I made a SaaS in 3 days with 3 cheat codes

Summary

The speaker shares their experience building two apps with contrasting outcomes. In 2017, an app with zero users was developed over a year, whereas a recent AI-assisted project, 'Poop Up', was created in just three days and generated $1,000 in profit within 24 hours. 'Poop Up' is a web script that helps improve website conversion rates through customizable popup notifications. The creator emphasizes the importance of starting somewhere to find startup ideas and demonstrates how GitHub Copilot, an AI coding assistant, accelerated development by generating code and even copywriting. The video concludes with a testament to the power of AI in boosting productivity and the success of launching a product rapidly.

Takeaways

• 🚀 The creator built an app called 'Poop Up', a script for websites to display popup notifications aimed at improving conversion rates.
• 💡 The idea for 'Poop Up' came after the creator launched another tool called 'Zenvo' and noticed customers loved the popup notifications on its site.
• 🛠️ The creator used a code boilerplate called 'cheap fast' to quickly set up the landing page and features like user login and private dashboard.
• 🤖 AI was utilized through GitHub Copilot to write code faster, including complex tasks and even generating copy for the landing page.
• 🔧 GitHub Copilot can generate code, fix code, explain code, and even assist with tasks like creating color palettes or writing copy.
• 📈 The creator emphasizes the importance of providing context to GitHub Copilot by keeping relevant files and information accessible.
• 📝 The use of personal code boilerplates and consistent naming conventions helps GitHub Copilot generate more accurate and usable code.
• 🔗 Leveraging small, reusable functions across projects allows GitHub Copilot to efficiently generate code for new projects.
• 🚀 The creator managed to launch 'Poop Up' in 3 days, using unconventional methods like avoiding TypeScript, not using Git branches, and forgoing code testing.
• 🎯 After launching, the creator promoted 'Poop Up' on various platforms, attracting about 7,000 visitors and making $1,000 in profit within the first 24 hours.
• 💌 The video concludes with a message encouraging viewers to utilize AI to enhance their productivity and to take action in shipping their ideas.

Q & A

What was the outcome of the app built in 2017 by the speaker?

The app built in 2017 by the speaker did not acquire any users.

How long did it take the speaker to build the product using AI after having a random startup idea?

It took the speaker only 3 days to build the product using AI.

What was the name of the product built by the speaker?

The product built by the speaker is called 'Poop Up'.

What is the primary function of 'Poop Up'?

Poop Up is a script for websites that displays popup notifications to improve website conversion rates.

How did the speaker come up with the idea for 'Poop Up'?

The idea for 'Poop Up' came after the speaker launched another product called 'Zenvo' and noticed that customers loved the popup notifications on the site.

What is the speaker's approach to finding startup ideas?

The speaker does not actively search for startup ideas; instead, they come naturally as a result of building and launching other products.

What is the name of the code boilerplate the speaker uses to speed up development?

The speaker uses a code boilerplate called 'cheap fast' to speed up development.

How does the speaker utilize GitHub Copilot to write code faster?

The speaker uses GitHub Copilot to write code faster by providing plain English instructions and having it generate the corresponding code.

What are some of the features included in the 'cheap fast' boilerplate?

The 'cheap fast' boilerplate includes landing page components, user login, private dashboard, and handling of Stripe webhook events.

How did the speaker manage to launch 'Poop Up' and make $1,000 in profit within 24 hours?

The speaker launched 'Poop Up' using unconventional methods, such as not using TypeScript, not using Git branches, and not testing the code, and promoted it on platforms like ProductHunt, Twitter, Hacker News, and Reddit.

What is the speaker's advice for someone looking to build a startup?

The speaker advises to start somewhere, build a product that solves a real problem in your workflow, and to build a small audience that will lead to promising ideas for the future.

How does the speaker use GitHub Copilot for tasks beyond just coding?

The speaker uses GitHub Copilot for generating copy for websites, creating color palettes, and even writing copy for landing pages.

What is the speaker's strategy for leveraging GitHub Copilot effectively?

The speaker suggests providing context to Copilot by keeping relevant files open, using personal boilerplates for consistency, and creating small reusable functions.

How did the speaker manage to ship the 'Poop Up' app in just 3 days?

The speaker used a combination of a personal code boilerplate, GitHub Copilot for coding, and unconventional methods like avoiding TypeScript, Git branches, and testing.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Rapid AI-Powered Product Development and Launch

The speaker recounts their journey from a failed app in 2017 to a successful product launch within a week using AI. They introduce 'Poop Up', a landing page tool for website popup notifications designed to improve customer engagement and conversion rates. The tool allows users to customize pop-ups, add messages, and integrate them into their websites. The speaker emphasizes the importance of starting with a simple idea and iterating upon it to find startup ideas. They also mention using a code boilerplate called 'cheap fast' to expedite the development process, which includes features like user login and database updates via Stripe webhook events. The final piece of development involved creating a script for customer websites, which was significantly aided by AI.

05:01

🤖 Leveraging GitHub Copilot for Enhanced Coding Efficiency

The speaker discusses their techniques for rapid product development, focusing on the use of GitHub Copilot, an AI tool that assists in writing code. They demonstrate how Copilot can generate simple arrays, complex event listeners, and even suggest copy for web pages based on existing project context. The speaker advises keeping all relevant files open to provide context for Copilot, using personal boilerplates for consistency across projects, and creating reusable functions to streamline coding. They also mention unconventional methods like avoiding TypeScript, not using Git branches, and forgoing code testing to expedite the development process. The product, launched with a simple copy and without extensive testing, managed to attract significant traffic and revenue within the first few days.

10:02

📈 Successful Product Launch and Future Insights

The speaker concludes by sharing the successful launch of their product, which garnered 7,000 visitors and $1,000 in profit within the first 24 hours. They reflect on the power of AI in enabling a single developer to accomplish tasks that would typically require a team, including coding, copywriting, and administrative assistance. The speaker also offers to share more detailed strategies on acquiring initial customers and traffic in a linked video. They encourage viewers to like and subscribe for more content and end with an encouraging note to take action on ideas.

Keywords

💡App Development

App development refers to the process of creating a software application that runs on a mobile device, computer, or other electronic devices. In the video, the speaker discusses their experience of building an app in 2017 which did not attract any users, contrasting it with their more recent success in rapidly developing a new product using AI.

💡Startup Idea

A startup idea is the initial concept or plan for a new business venture. The video emphasizes the importance of finding startup ideas organically through building and iterating on projects, as the speaker's successful product 'Poop Up' emerged from previous projects and user feedback.

💡Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. The speaker leveraged AI to expedite the development process of their product, demonstrating how AI can be instrumental in rapid prototyping and innovation within startups.

💡Profit

Profit in a business context refers to the money remaining after all costs have been deducted from revenues. It is a key indicator of a business's financial health. The video mentions making $1,000 US in profit within 24 hours of launching the product, showcasing the financial success of the endeavor.

💡Landing Page

A landing page is a standalone web page, designed to promote and sell a product or service. In the video, the speaker describes the landing page for 'Poop Up', which is designed to attract customers and encourage them to engage with the product.

💡Conversion Rate

Conversion rate is a measure of how often visitors to a website perform a desired action such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter. The 'Poop Up' product is designed to help website owners improve their conversion rates by displaying popup notifications to their visitors.

💡Customer Dashboard

A customer dashboard is a user interface that allows customers to access and manage their account information, settings, and other relevant data. In the context of the video, after customers pay for the 'Poop Up' service, they are directed to their customer dashboard where they can add and customize websites.

💡GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered code editor extension that offers suggestions and automates coding tasks, increasing development speed and efficiency. The speaker discusses using GitHub Copilot to write code faster, even for complex tasks, and generating copy for the landing page.

💡Boilerplate

A boilerplate is a pre-defined template or set of code that can be used as a starting point for new projects. The speaker mentions using a code boilerplate called 'cheap fast' to quickly set up the landing page and other components of the product.

💡Stripe

Stripe is a technology company that provides a suite of APIs for businesses to accept payments online. The video script refers to Stripe as part of the payment process for the 'Poop Up' product, and also as a service for which the speaker previously paid invoices, leading to the creation of another product, Zenvo.

💡Product Launch

A product launch is the introduction of a new product to the market. The video details the speaker's experience with launching the 'Poop Up' product, including the strategies used to attract visitors and generate profit within the first 24 hours.

Highlights

In 2017, the speaker spent a year building an app with zero users, contrasting with a recent 3-day AI-assisted product development that earned $1,000 in profit within 24 hours.

The product, named 'Poop Up', is a web script that displays popup notifications to improve website conversion rates.

The landing page for 'Poop Up' includes features for customers to pay and access a dashboard to customize popups.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of finding startup ideas through building and iterating on projects rather than searching for them.

The concept for 'Poop Up' originated from customer feedback on a previous product, illustrating the value of iterative development.

The speaker uses a code boilerplate called 'cheap fast' to expedite the development process with pre-built components.

GitHub Copilot is highlighted as a tool that can write, fix, and explain code, accelerating development by 2 to 3 times.

Examples of GitHub Copilot's capabilities include generating arrays, creating event listeners, and even writing copy for landing pages.

The speaker demonstrates GitHub Copilot's ability to understand project context and generate appropriate code based on open files.

Custom boilerplates and consistent coding practices are recommended for maximizing GitHub Copilot's efficiency.

The use of tiny, reusable functions is advised to streamline the coding process with GitHub Copilot.

Unconventional development methods like avoiding TypeScript, not using Git branches, and forgoing code testing are mentioned to speed up the process.

The product launch strategy involved promoting 'Poop Up' on platforms like Product Hunt, Twitter, Hacker News, and Reddit.

The speaker achieved 7,000 visitors and nearly $2,000 in revenue within the first few days of launching 'Poop Up'.

The video concludes by emphasizing the power of AI in enabling individuals to perform tasks that typically require a team.

Additional resources are offered for viewers interested in learning more about attracting visitors and acquiring initial customers.

The speaker encourages viewers to 'just ship it', highlighting the importance of taking action in the product development process.

Transcripts

in 2017 I spent one year building an app

that got zero users two weeks ago I had

a random startup ID in mind and it took

me only 3 days to build the product

using Ai and 24 hours later the launch I

made $1,000 Us in profit in this video

I'm going to show you the software how I

got the startup ID and especially how I

use artificial intelligence in order to

build really fast let's go all right let

me show you real quick what the product

is it's called poop up it's the Ling

page that you can see here and it

basically it's a little script for

website that will display popup

notifications like those ones customers

would typically use it to show that they

know the pain of their own customers in

order to improve their website

conversion rate so this is the landing

page that I built right here as you can

see we got a couple things going on in

here and when customers are ready they

can click here they will be prompt to

pay and once they've paid they go to

their customer dashboard I'm going to

show you that right now right there they

can add websites let's say we're going

to go to that website right here and

here is where they customize the pop-ups

they want to send they can add messages

where each message could have text you

could have some icons and everything

people can reorganize it and once

they're ready they will get a little

script at the bottom right here and once

it's installed on their own website they

can test it and you can see on the right

side we going to see those notifications

coming up I have built over 20 side

projects and one of the most common

question that I get is how do you find

startup IDs and the answer is simple I

do not search for IDs they come to me

these product poop up came after I

launched Zenvo a little tool for stripe

users to to generate invoices without

paying the fee I added popup

notification on the site to nudge

customers into buying and people say we

love the notification and poop up came

up and prior to Zenvo I was playing

around with ship fast a boiler plate for

nexs developers and I found out that I

paid a lot of money for stripe invoices

and I decided to turn those off and I

realized I needed to have some kind of

product that would let me generate

invoices for free and that's how I came

up with Zenvo and we can go back in time

and the loop keeps going on I build

Chast because of another product because

of another product and another product

so the answer to finding startup IDs is

to start somewhere anywhere you can

build a note note taking app just make a

better version or a version that you

would use and you're going to stumble

upon real problems in your workflow

you're going to learn stuff you can

build a tiny audience there will be

things happening and those are promising

idas for the future I built the product

poop up in 3 days and I'm going to share

the three ways I actually use in order

to build fast and first is that I use a

code boiler plate it's called cheap fast

it's a boiler plate I made for myself it

includes a bunch of learing page comp

components so I just have to fill the

copy and the landing page is ready it

includes also some cool features like

user login private dashboard with just a

click of a button it handles all the

stripe web hook events so I have users

updated in my database as soon as they

pay and so the actual final part that

was missing was to create the script

that would sit on my customer's website

in order to display those popup

notification and this is where AI comes

in very handy and I will share

everything that I do with GitHub

co-pilot in order to build sometimes

code that I don't even understand I use

GI up cop highight in order to write

code two to three times faster it's

basically chpt inside of your code

editor I can write code fix your code

explain your code but you can also do a

bunch of other stuff like generate a

nice color palette or sometimes even

write your copy for the landing page

it's absolutely awesome and let me show

you how it looks I use copilot

absolutely everywhere to write most of

my code and I can use it for very simple

tasks to very Advanced and integrated

tasks let me show you how that works so

basically you would write plain English

let's say I want to have an array of all

the days of the week with all the days

of the week you press enter and bingo I

press Tab and then is going to create

the JavaScript array with all the days

of the week which is very handy if I

want to do something a bit more advanced

I can keep typing English and it knows

the entire code of this file and so he

going to be able to interact with it

let's say now I am on the product when

we press test we're going to fire some

popup notifications at the top right

what we want to do is if the person

change to a different page we want to

remove those popups and so we need to

have some kind of cleanup function and I

am familiar with reactjs but JavaScript

a little less so I can just tell copilot

like if a route change user navigates

away call cleanup I press enter and boom

I press Tab and GitHub copilot generated

this little event listener and we call

the cleanup function which is right

there that was actually created by

copilot and it's going to remove all the

pop-ups that we've had it's also really

good at generating copy for your

websites so not only code but like

actually plain English like copyrighting

so here on this page I removed this is

the headline of the page I remove the

text that was right underneath on

purpose and if we go to the hero file we

are going to see so we have the H1 here

and this P tag here is the text that's

underneath and bingo you see copilot

already has a knowledge of what the

product is about thanks to everything

that I've uh written previously and it

knows that this P tag is underneath the

H1 so it should be some kind of like

helper sub headline thing and it says oh

poop up is a NOCO tool that helps your

increase Visitors convers by chowing a

poop up to your visitors it's not

perfect you can fine tune it there a

bunch of way to make the results better

but it's really a good start for the

copy and you can even use copilot in

order to do some very cool stuff like

play around with multiple files in your

project so in this poop up example I

have an API endpoint where I would

basically get the script and get the

data for the script to show which

messages we have to display and I can

say something like a functions that

fetches the data from the endpoint and

return it and here we go you see that we

have an entire function um I'm going to

come in that we have an entire function

right here that is going to hit my API

endpoint it's going to pass some

parameters and I'm going to get the data

back and it's going to sanitize the data

and return it and it knows exactly how

to write the function for my own code

because if I go to that API endpoint so

the script in the API part here it knows

which parameters are needed the body

which part of the body we need the

domain and then is going to pass on the

right parameters based on what this API

endpoint needs and it knows which data

will be returned from the response by

default GitHub copilot is very awesome

but to make it even better you want to

use those little tips first you want to

provide context to copilot so by default

when you type English copilot is going

to create some code for you but you want

the code to be usable right away so it

means it has to hit the right API

endpoint it has to have the right

variable names in order to upload your

new documents to the database right away

and the only thing you have to do for

that is to keep tabs open as you can see

here at the top I have a bunch of tabs

open and especially here I'm going to

create a react component that lets users

proceed to a stripe checkout and on the

right side I open this file here which

is an API endpoint that basically take

on a few parameters create a strap trick

out session and return the URL if I did

not open this file copilot doesn't have

access to it and so when I'm going to

create my react component right here it

will Generate random API endpoints and

you will not name the variables as you

do in your code so you want to keep all

your files open and when you do this

when you start creating your own react

component in this case it's going to use

all the files it knows from the project

in order to create the right components

so here we're going to say constant

button bu you see as you can see here

the price ID here is likely to be what

we're going to have somewhere here in

the API so it knows it's going to be

calling this function so it knows it

needs to be pass this variable and if I

keep pressing tab enter it's going to

Bingo it creates the entire components

right here with a loading state with the

call to the API it handles it knows when

it's loading when it's not it's going to

disable if it's not loading handle the

click handle event and it's going to

call the right API end point with the

right parameters right here and this is

achieved because it knows this file and

this file knows how this file is working

this is my database model it knows how

users are restores in the database which

Fields do they have by default copilot

already knows the packages you've

installed as you can see here it called

those two packages at the top so you

don't need to do anything for that

another part that very helpful in order

to get the most out of copilot is to

have your own boiler plates which means

a code base that you reuse across

different projects where you name

variables the same way you have the same

way of naming your database schemas and

all that so that you already provide the

foundation to co-pilot so it knows

already how are you going to name this

API endpoint how you're going to name a

new users uh fields in the database and

all that and the final part to leverage

GitHub copilot is to use very tiny

functions that you can reuse everywhere

in your code so in this API route we can

see here we have a function that creates

the checkout and if you go here we open

the stripe.js file which has a few

helper function function for stripe such

as a function to create a checkout or

create a customer portal those are very

tiny function that have a specific use

case and this is useful because anytime

I create a new API routes for instance

copilot will be able to reuse those

functions in order to do a specific

actions and finally in order to ship

this app in 3 days I use a bunch of

unconventional methods such as not using

typescript not using G branches not

testing my code I will share somewhere

around here a link to that video if you

want to dive into it more and so after

spending three days on the product it

was actually done and I launched it

everywhere from producton Twitter hicker

news and reddits in total I think there

was about 7,000 visitors on the site it

made $1,000 within the first 24 hours

and I think it's been 4 days now and it

should cross $2,000 pretty soon which is

pretty good for a tiny product like this

one that's it I hope you enjoy the video

and you realize the power of AI how a

little guy like me can have a junior

engineer and a copywriter and maybe even

a secretary assistant thanks to AI if

you want to dive deeper into how I get

couple thousand visitors and the first

customers on all my products I'll link

to another video somewhere where I go

more into details into that if you like

the video you can like the video and if

you loved it you can subscribe to the

channel until then I'll see you for the

next video and I hope you just ship it

cheers