I almost gave up on behind the scenes: building a $1m business using entirely. Then something clicked that changed my whole approach.
Everyone thinks you need expensive, complicated software for AI automation. They're wrong. I built a multi-million dollar company using a few simple, powerful AI tools, and I'm revealing my entire stack and workflow in this deep-dive.
The Reality Nobody Talks About
Most people approach behind the scenes: building a $1m business using with assumptions that made sense five years ago. The world has moved on. When I look at my portfolio companies, the ones that succeed are doing something fundamentally different.
The first thing to understand is that your team matters more than your technology. I've seen this play out across dozens of companies. The pattern is unmistakable.
At RemoteTeam, we learned this the hard way. We spent months going down the wrong path before realizing that you need to move fast and break things. Once we made the switch, everything changed.
The Counterintuitive Truth
Here's what surprised me most about behind the scenes: building a $1m business using: the best practitioners do less, not more.
When I was building MovieLaLa, we tried to do everything at once. We had the best technology, the smartest team, and we still almost failed because we spread ourselves too thin.
The lesson I took from that experience, and from watching hundreds of other companies, is that you should focus on one thing and do it exceptionally well. It sounds simple. It's incredibly hard to execute.
The Numbers Don't Lie
I've tracked the performance of companies in my portfolio that take behind the scenes: building a $1m business using seriously versus those that don't. The difference is stark.
Companies that invest early in behind the scenes: building a $1m business using see, on average, 2-3x better outcomes within 18 months. That's not a small edge. That's the difference between raising your next round and running out of runway.
One of my portfolio companies went from struggling to profitable in under a year after they finally got serious about this. The founder told me later that they wished they'd started sooner.
This connects to broader themes around AI writing tools, AI tools for founders, AI scheduling, AI email, AI personal assistant that I've been thinking about a lot lately.
Wrapping Up
I've shared a lot here, and I know it can feel overwhelming. But here's the thing about behind the scenes: building a $1m business using: you don't need to get everything right on day one. You just need to get started and keep improving.
The founders in my portfolio who excel at behind the scenes: building a $1m business using share one trait: they're relentlessly practical. They don't chase perfection. They chase progress.
That's the mindset I'd encourage you to adopt. Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. And keep pushing forward.
As always, I'm rooting for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What experience informs this perspective?
This perspective comes from over a decade of building companies in Silicon Valley, two successful exits (RemoteTeam to Gusto, MovieLaLa to Gfycat), and investing in 200+ startups including Anthropic, OpenAI, and Scale AI. I write about what I've lived.
How has this view evolved over time?
My thinking on most topics has changed significantly over the years. Early in my career, I held many conventional views that experience proved wrong. I try to update my beliefs when the evidence changes.
What's the most common pushback you get on this?
People often push back by citing exceptions or edge cases. And they're usually right that exceptions exist. But building a strategy around exceptions rather than patterns is a losing game for most founders.
Do all experts agree with this view?
No, and that's fine. The best ideas in business are often contrarian. I share my perspective based on my experience and data, but I encourage you to seek out opposing viewpoints and form your own conclusions.