I made $10k building AI automations for small businesses — here's what worked
Sad_String_5571 · reddit · 2026-09-29
A developer shared on Reddit how a side project building simple AI automations for local small businesses crossed $10k in total revenue. Key lessons:
- Nobody wants "an AI agent": owners tuned out at "AI" but perked up at "this answers your after-hours emails so you stop losing bookings." Lead with the problem.
- The best projects were embarrassingly simple: auto-replying to appointment inquiries for a salon, turning messy invoices into spreadsheet rows, following up on unpaid quotes — technically unimpressive, but each saved hours weekly.
- Small businesses have manual pain and no time: watching how an owner spends their Tuesday reveals more opportunities than brainstorming.
- Pricing was the biggest early mistake: $200-300 jobs undercharged; pricing by value (hours saved, leads recovered) changed everything.
- Maintenance matters more than the build: APIs change and owners want tweaks; clients stayed because someone answered when things broke.
Do-over advice: pick one niche sooner instead of jumping between dentists, plumbers and bakeries.
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