YC
In an era awash with hyper-specialized AI and SaaS products, it can feel as if every person with a laptop and a credit card is instantly a one-person startup. Yet this accessibility also raises questions about differentiation—if “everyone is now a founder,” how do we ensure what we’re building stands out? The list below shows just how many roles can be filled by off-the-shelf AI services, from coding and design to PR and growth. But the real magic still lies in the strategic lens and creative taste of the founder. AI can do the heavy lifting, but it can’t necessarily articulate why an idea matters—or to whom.
Below is the complete list of tools that promise to make everyone a [fill-in-the-blank] at their own startup:
• Programmer:
• Designer:
• Copywriter:
• Product Manager:
Productboard • Aha! • Airfocus
• Lead Magnet Machine:
Gamma • MailerLite • Systeme.io
• Faceless Video Producer:
• Growth Hacker:
Mutiny • Growthbook • Voyantis • Phlanx • Viral Loops
• Data Scientist:
Obviously.ai • H2O.ai • DataRobot • RapidMiner
• Sales Team:
• Customer Support Rep:
• Financial Analyst:
• Legal Assistant:
DoNotPay • LawDepot • Wonder.Legal • Spellbook
• Recruiter:
• Marketing Strategist:
• UX Researcher:
Maze • Hotjar • UserTesting
• Business Analyst:
• Project Manager:
ClickUp • Notion • Coda • Linear
• Public Relations Specialist:
• Social Media Manager:
• Video Producer:
• Email Marketer:
Beehiiv • Substack • ConvertKit
• Market Researcher:
GummySearch • Treendly • Glimpse
• Trend Analysis:
Exploding Topics • TrendHunter • SparkToro
• Product Validator:
Validately • Userfeed • Prelaunchhero
• Pitch Deck Creator:
Beautiful.ai • Gamma • Pitch.com
• Startup Founder:
Stripe • Product Hunt • AngelList
Certainly, using these services can inflate your monthly software expenses beyond hiring a single full-time employee. But they let builders and entrepreneurs validate new ideas rapidly, iterate in days rather than months, and tap into specialized workflows without needing to hire entire teams. What remains essential, however, is articulating a vision that truly resonates—and that, ironically, can’t be outsourced. Even if the tools exist to automate almost everything, founders still need the one asset AI can’t replace: genuine human insight.
Team
• 2-4 co-founders, minimum 50% engineers
• Make sure you have one year’s worth of “ramen money” savings
• All founders must quit jobs completely
• No idea required to start
Idea
• Start brainstorming with teammates before ideas solidify
• One member typically has kernel of the idea
• Get early team buy-in and ownership
• Focus on solving personal problems you deeply understand
Initial steps
• Market research: verify billions in market potential
• Legal setup: set up US incorporation
• MVP development: launch within 2 months maximum
PR
• Handle early PR yourself without agencies
• Treat PR like business development: get warm intros, build relationships, provide real value/news
• Focus on actual news: product launches, funding rounds, major hires, significant partnerships
Fundraising
• If you don’t need money, people love to give it to you
• Schedule investor meetings within tight time frame
• Create momentum and FOMO, investors move because they have a fear of missing out
• Focus on showing growth
Operations
• Minimize expenses aggressively, get cheaper office space, reduce founder salaries
• Track all expenses monthly, review every line item
• Focus on extending runway
Hiring
• Each hire should increase company’s average talent
• If you can’t hire someone who’s smarter than you, just do it yourself
• Be completely transparent about stock compensation, outstanding shares, salary benchmarks
• Build loyalty with early employees
• Keep team small and efficient, only hire when absolutely necessary