The first real big software product I ever tried to build was a CRM called Axis.
I had built little tools before that there were mildly profitable – but this one was supposed to be the one that took us to the promised land.
At the time, I thought we were doing everything right.
We hired a team.
Four developers. One project manager.
Everyone working full time.
The plan was simple: build a better CRM specifically for marketers and online businesses.
What I didn’t realize at the time was how expensive “building software” really was.
It took seven months just to reach MVP.
Seven months of salaries. Seven months of development. Seven months of waiting before anyone could even touch the product.
By the time we got to the MVP stage, we had burned $240,000.
And then something happened that used to kill a lot of early software companies.
The team got hired away.
Developers move fast in the market. Bigger companies made better offers. People left. The project stalled.
We never really launched it.
At the time, that felt like the cost of trying to build software.
You needed:
A big team
A lot of money
A long runway
Today that entire model looks outdated.
The biggest change isn’t just better tools.
It’s AI.
AI collapsed the cost of building.
Tasks that used to require teams of engineers can now be handled by one or two operators using the right stack of AI tools and frameworks.
Which means the real constraint today isn’t capital.
It’s judgment.
You don’t need millions in funding.
You don’t need a big development team.
You don’t need to spend a year in “stealth mode” before anyone sees what you built.
You need three things:
The right problem
AI leverage
Distribution
The right problem ensures you’re building something people actually want.
AI leverage lets small teams move ridiculously fast.
Distribution makes sure the product actually reaches people.
This is why we’re starting to see tiny teams launch products and AI tools that would have required venture-backed companies just a few years ago.
Interestingly, venture data is starting to reflect this shift.
I read a breakdown of Carta’s latest private markets report that highlights how the startup ecosystem is changing.
Fewer companies are getting funded.
But the ones that are building are doing more with smaller teams and faster timelines.
The big lesson for me looking back at Axis is pretty simple.
If I were building that same product today, the entire story would look different.
Smaller team.
Lower cost.
Faster launch.
And a much better chance of actually getting it into the market.
— Jason
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