I Wasted 2 Years and Thousands on an AI Product No One Wanted—Here's What I Wish I Knew
What you will learn
- What was the initial idea behind Crypto Clamor and what did it aim to provide for traders?
- Crypto Clamor aimed to be an AI-powered sentiment analysis tool that filtered out noise from online discussions, provided real-time sentiment insights, and helped traders understand the true potential of crypto projects beneath the hype.
- What were the main mistakes made during the development and launch of Crypto Clamor?
- The main mistakes included assuming that a great product would attract users without testing demand, thinking that AI features would sell themselves rather than focusing on solving real problems, and believing that a polished UI would guarantee customer interest.
- What important lesson did the creator learn from the experience of launching Crypto Clamor?
- The creator learned that it is crucial to build for an actual problem instead of chasing hype; validating an idea by ensuring there is a market demand is essential before investing heavily in product development.
- How could the creator have validated the demand for Crypto Clamor before building it?
- The creator could have validated demand by pre-selling the product or conducting market research to understand whether potential customers found the sentiment analysis tool valuable and if they were willing to pay for it.
- What resources does the creator offer to help others avoid similar mistakes in developing AI products?
- The creator offers a free AI Business Idea Validation Checklist and an AI Product Validation Playbook to guide others through the validation process and help test their ideas before investing significant time and money.
In 2021, AI and crypto were on fire. Everywhere I looked, people were talking about decentralized technology, AI-powered insights, and the future of finance.
I thought I saw an opportunity.
What if I built an AI-powered Reddit sentiment analysis tool that filtered out the noise, analyzed sentiment in real time, and provided actionable insights on crypto projects? A tool that helped traders see the truth beneath the hype?
Crypto Clamor was born.
I went all in:
✅ Hired a designer to create a cool logo and polished UI.
✅ Spent months refining and building a slick UI.
✅ Developed a real-time AI-powered sentiment analysis using BERT, thinking it would be the key differentiator.
✅ Integrated multiple data sources, believing that “more data = better product.”
I was convinced: If I built it, they’d come.
The Brutal Reality: No One Cared
After 2 years and thousands of dollars spent on design and advertising, here’s what happened:
❌ No one signed up after launch.
❌ Cold outreach fell flat.
❌ Even visitors to the site didn’t stick around.
The hardest realization? I built something I thought was valuable, not something people actually needed.
Where I Went Wrong
💡 Mistake #1: “If I Build It, They’ll Come”
- I assumed a great product was enough to attract users.
- I didn’t test demand before writing a single line of code.
💡 Mistake #2: “AI Will Sell Itself”
- AI is exciting, but people don’t pay for technology—they pay for solutions.
- I focused on cool AI features instead of solving a painful, urgent problem.
💡 Mistake #3: “A Great UI = Instant Customers”
- I spent months refining the interface, thinking that would drive conversions.
- But beautiful UIs don’t matter if the core product isn’t solving a real problem.
The Hard Lesson: Build for a Real Problem, Not the Hype
🔥 The market doesn’t care how long you’ve worked on something.
🔥 AI alone isn’t a product—it’s a tool.
🔥 The best way to validate an idea is to get paying customers before you build.
Had I spent even 1 month pre-selling Crypto Clamor, I would have realized:
🚫 The problem wasn’t as painful as I assumed.
🚫 No one was willing to pay for AI-driven sentiment analysis.
🚫 I was building a solution in search of a problem.
How to Avoid My Mistakes (For Free)
Before you spend months (or years) building, validate your AI idea first.
✅ I put together a free AI Business Idea Validation Checklist to help you avoid these mistakes.
It’s the exact process I wish I had used before Crypto Clamor.
🚀 Building software with AI? Get expert insights on AI-driven development, validation, and growth by joining my free newsletter!
🔗 Join free → https://stephencollinstech.substack.com/subscribe
Don’t waste years and thousands of dollars like I did. Test your idea first.
Final Thought
I failed hard. But that failure is now saving me (and hopefully you) from making the same mistakes again.