Bootstrapping an AI Startup: Balancing Client Work and Building the Future

In this episode, Shane, the founder of CortexAgent LLC, an AI development agency, shares his journey of starting his company and navigating the critical early steps of revenue generation. He discusses securing a retainer agreement with a large client for services such as SEO, programming, and landing page design, and the challenges that arose as the client transitioned their marketing team. From fixing website issues like missing meta tags, broken ad conversion tracking, and security vulnerabilities, Shane reflects on the chaotic but valuable learning process.

Shane also dives into the difficulties of balancing client work with his core mission—building AI-powered products. He highlights his progress on MAVIN, an AI chatbot assistant designed for the automotive industry, and how he’s scaling the product alongside client services. Learn how the strategic decision to hire a marketing assistant from the Philippines is helping him focus on product development and create a demo landing page to attract prospects.

This episode offers practical insights into the realities of bootstrapping a tech startup, managing client work while staying focused on product development, and the steps involved in bringing an AI product to market.