Founders, be honest: are you building an idea AI gave you?

Building analytics platform (https://spectry.io) that brings real value to customers. Now using AI to validate and enhance the features we can offer. Idea didn't come from AI, instead a long term dream coming into reality now.

Mine wasn't AI-generated. The idea came from a real problem I wanted to solve, though AI has definitely helped a lot during the building process.

To put it bluntly, I see Large Language Models as a rubber duck or a colleague who interviews me to develop my ideas. Instead of giving me brand new ideas, they are partners who are available 24/7 to brainstorm on any specialized field.

I definitely use AI for ideas, but for Takivo it originated from our own problem :)

Yes and no. My Co-founder (also my son) and I started Neuphlo.com before we had access to any LLM, so to start with, we had to build it the good old way. With tools like Claude Code and Codex, new features and built much faster and as long as the foundation is in place and you ensure a proper test harness, you are much more likely to spot the boilerplate code errors that AI still makes. I am a Test manager and not a coder (my co-found is) but with the aid of AI, i can build prototypes with AI very fast and showcase my idea to see if an idea holds.

Regards

Jan Riis Sørensen

Co-founder of Neuphlo.com

honestly the idea matters less than whether you'd still care about it six months in. AI can generate a hundred startup ideas before breakfast but it can't tell you which one you'll stick with when things get hard. the best products I've seen come from people who had the problem first and then used AI to build the solution faster... not from people who asked AI what to build

No, AI did not give me the idea at all but AI has shaped the idea into a product beyond my initial dream. AI showed me pathways and use cases I didn't initially see. However, the idea originated from my own experience and a problem I wished there was a solution available but did not find one.

I treat ChatGPT like another co-founder during brainstorming sessions. It helps challenge assumptions and uncover blind spots, but I never rely on it to decide what to build. customer conversations still carry far more weight.

I have noticed that AI-generated ideas often sound impressive but are too broad. the successful products I have seen usually come from narrowing the scope, focusing on one audience, and solving one painful problem exceptionally well.

AI didn't help me identify the problem we were having internally before building Takivo.
Most of us have asked AI for ideas at some point, but that's just a starting point. Ideas are always there. What makes it yours is everything you do after, and that's not something a prompt can hand you.