Building Be Awesome
Building Be Awesome #2: My AI Said "SQUIRREL!"
NOTE: You should know that I have multiple projects going on at any given time, many with overlap. This post overlaps some with what I have been writing about in a series I am calling 'Engineering B.C.', but is primarily focused on how I am using AI and other tools to bootstrap a small, online, no-inventory shop of inspirational ideas I've carried with me for a long time. If you've been visiting this site lately, you'll see some of these ideas in 'Conversations With Myself'.
It's all my fault.
I have been preaching that you can use an AI as a thinking partner Tools, Tools, Tools, so when I had my little business idea, I opened up ChatGPT and pasted in my thoughts on a small print-on-demand shop. You know the ones - they are all over social media. To summarize:
- Go to Canva and create a design.
- Open a Printify account and put your design on products
- Create an Etsy store and link it to your Printify account
- Post your products on Instagram
- Profit
Now, I know that things are not this simple. But I also know that this can be done with little to no cost and, if a few t-shirts or mugs are sold....great!
The first dose of reality.
My AI as a thinking partner reached right up and said, "SQUIRREL!!"
There is no doubt that what I iterated through with a couple of AI tools (because I like to see if they agree, agree to disagree, or just downright disagree) was a pretty good business plan.
That's not a bad thing, but nothing was physically established as an online entity selling POD shirts and other goodies.
My AI tools did exactly what I asked them to do, reviewing my resume iterations, my blog posts, additional data I supplied, other discussions we've had, what it knows about me from our conversations, what it knows about me from application/system design and building, etc. etc. etc....
ETC
And, as Jimmy Buffett once sang, "42 years slipped away" ("He Went to Paris" - 1973 A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean). OK, not exactly forty two years. But several hours over a couple of days. All of which was condensed into the day one journal entry for this series.
But we established an action plan.
Then I closed ChatGPT and started doing the work.
That's when I discovered the action plan had skipped over about twenty little things that every new business needs before it can even think about selling something.
The second dose of reality.
Four very actionable steps, right?
Well...sort of.
At the very least you should add the following;
- Create a unique email account. GMail is good, you just need a name.
A name???? We're in full reverse gear now. Fortunately, I already had the inspiration, and after a quick back-and-forth with a couple of folks, the name practically chose itself.
- Create an account with all of the services you will be using. Thank goodness for "Continue With Google".
The third dose of reality.
You can do exactly what I did and have a shop up and running in just a few hours, especially if your design(s) are not too complex.
Which satisfies the basic exercise, but generates no revenue and is basically hidden from view.
That's OK. My goal wasn't to build a successful business in a day. It was to build a business.
Here is what is not covered;
- Social media posts
- Marketing
- Pricing
- Fees & Taxes
- How to be profitable
- How often to introduce new ideas/products
- Tagging
The fourth dose of reality.
My initial design/message, despite what I have heard over the years, is not unique. There are a plethora of other Etsy shops selling some variation on my first theme and their products are unique and some are pretty cool. I even ordered one.
It does mean that, with proper tagging, my stuff will show up when any of this stuff is searched for.
Lesson of the Day
Today reminded me that thinking and doing are not the same thing.
My AI collaborators weren't slowing me down. They were happily helping me think through every possible angle because that's exactly what I asked them to do.
Eventually, though, somebody has to close the chat window and...
Our Day's End Questions
Decisions Made
Go forth and build something.
Questions Raised
Where do we start on marketing and promotion that requires very little time each day?
How do we establish pricing, especially in the face of fees customers will have to pay?
Are there other platforms outside of Etsy and Printify that are more efficient in any number of ways?
How can we stylize the storefront to fit our theme?
Next Action
Start following other folks on social media who have storefronts.
Start researching the questions we've asked here.