🧃 Creator tools for $10M + the AI gold rush is here

Today's SIP letter has 5 juicy startup ideas and 1 growth framework stirred together with actionable takeaways from 2 new episodes of The Startup Ideas Podcast.

Let's get sippin'.

​Episode 1: Startup ideas targeting creators from a $10M founder

Want to know the secret for $10M exits?

It's not what you're selling. It's what you're giving away for free.

It might sound backwards, but it's a strategy that's been proven time and time again.

​Tibo Louis-Lucas has a knack for turning freebies into fortunes. He sold Tweet Hunter and Taplio for acool $10 million.

His playbook?

• Build simple, free tools that people actually want
• Create killer content that spreads like wildfire
• Watch your audience grow... and grow... and grow
• Then, when the time's right, start charging

Think of it like the free samples at Costco, but instead of tiny hot dogs, it's snack-sized value.

You don’t have to build the next AI-powered, blockchain-enabled, quantum-computed whatever. Just solve your customers’ problems with simple solutions.

Tibo joined me on the pod to share his unconventional growth strategies and a few juicy startup ideas.

Let’s get started with 1 growth framework and 2 startup ideas:

1) Mini-tools for startup growth

Small tools, big impact - the mantra for today's smart entrepreneurs.

Imagine throwing a handful of darts instead of one big spear - you're way more likely to hit something.

Mini-tools are like targeted software darts that solve specific problems. Each dart addresses a niche need for your audience.

When Tibo was building Tweet Hunter and Taplio, he created a ton of mini-tools.

One basic "download video from LinkedIn post" tool brought in a million visitors a month. Wild, right?

Why this strategy works:

• Each tool can rank for long-tail keywords, driving organic traffic
• Users get immediate value, building trust in your brand
• It's a low-risk way to test different ideas and markets

Mini-tools are perfect for startups looking to establish credibility and capture leads without massive marketing expenses.

You want to make the tools super easy to use. No sign-ups, no paywalls. Just pure value.

Think of them as appetizers that leave your customers craving the main course.

Here's your mini-tool game plan:

1. List out common pain points in your industry
2. Create 5-10 dead simple tools that each solve ONE problem
3. Give them away for free (seriously)
4. Use custom domains for backlinks and extra SEO juice
5. Link everything back to your main product. It's all about that funnel.

These tools are your lead magnets, your trust builders. Each one is another chance to rank, another entry point for potential customers.

I know it sounds like a lot of work. But believe me, it's worth it.

While everyone else is shouting "buy my stuff," you'll be building an empire of mini-tools that actually help.

That's how you stand out and grow like crazy.

2) Flipping the script on influencer marketing

The influencer marketing space is oversaturated, right? Tibo doesn't think so.

It's a marketplace problem. Creators are begging brands for sponsorships. So much that brands can't handle the requests. But what if we flipped it?

Instead of creators chasing brands, the brands posted their sponsorship opportunities. Similar to what Passion Froot is doing with creator services, but in reverse.

Brands could create a basic one-pager with what they need. Creators browse and apply for opportunities that fit.

For example: “Company X is offering sponsorships for $Y to reach 75,000 newsletter subscribers." Simple and straightforward.

You don't have to build a huge marketplace right away. You start small:

1. Focus on a niche. B2B creators are hungry for this
2. Build a lead magnet – maybe a Google Sheet of who's sponsoring who in your niche
3. Use AI to sort and rank incoming creator applications
4. Create an easy communication channel between brands and creators

Pro tip: don’t charge upfront. Your goal is to prove you can create value. Get brands on board, show them you can deliver quality creators, and then you can start thinking about taking a cut.

Brands are drowning in applications, and creators are shooting in the dark. Lose-lose.

By flipping the model, you're solving problems on both sides. That's how you stand out in a "saturated" market.

When you nail this, you'll wonder why no one thought of it sooner.

(We dig into this idea more starting at 4:18 of the pod)

3) Selling a human touch in the AI gold rush

When you walk in a grocery store, you see labels on every product. Labels for organic, non-GMO, the ingredients - basically everything.

But digital products? They don't come with nutrition labels.

You can't tell if that tweet, that video, or that product was created by a human or cooked up by AI.

Is this a problem? That’s up to you. But one thing is for sure - as AI floods the market, human authenticity becomes rare. And anything rare is valuable.

People crave the real deal. They want organic, not processed.

Remember BeReal? It blew up because people were tired of the fake, polished Instagram aesthetic.

This is the same idea, but for everything digital.

Here's your anti-positioning playbook:

1. Find your human edge (What can you do better than AI?)
2. Build "human-only" tools or services
3. Create a "Certified No AI" label or verification system
4. Market yourself as the authentic alternative in an AI-saturated marketplace

Look at what Jason Fried and Basecamp are doing with their "HI over AI" stance. They're onto something, and I wouldn't be surprised if more companies follow.

AI is like any other tool. Not good or bad. But with deepfakes and AI-generated content starting to show up everywhere, being verifiably human is going to be a major selling point.

Why? Trust.

You're selling authenticity in an artificial world.

Be human and people will buy it.

Full 42-minute episode links: ​
YouTube​, Spotify, ​Apple Podcasts​​

Or skip straight to the juicy parts:

​01:22 Startup Idea 1: Brand & influencer matching 2.0
​15:10 Framework: Mini-tools strategy for growth
​22:44 Framework: SEO is evolving
​27:54 Framework: Content strategy: Humans + AI is the future
​33:42 Startup Idea 2: "Certified No AI" product suite

​Episode 2: Riding the AI wave with an indie hacker legend

Remember a few years ago when everyone was scrambling to build a website?

Well, we're about to see a similar frenzy in AI-powered tools and services.

​Danny Postma, CEO of Headshot Pro, is in the trenches and has a good feel for where tech is headed. He dropped in for a sip and to share his best AI startup ideas.

From AI-powered freelance marketplaces to visual programming tools, Danny's ideas could turn a savvy entrepreneur into the next tech mogul.

If you're ready for a mix of mind-bending predictions and practical startup advice, watch the full episode on YouTube. Like, subscribe, and leave a comment telling us which idea got you fired up.

Here are 3 AI-powered startup ideas from Danny you can start today:

Idea 1: Automated content creation with SEO keywords

Google is hungry for content, and AI can feed it faster than any human.

Danny’s idea is a tool that uses SEO data to find low-competition, high-potential keywords, then has AI create content for those keywords.

Instant website filled with SEO-optimized content.

Here's your playbook:

1. Use ahrefs to find keywords with low-difficulty scores (aim for 0-10)
2. Fire up Stable Diffustion, Midjourney, whatever AI tool works for you, and let it rip.
3. Build a simple website - nothing fancy, just somewhere to park the content.
4. Start making money with ads, affiliate links, or (even better) your own products.

You could take this further and spin up an agency building these content machines for others. Similar to what we're building at Boring Marketing.

Why? Because entrepreneurs who want in on this need more than just SEO - they need a whole suite of tools and services. That makes them incredibly valuable long-term customers.

This market is heating up fast, so if you're going to dive in, do it now.

You don't need to be a tech genius. You just need to get in while the getting's good.

Idea 2: Fiverr/Upwork 2.0

Imagine browsing Fiverr or Upwork, but instead of looking for the right person, you're searching for the right AI for the job.

Welcome to the new era of freelance—powered by AI.

That's the essence of this idea. Packaging AI capabilities in a familiar freelance marketplace format.

Rather than hiring human freelancers, clients "hire" AI systems to do specific tasks. Things like data crunching, content writing, even pumping out images - all done with the click of a button.

Why it could work:

• Familiarity: People trust freelance marketplaces - you’re just giving them an upgrade
• Reliability: Companies want hands-off, dependable solutions
• Scalability: AI doesn't sleep, doesn't complain, and can handle a ton of repetitive tasks

Here's how you could approach it:

1. Pick a lane - maybe start with translations or data analysis
2. Team up with some AI wizards or use existing AI tools
3. Build a website that looks and feels like the freelance sites people know
4. Market it as the reliable, scalable freelance alternative for businesses

(Danny and I jam details starting at 19:31 of the pod)

Big companies don't want to babysit. They want tasks finished.

If you can automate tasks to have reliable outputs and short turn-around times, companies will come knocking with cash in hand.

The key here is all in how you present it.

Make it feel like they're hiring the world's most dependable freelancer. An always-on problem solver.

Bottom line: AI is the future, but many people are still wary. Bridge that gap, and you've got a winner on your hands.

Idea 3: ComfyUI marketplace for non-technical implementation

Speaking of winners, have you heard about ComfyUI?

It's a visual interface for creating AI workflows - think drag-and-drop instead of coding. And it's blowing up right now.

If you see YouTube tutorials popping up and subreddits on fire, there’s something there.

Here's the million-dollar idea: create a marketplace for ComfyUI workflows. Like a template marketplace, but for AI processes.

Where there's a new tool, there's always a need for templates.

Here's how you can jump on this:

• Get your feet wet with ComfyUI basics (tons of free resources out there)
• Start crafting or curating useful ComfyUI templates - think image generation or text analysis
• Set up shop – could be your own site or piggyback on an existing platform
• Spread the word in the ComfyUI community (Reddit, YouTube, wherever you can find them)

(Danny outlines the process starting at 10:12 of the pod)

You don't need to code. You just need an eye for what users want.

And right now? There's practically zero competition. It's wide open. This is your chance to get in early.

I saw something similar happen with WordPress themes back in the day. Early movers made bank. This has even more potential.

The AI-powered gold rush is just beginning, but it will happen fast. In two years, these opportunities might be gone.

The winners will be those who translate AI's potential into simple, real-world solutions.

Don’t just be a vendor - be a visionary.

Full episode links: YouTube​, Spotify, ​Apple Podcasts​

Or jump straight into the juicy parts:

​01:38 Startup Idea 1: AI keyword generator + content creator
​10:05 Startup Idea 2: Comfy UI marketplace
​18:36 Startup Idea 3: Fiverr/Upwork 2.0 (AI-powered)
​27:55 Startup Idea 4: Niche AI tools for professionals
​35:25 Startup Idea 5: AI-powered marketing agency

I hope these episodes get your entrepreneurial wheels turning. Forward this email to a friend or share on social media to get others thinking.

And if you have a startup idea you want to workshop with me, join me for my YouTube livestreams.

I give feedback to anyone willing to share their idea on stage. Click ​here to subscribe on YouTube so you don’t miss out.

Have a creative weekend,

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