hamza's business when he found a lucrative opportunity in the real estate space?

The turning point for Hamza's business was when he built an internal tool for a real estate appraiser to automate a part of the appraisal process. The success of this tool led to more clients and the realization of a significant demand for such solutions in the real estate niche.

How did Hamza validate the demand for his AI solutions in the real estate appraisal niche?

Hamza validated the demand by building an initial tool for a real estate appraiser and seeing the positive results and time saved. This success led to recommendations and more clients, showing a clear demand for his AI solutions in the real estate appraisal niche.

What is the name of the all-in-one platform Hamza created for appraisals, and what does it automate?

The all-in-one platform Hamza created is called Automax. It automates the entire appraisal process, from the start of the inspection to the completion of the appraisal.

How did Hamza's university support his entrepreneurial journey and the growth of his business?

Hamza's university had a strong focus on entrepreneurship, providing a branch dedicated to helping students start and grow their businesses. Hamza was able to get funding, find the right people, and receive advice through this support system.

What is the dilemma Hamza is facing between continuing his education and pursuing his business full-time?

Hamza is facing the dilemma of whether to drop out of university and pursue his business full-time, which is showing great potential, or to continue his education and have a backup plan in case his business doesn't succeed.

What advice does Hamza give to those starting in the AI space regarding validation and building out their solutions?

Hamza advises to validate the need for a solution before investing significant time in building it. He suggests creating a basic MVP and getting agreements or commitments from potential customers to ensure there is genuine interest in the solution.

How did Hamza find his niche and what strategy did he use to start getting clients?

Hamza found his niche in the real estate appraisal space after trying various industries. He used a strategy of personalized outreach on LinkedIn, tailoring messages to individual profiles, which led to higher engagement and his first clients.

What is Hamza's perspective on the importance of having a university degree versus gaining skills and knowledge?

Hamza believes that it's not the degree itself that leads to success, but the skills and knowledge one acquires. He thinks that these can be gained with or without a degree and are more important for providing value to people.

What strategies does Hamza recommend for someone starting in AI and looking to find their first clients?

Hamza recommends starting with warm outreach to friends and family, leveraging any connections one might have. If that doesn't work, he suggests focusing on inbound strategies like personal branding to attract clients.