A Business Journey with AI
Building Be Awesome #1: The First Product Wasn't a Product
Building a small business from scratch, one thoughtful decision at a time.
Today wasn't about merchandise.
It wasn't about Etsy.
It wasn't even about AI.
It was about asking a much bigger question:
What are we actually trying to build?
The original idea was simple.
Create a small print-on-demand shop using AI to help explore the process.
As we talked, something unexpected happened.
The conversation stopped being about products.
It became about purpose.
One realization kept resurfacing:
We aren't trying to build a t-shirt company.
We're trying to build small physical reminders that quietly improve someone's day.
That distinction changed everything.
Inspiration
The immediate inspiration came from my daughter.
She built a successful merchandise business around her love of Louisiana, Baton Rouge, and LSU called South of Huey.
Watching someone close to me successfully build something meaningful made me wonder what my own version might look like.
Not a copy.
Not a competitor.
Just something authentic.
Rediscovering "be awesome."
For years I've ended conversations with two simple phrases.
"Be awesome."
and
"Tell everyone I said 'Hi!'"
Neither was created as branding.
Neither was written for merchandise.
They simply became habits.
Over time, "be awesome." became less of a sign-off and more of a reminder to myself.
Not to be extraordinary.
Not to be perfect.
Just to leave people, places, and situations a little better than I found them.
That realization feels important.
The First Big Discovery
Early in the conversation we asked an important question.
Who is the first customer?
My first answer wasn't "people."
It wasn't "women between 30 and 50."
It wasn't "engineers."
It was:
"My family."
That answer surprised me.
They aren't really customers.
They're the first people I'd trust to tell me whether we're building something worth sharing.
What Success Looks Like
One question stood out today.
If this project made only a few hundred dollars...
Would it still be a success?
My answer came immediately.
If people are wearing the shirts and drinking from the mugs...
And I never had to maintain inventory...
That is success.
That answer says something important.
Revenue matters.
But adoption matters more.
If people choose to surround themselves with these reminders, then the project is already accomplishing something worthwhile.
The Brand
Another important realization:
The merchandise is not the brand.
The philosophy is the brand.
Today, the strongest candidate remains:
be awesome.
Simple.
Lowercase.
Quiet.
Inviting.
Human.
Not flashy.
Not clever.
Just honest.
A fun future collection idea emerged during the conversation:
be wicked awesome.
Not as a replacement.
As a regional collection that still feels connected to the larger philosophy.
AI's Role
This project is intentionally AI-assisted.
But AI is not the creator.
It is a collaborator.
It helps brainstorm.
Challenge assumptions.
Organize ideas.
Review designs.
Question decisions.
Accelerate documentation.
The responsibility for judgment remains human.
Always.
Something Worth Documenting
One observation from today already feels worth remembering.
We started writing a Constitution before we designed a product.
That feels backwards compared to how many businesses begin.
But it also feels exactly right.
Good engineering begins with principles.
Why shouldn't a small business?
Documents Created
Today we established the core structure of the project.
- CONSTITUTION.md
- PLAN.md
- JOURNAL.md
- DECISIONS.md
- RESEARCH.md
- PROMPTS.md
- IDEAS.md
These documents are intended to grow alongside the project.