How I make $20M/year as a 17 year old

Key Concepts

AI-powered calorie tracking
Influencer marketing
Bootstrapping
App development (iOS & Android)
AI application in various fields (fitness, journaling, cross-platform development)
The "bear on a bicycle" phenomenon (combining unique skills)
The importance of a "magic moment" in app design
Balancing growth with impact and personal well-being
The value of mentorship and parsing advice

Cal: An AI-Powered Calorie Tracking App

App Functionality: Cal is an app that allows users to track calories, proteins, fats, and carbs by taking a picture of their meal. It uses AI to identify the food and estimate its nutritional content.
Accuracy: The AI scanning is approximately 90% accurate, which is comparable to or better than FDA nutrition labels (which can be up to 20% inaccurate).
Target Audience: Cal aims to bridge the gap between hardcore calorie trackers who weigh their food and those who don't track at all. It's not recommended for users needing extreme precision (e.g., Mr. Olympia training).
Development: Initially started as an "AI wrapper" using existing AI tools (like ChatGPT), but later evolved with custom-built features.
Growth: Launched 10 months prior to the interview, starting with $30,000 in revenue in the first month and reaching $2 million in revenue in the most recent month.
Business Model: Primarily annual subscriptions. Churn rate is currently unknown due to the recency of the subscription model.
Team: Founded by Zach (age 17/18 at the time of the interview) and three co-founders: Henry Langmack (CTO), Blake Anderson (previous app founder), and Jake Castillo (COO).
Bootstrapped: Entirely bootstrapped with initial funding from the sale of Zach's previous venture, an unblocked gaming website called Totally Science.
Employees: 15 full-time employees.

Influencer Marketing Strategy

Initial Approach: Contacting fitness influencers on Instagram and TikTok.
Pitch: The DM pitch starts with "Paid promo?" followed by a brief explanation of the app's functionality and an invitation to collaborate.
Influencer Selection: Influencers are chosen based on their audience fit and the ability to predict ROI.
Payment Model: Influencers are typically paid in advance, requiring careful analysis of their previous videos and community engagement to estimate views and value.
Content Creation: Influencers are given ideas but are generally allowed to create content that resonates with their audience.

Totally Science: The Unblocked Gaming Website

Concept: A website that allowed students to play games in class by bypassing website blocking protocols.
Growth: Grew to 5 million users through TikTok marketing.
Monetization: Generated revenue through ads.
Sale: Sold for $100,000 at age 16 after generating $60,000 in revenue over two years.
Circumventing Blocks: The website was categorized as "educational" and included features like pressing the "Tab" key to redirect to Google Classroom.
Terms of Service: Included a disclaimer stating that the website should not be used during school hours.

Zach's Mindset and Motivation

Early Entrepreneurial Spirit: Driven by a desire for freedom and independence from a young age.
Breaking Down Problems: A tendency to break down large goals into smaller, more manageable steps.
Impact-Driven: Motivated by making a massive impact on the world.
Continuous Learning: Inspired by podcasts, audiobooks, and biographies of successful individuals (especially deceased ones).
Future Goals: To build a company that touches the lives of billions of people and to achieve financial freedom to pursue impact-driven ventures.

App Development and AI Integration

Starting as an AI Wrapper: The initial version of Cal used existing AI tools as a proof of concept.
Iterative Development: After validating the concept, custom features were added to enhance the user experience.
AI-Powered Features: The core feature is AI-powered calorie tracking through image recognition.
Framework for New Ideas: Identify existing tools or companies that could be improved with AI.
Marketing First Principles: Start with an "aha moment" that can be captured in marketing materials and then build a sticky app around it.

Ideas for New AI-Powered Apps

AI Journal: A journal app that uses AI to generate insights and suggestions for improving the user's life based on their entries.
AI Therapist: An app that provides AI-powered therapy, potentially using voice mode for a more engaging experience.
Cross-Platform App Development Tool: A system or pipeline to convert an iOS app to Android (or vice versa) using AI, potentially as an AI-powered agency.
Remotely Configurable Onboarding Flows: A system to build and A/B test onboarding surveys and screens remotely without submitting app updates.

Managing a Company as a Young Founder

Challenges: Managing older employees, dealing with imposter syndrome, and balancing school with business responsibilities.
Leadership Style: Striving to be an inspiring leader who empowers employees rather than dictating tasks.
Organizational Structure: Relying on the COO for organizational expertise.
Reinvesting Profits: Prioritizing reinvestment of profits into marketing and growth.

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Combine Unique Skills: The "bear on a bicycle" phenomenon – combining skills that don't typically go together to create something remarkable.
Work Backwards from the Magic Moment: Identify an "aha moment" that AI can deliver and then build a sticky app around it.
Learn from Others: Seek mentorship from individuals who are a few steps ahead and parse advice carefully.
Embrace Naivety: Maintain a beginner's mind and don't be afraid to challenge conventional wisdom.
Focus on Impact: Prioritize building something that makes a positive difference in the world.

Conclusion

Zach's success with Cal demonstrates the potential of combining AI with a user-friendly app design and effective influencer marketing. His story highlights the importance of identifying a problem, leveraging available tools, and continuously iterating based on user feedback. Furthermore, his emphasis on impact and continuous learning serves as an inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs of all ages. The key takeaways are to find a unique combination of skills, focus on a compelling "aha moment," and prioritize building something that makes a positive difference.